Keith Murray Hip-hop artist Country: USA

Biography of Keith Murray

Keith Murray is a hip-hop artist who grew up in Central Islip, a poor suburb of Long Island, New York. He spent most of his youth in this neighborhood, surrounded by the streets infected with drug addiction. After the deaths of his parents from liver cirrhosis and his sister from cancer, these streets became his second home. He lost close friends to violence and dedicated numerous tattoos on his skin to them and his family. Inspired by legendary local artists such as EPMD, Rakim, and DE LA SOUL, Keith formed a rap group called LEGION OF DOOM (L.O.D.) with talented individuals from his neighborhood.

While still in high school, Keith and his crew often used their study time for their own interests and even won several young talent competitions. Keith's friend K-Solo introduced him to Eric Sermon of EPMD. Both rappers took Keith under their wing cautiously. The opportunity arose when EPMD disbanded, with K-Solo joining HIT SQUAD and Eric Sermon and Redman seeking a third member for DEF SQUAD. Keith Murray made his debut on Sermon's solo single "Hostile" and gained attention for his unique "street" style of delivery and the frequent use of the phrase "The most beautiful thing in this world," which later became the title of his single and album.

The DEF SQUAD mission gained momentum immediately after the release of Eric's debut solo album "No Pressure" in 1993. The trio collaborated on the track "Swing It Over Here." They continued to collaborate on various projects, including Redman's album "Dare Iz A Darkside" (1994), Keith's debut album "The Most Beautiful Thing In This World" (1995), Eric Sermon's album "Double Or Nothing" (1995), Keith's album "Enigma" (1996) featuring DEF SQUAD, Jamal, and Busta Rhymes, and Redman's album "Muddy Waters" (1996). The highly anticipated DEF SQUAD album "El Nino" was released in 1998.

Keith's first solo album, "The Most Beautiful Thing In This World," became a "gold" record thanks to the title single and its follow-up, "Get Lifted." He presented himself as a fresh hardcore rapper with a recognizable vocal style and influential friends. The album was produced by Eric Sermon. Keith was working on his second album, "Enigma," when trouble started. Mobb Deep targeted him and his friends in the introduction to their album "The Infamous" (1995), insulting rappers who smoked marijuana and wrote songs about it. Keith personally confronted Prodigy from Mobb Deep, and their conflict escalated to a shootout. Additionally, Mobb Deep's next album included a track titled "In The Long Run," which contained the lyrics "Fuck Keith Murray and his whole fucking crew."

On May 24, 1995, Keith, along with L.O.D., was involved in a brawl in a nightclub in New Britain, Connecticut, allegedly over money. He caused serious injuries to a promoter named Latif Hughes. Latif's 16-year-old brother, David, who was with him, claimed that he was beaten by L.O.D. members while trying to intervene and that Keith hit him on the head with a chair. Keith paid all legal expenses for the Hughes brothers and obtained a delay in his sentence. However, in January 1997, he was convicted of assault and sentenced to five years in prison, with the possibility of early release after three years and a three-year probationary period.

During his time in prison, Keith's album "Enigma," released after the success of his debut, did not perform well with 250,000 sales. However, his guest appearances on tracks by LL Cool J, Mary J. Blige, BOYZ II MEN, and Total maintained his credibility. Finally, the DEF SQUAD's debut album "El Nino" was released in 1998, five years after its initial announcement. The album was well-received, although fans expected more from the trio. Keith Murray acknowledged the struggles they faced when starting their careers and remembered their humble beginnings. Despite his incarceration, Keith continued to write rhymes and announced the creation of a charitable organization that would educate and support children from impoverished backgrounds who were headed down a criminal path.

In January 1999, Keith released his third album, "It's A Beautiful Thing." However, due to his legal situation, he was unable to go on tour for at least three more years. His lawyers filed an appeal in court, seeking to reduce his sentence. Keith remains determined and continues to write rhymes even under these extreme circumstances. He is admired for his resilience and commitment to giving back to the community.