Rosenberg writes: “First a very funny and semi bizarre 40 minutes with the incomparable Keith Murray, followed by a super in depth sit down with the firing squad, Fame and Danze aka M.O.P.” This should be a good one.

Original version appears on Kool Keith’s Love & Danger.

It seems that the BK born, VT transplant, and now Colorado resident BURNTmd has reason to be thankful. Seeing that Colorado has legally become more green than his former Green Mountain State, the Brooklyn native has once again enlisted the enigmatic Keith Murray, this time on “Building Blocks,” the latest leak off his Green Invasion project which drops next month. Produced by Reef Ali and featuring cuts from Europe’s former DMC Champion DJ Grazzhoppa, the quartet formulate a recipe proving that Hip-Hop is far from dead.

To boot, the good doctor is set to headline Smoke Fest ’99 this Sunday in Denver, and is then set to open up for Method Man in St. Louis on December 8th. Stay tuned for more leaks off The Green Invasion.. Growth Till Death is the movement.

Keith Murray serves up the first single from his upcoming Lord Of The Metaphor mixtape.

The Warning will be released on 11-6-2012 and it marks the debut album from producer JP Beats whose past works include tracks with Dr. Dre, Jadakiss, Pete Rock, Kurupt, Canibus, and many more. JP Beats has teamed up with A&R Extraordinaire M-Eighty (Wu-Tang /Undergods/ Kurupt/Planet Asia etc) to bring fans the same level of lyrical intensity and diverse line-ups they have come to expect from “Wu-Tang Meets…” & “The Academy” backed with soundscapes of production impresario JP Beats.

The Warning features 16-tracks and all brand new collaborations from the likes of Busta Rhymes, T.I., Young Buck, George Clinton, Royce the 5’9”, Kurupt, Sean Price, Boots Riley (The Coup), Canibus, Planet Asia, Tragedy Khadafi, Cappadonna, and many more. The Warning will be released on November 6th on both physical and digital formats via D.R.E / Holy Toledo Productions.

Keith Murray speaks with Young Jack Thriller about his next mixtape and album release, as well as fighting 2Pac. Hilarious interview.
]]> http://www.hiphopsite.com/2012/01/11/keith-murray-speaks-on-fighting-2pac-new-mixtape-album/feed/ 0 http://www.hiphopsite.com/2011/04/15/canibus-keith-murray-the-undergods-album-trailer-video/ http://www.hiphopsite.com/2011/04/15/canibus-keith-murray-the-undergods-album-trailer-video/#comments Sat, 16 Apr 2011 03:02:56 +0000 http://www.hiphopsite.com/?p=32999

Preview of the forthcoming Undergods collabo LP from Keith Murray and Canibus. Nice intro track… unfortunately no beats by Primo.

LISTEN: Keith Murray & Canibus are The Undergods – “Undergods Roll” (Prod. Jake One)

Keith Murray & Canibus are The Undergods – “Undergods Roll” (Prod. Jake One)

In a word…wow. This is an incredible video of the enigma that is Keith Murray,perhaps a little lifted and talking about fighting 2Pac and Dame Dash.  Keith recounts how he fought Pac at the House Of Blues (ask Redman) and busted Dame with a bottle. This video is priceless. Thank you again, innanet.

   There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Murray can spit, the question is if Keith can construct a dope song and a cohesive album. Unfortunately, with Rap-murr-phobia the answer seems to be “no.”

    While Rap-Murr-Phobia means “The Fear Of Real Hip Hop”, the album should have been about the real emcee. Murray is simply viscous when he is in battle mode.  “U Ain’t Nobody” is Murray at his best, with Redman and Erick Sermon huffing out lyrics, it’s Keith who flexes the most lyrical muscle here.  Although the production is average at best from Sermon, it proves to be one of the highlights on the album. Elsewhere, the reggae tinged “Hustle On” features Murray lamenting about his financial struggles early in life and does it quite well. One of the few times where the production matches Murray’s ferociousness on the mic.

    Rap-Murr-Phobia suffers from the same illness He’s Keith Murray wallowed in - blatent mainstream attempts. While the lyrics in “Nobody Does It Better” reminds the listener of who introduced the world to “Ba-dunk-a-dunk”, the Tyrese feature and juicy production screams for radio attention. It’s easy to oversee the attempt simply because it works but “Something Like A Model” doesn’t fare nearly as well. Keith just doesn’t sound comfortable when it comes to the ladies and the whole song feels relatively forced.

    Production is another mishap altogether on the album. Dope narratives like “Last Night” suffer tremendously because of the production. Maybe Erick Sermon has lost a step or Keith suffers from the same disease as Ras Kass, Canibus and Nas fight with - the inability to pick beats. “Weeble Wobble” isn’t just broke because of its corny title, but it just isn’t held up by the production. Even the 50 Grand and Method Man collabo, “What It Is” can’t seem to get over the production hump.

