Keith Murray (rapper)
Encyclopedia
Keith Murray is an American rapper
and a member of the rap trio Def Squad
, which includes fellow rappers Redman and Erick Sermon
.
under the name MC Do Damage. Later, he was introduced to Erick Sermon of EPMD
by K-Solo
. Sermon included Murray on his album No Pressure
on the single "Hostile". His first album, The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World, was released in 1994 on Jive Records
. The title track from this album remains Murray's biggest solo hit. This album was given 4 mics by The Source
.
Murray's second album Enigma was released in 1996 on Jive. It received similar ratings from critics, but it was not quite as commercially successful as the previous album. In 1998, The Def Squad covered "Rapper's Delight
" by the Sugarhill Gang. They would later release their own album, El Niño. Murray's third album It's a Beautiful Thing
was released in 1999. Murray also appeared on the song "Home Alone" by R. Kelly
.
Def Jam released his He's Keith Murray
in 2003, containing the single "Yeah, Yeah U Know It." This song has guest appearances from fellow Def Squad members Redman and Erick Sermon. Murray dedicated "Christina" to his sister. That same year, Murray was featured on the video game Def Jam Vendetta
.
He released his fifth solo album Rap-Murr-Phobia on July 31, 2007. It debuted at number 52 on the U.S. Billboard 200
chartin. The lead single is "Nobody Do It Better" featuring Tyrese
& Junior.
Murray's vocals/crowd hyping appears on the song "Elektrobank
" by The Chemical Brothers
from their album Dig Your Own Hole
.
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
and a member of the rap trio Def Squad
Def Squad
Def Squad is a rap supergroup consisting of Erick Sermon, Redman & Keith Murray. Mally G is considered an honorary member of the Def Squad. Before officially forming as a group to release an album in 1998, they had each been featured on tracks by each other...
, which includes fellow rappers Redman and Erick Sermon
Erick Sermon
Erick Sermon , in Bay Shore, New York is an American rapper, musician, and producer.Sermon is best known as half of late-1980s/1990s hip hop group EPMD and for production work. He currently resides in Islandia, New York.- Career :...
.
Music career
Before Murray ever recorded an album, he battled Big Daddy KaneBig Daddy Kane
Antonio Hardy better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MC's in Hip Hop...
under the name MC Do Damage. Later, he was introduced to Erick Sermon of EPMD
EPMD
EPMD is an American hip hop group from Brentwood, New York. The group's name is a concatenation of the members' name "E" and "PMD" or an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referencing its members, emcees Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith...
by K-Solo
K-Solo
K-Solo is an American rapper from Central Islip, New York who, along with EPMD, Redman, Das EFX, and Keith Murray, was part of the Hit Squad in 1990s.-Late years:...
. Sermon included Murray on his album No Pressure
No Pressure
-Album:-Singles:"—" denotes releases that did not chart.-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*arranging – Jeffrey Stewart*engineering – Mike Calderon, David Greenberg, George Pappas, Gary Platt, Darin Prindle*executive production – Erick Sermon...
on the single "Hostile". His first album, The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World, was released in 1994 on Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
. The title track from this album remains Murray's biggest solo hit. This album was given 4 mics by The Source
The Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...
.
Murray's second album Enigma was released in 1996 on Jive. It received similar ratings from critics, but it was not quite as commercially successful as the previous album. In 1998, The Def Squad covered "Rapper's Delight
Rapper's Delight
"Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 single by American hip hop trio The Sugarhill Gang. While it was not the first single to feature rapping, it is generally considered to be the song that first popularized hip hop in the United States and around the world. The song's opening lyric "I said a hip hop, a...
" by the Sugarhill Gang. They would later release their own album, El Niño. Murray's third album It's a Beautiful Thing
It's a Beautiful Thing (album)
-Album:-Singles:-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*arranging – Keith Murray, Erick Sermon*assistant engineering – Dave O'Donnell*engineering – Mark Berto, Troy Hightower*executive production – Erick Sermon...
was released in 1999. Murray also appeared on the song "Home Alone" by R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
.
Def Jam released his He's Keith Murray
He's Keith Murray
He's Keith Murray is the fourth album by rapper Keith Murray and his first released by Def Jam. It was critically and commercially received as a mediocre album. It only had one single and a relatively unpopular one at that in "Yeah Yeah U Know It". It is so far the least successful Keith Murray...
in 2003, containing the single "Yeah, Yeah U Know It." This song has guest appearances from fellow Def Squad members Redman and Erick Sermon. Murray dedicated "Christina" to his sister. That same year, Murray was featured on the video game Def Jam Vendetta
Def Jam Vendetta
Def Jam Vendetta is a professional wrestling video game that combined hip hop with pro wrestling. It was released for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube. It was Electronic Arts' first attempt at a wrestling game since the widely-panned WCW Backstage Assault...
.
He released his fifth solo album Rap-Murr-Phobia on July 31, 2007. It debuted at number 52 on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chartin. The lead single is "Nobody Do It Better" featuring Tyrese
Tyrese
Tyrese Darnell Gibson , also known simply as Tyrese, is an American R&B singer, rapper, actor, author, former fashion model and MTV VJ. After releasing several albums, he transitioned into films, with lead roles in several Hollywood releases.-Early life:Gibson was born in Los Angeles, California,...
& Junior.
Murray's vocals/crowd hyping appears on the song "Elektrobank
Elektrobank
"Elektrobank" is a song by English big beat duo The Chemical Brothers. It was released as a single from their second album, Dig Your Own Hole, on September 1997. It peaked at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart. Spike Jonze directed the music video, which depicted a rhythmic gymnastics competition...
" by The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background...
from their album Dig Your Own Hole
Dig Your Own Hole
Dig Your Own Hole is the second studio album by British electronica duo The Chemical Brothers, released on 7 April 1997. It features Noel Gallagher of Oasis and Beth Orton as guest vocalists...
.
Discography
- The Most Beautifullest Thing in This WorldThe Most Beautifullest Thing in This World-Album:-Singles:-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*engineering – Bob Fudjinski, Dave Greenberg*executive production – Erick Sermon*mastering – Tony Dawsey*mixing – Bob Fudjinski, Dave Greenberg*performing – Hurricane G, Redman, Erick Sermon...
(1994) - Enigma (1996)
- It's a Beautiful ThingIt's a Beautiful Thing (album)-Album:-Singles:-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*arranging – Keith Murray, Erick Sermon*assistant engineering – Dave O'Donnell*engineering – Mark Berto, Troy Hightower*executive production – Erick Sermon...
(1999) - He's Keith MurrayHe's Keith MurrayHe's Keith Murray is the fourth album by rapper Keith Murray and his first released by Def Jam. It was critically and commercially received as a mediocre album. It only had one single and a relatively unpopular one at that in "Yeah Yeah U Know It". It is so far the least successful Keith Murray...
(2003) - Rap-Murr-Phobia (The Fear of Real Hip-Hop)Rap-Murr-Phobia (The Fear of Real Hip-Hop)Rap-Murr-Phobia is the fifth studio album by rapper Keith Murray. It was released on July 31, 2007 through Koch Records and was almost entirely produced by Erick Sermon...
(2007)