[Comp] KEITH MURRAY - "Splitting Heads With Logs"

We all saw one of Def Squad's strongest artists and lyrical '90s sensation Keith Murray make 2013 Canibus look like a battle rap scientist when he got up to "battle" Fredro Starr of Onyx a couple of weeks ago. I can seriously say that it was an almost physically painful thing to watch as Murray went on to redefine words like cringeworthy and awkward. In interviews afterwards he has been saying that he got some complications from a medicine he was taking, but no matter what's the case the actual bars that he was saying (and rewinding and repeating at that) was straight up WACK! You don't talk about wearing gazoline drawers while walking through hell or threatening to beat your opponent with a log in 2015 battles. And you don't turn into fucking KRS-One, especially if you don't got anything clever to say while using that shtick. All in all it was a very confusing batltle but most importantly - it was absolutely HILARIOUS, some of that stuff in there is dangerously funny to watch and will be remembered as a classic clip from now on.

The thing is that no matter what went down in that battle, all of Keith Murray's previous achievements and sick ass back catalouge remains exactly the same. So while we clown on Keith for winning (at losing) perhaps the worst battle rap of all time, let us not forget "The Most Beautifullest Thing in the World" and "Enigma". Two terrific mid-'90s albums that gracefully married Murray's complex flows, spaced out concepts and commanding voice with the dark low down dirt funk of Erick Sermon. With that in mind I put together a little compilation of Keith's cameos, soundtrack apperances, B-sides and official remixes from the first part of his career, from his recording debut on "Hostile" (Erick Sermon: "No Pressure", 1993) to "Live Wires Connect" with UGK and Lord Jamar ("Don't Be A Menace" O.S.T., 1996). In trying to keep with the vibes of his LP:s of the time I have not included all available material from the era, instead I've tried to build something that holds up on its own and is based on the chemistry between an emcee and his producer. With very few exceptions all of the tracks here are produced by Mr. Sermon. So crank up the volume and just enjoy this funky set...

01. "This That Shit"

02. "Get Lifted" [Sermon Remix]

03. "Hostile" (Ft. Erick Sermon & Jeffrey Stewart)

04. ""What I'm After II" (Ft. Lords Of The Underground) [prod. by K-DEF]

05. "It's Goin' Down" 

06. "Cosmic Slop" (Ft. Redman & Erick Sermon)

07. "K. Murray Interlude" [prod. by Nashiem Myrick]

08. "Welcome" (Ft. Erick Sermon)

09. "Tell 'Em"

10. "Pay Per View"

11. "East Left"

12. "Breaker 1, Breaker 2" (Ft. Redman & Erick Sermon)

13. "Newark to C.I." (Ft. Shaquille O'Neal)

14. "Freestyle" (Ft. Redman) [beat by RZA - "Protect Ya Neck"]

15. "Swing It Over Here" (Ft. Erick Sermon & Redman)

16. "Dip Dip Di" [You Remix Me]

17. "Live Wires Connect" (Ft. UGK & Lord Jamar) [prod. by Lord Jamar]

KEITH MURRAY - "SPLITTING HEADS W. LOGS" 

[comp] ERICK SERMON - "A Platform of Brilliance"

People love and will always hold the early EPMD albums in the higest regards among other classic hip-hop albums, equally because of PMD and E's intricate front-to-back rhyming but also because of the duo's funky sample-heavy beats that solidified Erick Sermon as one of the best producers around (don't be completely fooled though, as PMD had a lot of production input as well - especially on their first album "Strictly Business" as revealed to Brian Coleman in his chapter on the album from his "Check The Technique"). Still The Green Eyed Bandit has proven time and time again that he's a super dope producer with or without EPMD, as he has produced at least two out of three classics for Redman (he was involved in "Dare Iz A Darkside" but the bulk of the beats was handled by Reggie himself). Reading Erick Sermon's name in the credits of a new hip-hop album was a true mark of quality However I do have to admit that past 2004 or something like that hes been more and more generic in his sound, though he ocassionally comes through with some real hardhitting shit that we all love.

For this compilation I decided to focus more on E-Dub's earlier material, past the early EPMD albums and up until about 2000 (and mostly earlier). These tracks to me represent stands as a good compliment together with the classic albums Sermon has produced as the reason why he is still to this day considered a living legend in the game. Erick Sermon has always been very good at killing beats for both R&B and hardcore hip-hop artists, and even the ocassional ragga artist like Super Cat, so I decided to make this compilation pretty diverse within those categories. Featured on the compilation are a couple of Sermon solo cuts, Def Squad, Keith Murray, Shaquille O'Neal, LL Cool J, Redman, K-Solo, D'Angelo, Bahamadia, AZ, Jodeci, and more. As usual the Def Squad tracks on here (Red, E-Dub, Keith Murray) is non album tracks/soundtrack joints and such, basically stuff that you won't find on either of these guys albums. If you're not up on them yet, be sure to check out Redman's entire catalouge, Keith Murray's first albums, large parts of Erick Sermon's catalouge, and of course all the EPMD albums (yeah even the last one is pretty ill if you ask me)... and whatever you do, TURN IT UP!!!

01. Erick Sermon - "Maintain"

02. Bahamadia - "I Confess" [Erick Sermon Remix]

03. AZ - "Gimme Yours" [Erick Sermon Remix]

04. Shaquille O'Neal - "My Style, My Steelo" (Ft. Redman & Erick Sermon)

05. Da 5 Footaz - "Candidates"

06. Heavy D & The Boyz - "Take Your Time"

07. D'Angelo - "Me & Those Dreamin' Eyes" [Remix] (Ft. Def Squad)

08. LL Cool J - "Hey Lover" [Remix] (Ft. 112)

09. Erick Sermon - "Battle" (Ft. Sy Scott)

10. Def Squad - "Breaker Breaker, 1,2"

11. Warren G - "I Shot The Sherrif" [Remix]

12. K-Solo - "Rock Bottom"

13. Doctor Dre & Ed Lover Ft. Keith Murray - "It's Goin' Down"

14. Questionmark Asylum - "Lookaway" [Remix]

15. Powerule - "Rock Ya Knot Quick"

16. Dilated Peoples - "The Platform" [Remix]

ERICK SERMON - "A PLATFORM OF BRILLIANCE"

Phoenix Ft. Keith Murray & Klashnekoff - "No Return"

It's always dope to hear US and Europe coming together over this hip-hop shit, as Phoenix Da Icefire enlists legend Keith Murray and UK emcee Klashnekoff on his Chemo produced single "The Point Of No Return". The song will appear on the Triple Darkness members solo album "The Quantum Leap" which also features Ruste Juxx, Cyrus Malachi, Kyza and more plus production from Beat Butcha and Chemo. You can order "The Quantum Leap" now.