    Keith Murray may still be the dopest emcee on anyone’s corner, but unfortunately the magic to make a great album is long gone. He’ll always be fantastic for a guest appearance or two, and whenever he freestyles, heads will take notice of his brutal mic wizardry, but Rap-Murr-Phobia just isn’t that album we’ve expected from Keith Murray. 

While Def Jam cut ties, there input in the creative process of He’s Keith Murray is still very evident; as Murray’s intricate grasp of the English language and the funk beats he previously unfurled them over have been concentrated for mass consumption.  Though the rhyme matador laments on “Sucka Free” that the new guard of emcees are saturating the game “young boys fucking up hip-hop.”  Rather then bucking trends, Murray joins them by doing much of the same with “Oh My Goodness,” “Swagger Back,” “Say Whaatt” feat. Redman and the embarrassingly fluffy, DJ Khalil produced “Candi Bar” where it becomes painfully obvious that Keith is not the most suave pick-up artist, as he offers the juvenile “I know your tired, you been running thru my mind all day.”

Though the linguistic flair Murray authored on previous efforts is only audible on a few choice cuts; non-sequitar’s aplenty are ripped on the Just Blaze  assisted “Yeah Yeah Ya Know It” feat. Redman and Erick Sermon where the Def Squad’s well-oiled chemistry continues to shine, he offers some comic relief with an ode to the posterior that would make Seymore Butts proud, “Da Ba Dunk Song,” and proves he can do more then flip braggadocios with introspective numbers “The Carnage” feat. Joe Hooker, “Child Of The Streets,” “Christina” and the now very applicable “Say Goodnight” where Keith touches on the events that lead to his incarceration “I’m very hardcore/I live out my metaphors/so don’t ask me what happened/ask that niggas jaw.”

Yet, even those tracks don’t match up favorably with some of the material Murray has authored in the past. And though we may have become numb to the ritualistic funk that Erick Sermon previously employed with Murray over the years, after He’s Keith Murray anyone would embrace them with open arms and ears.


I caught up with Mr. Murray during his on-air interview with Jamz 96.3 radio personality, Marie Cristal.  Then I waited patiently for him to wrap up an interview he was doing with a cat from XXL.  In the meantime, staff and Keith’s peeps were treated to southern style cuisine prepared by Hattie’s in Saratoga, NY.  After Keith finished his food, it was time for photos.  Then we finally sat down and talked about his day at Tryon and his new album.

HHS: Keith, can you tell me about your experience speaking at Tryon Institute?

KM: Well I was just down there basically giving a motivational speech to the young guys that were in there, letting them know that I came from where they came from.  You can either go one or two ways – the good way or the bad way and it’s up to them to look down within themselves to reach inside their soul and pull out the best in them.  I was just encouraging them and letting them know that life is hard, but you gotta make some sacrifices.

HHS: Let’s talk briefly about your new project.  What you got going on?

KM: I have a new project called “He’s Keith Murray”.  The album is coming out April 1st on Def Jam.

HHS: What’s the name of the single that’s dropping?

KM: The single is called “Yeah, Yeah Ya Know It” featuring Redman and Erick Sermon, produced by Just Blaze.

HHS: So for those who don’t know, where have you been and which direction are you headed in with your music?

KM: I’ve been incarcerated for 3 years.  Where I’m going is a fulfilled career in music.

HHS: For people who don’t know about Keith Murray, he had a few albums out in the 90′s and one of my favorite cuts was “The Most Beautifulist Thing In The World”.  Please describe some of the music on your new album.

KM: Well the music on my new album consists of 14 tracks of just many different aspects of Keith Murray that’s why I decided to name it after me.  It touched down on a lot of things as far as pain, happiness, setbacks, achievements that I really didn’t touch down on my last projects.  So the listener will get a full view of who Keith Murray really is on this album.

HHS: As far as production, who’s on the album?

KM: I got Just Blaze, Trackmasterz, Clark Kent, Erick Sermon, Keith Rock and Jazze Pha.

HHS: And guest appearances?

KM:   Guest appearances by Redman, Busta Rhymes, Erick Sermon and L.O.D.

HHS: What advice do you have for someone who wants to get into music and take it to the next level?

KM: Well you gotta be serious about it so you gotta build up your education on the music field as far as literature. You have to ask various questions of people who are in that field and just be true to what you do. Don’t let anybody deter you from your goals.

HHS: Anything else you want people to know about Keith Murray?

KM: Yeah, this is my comeback album.  I appreciate everybody for looking out for me when I was in jail, the support.  Pick up this album ’cause you’re gonna love it.