During the 1990s, Keith Murray was hailed as one of the preeminent lyricists in the rap game. Born in Yonkers and raised in Long Island, Murray wielded a style all his own with his endless vocabulary, multisyllabic rhyme patterns, and energetic live performances.

In 1994, he caught his big break when his friend K-Solo introduced him to Erick Sermon of EPMD. Murray would make his debut on Sermon's album “No Pressure” on the single "Hostile.” The appearance garnered Murray critical acclaim for his lyricism and eventually landed him a record deal at Jive Records along with membership in the Def Squad with Sermon and Redman.

As a solo artist, Murray earned immediate success with his debut album “The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World” which went gold in 1995. He followed up with several more projects including “Enigma”(1996) Def Squad's sole album, El Niño (1998), “It's a Beautiful Thing” (1999) “He's Keith Murray” (2003)  “Canibus & Keith Murray are The Undergods”  (2011), Lord of the Metaphor (2018), to name a few.

To celebrate the legacy of one of hop’s most revered MCs, here are 5 tracks from the legendary MC, Keith Murray.

1. “The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World” 

Murray came out of the gate as a solo artist with a classic debut song “The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World” in 1994. Produced by Sermon and using a sample of The Isley Brothers “Between the Sheets” Murray floats on the track with his verbal wizardry and raw lyrics. Eventually, the song became Murray’s most successful single and his signature song. It peaked at No. 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Hot Rap Singles chart.

2. “Get Lifted”

On his second single, Murray kept the high energy and lyricism going on “Get Lifted.” Murray expresses his love for smoking weed and rapping. “This the real deal not a publicity stunt/I gets high like if the man in the movie puffin blunts/But verily barely merrily is it dope or the dream. Step into my chain izm intervene the smokescreen.”  Peaking at 71 on the Billboard 200 and 7 on the Hot Rap Singles, “Get Lifted” was another Sermon production and became another hit for Murray.

3.  “I Shot You” Remix  with LL Cool J, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, Fat Joe, and Foxy Brown, (1995)

In what is regarded as one of the hardest posse cuts of the 90s, Murray set the classic track off with his verse on the “I Shot You" remix. Released on LL Cool J’s “Mr. Smith” album, the track also features hard-hitting verses from Prodigy of Mobb Deep,  Fat Joe, and Foxy Brown. With an all-star lineup of some of New York’s best rappers, Murray managed to stand out with one of his most memorable guest verses.

4. “Def Squad Delite” by Def Squad (1997)

Released in 1997, In tha Beginning... There Was Rap,  was a compilation album of cover versions of classic hip hop songs done by some of the top rap acts of the day. Of the 12 tracks on the project, the jewel of the album is “Def Squad Delite” by the Def Squad. With Red doing Michael "Wonder Mike" Wright’s part, Sermon rhyming Henry "Big Bank Hank" Jackson’s verse, and Murray handling Guy "Master Gee" O'Brien’s bars, the song was the perfect updated version of the classic record. Not only did “Def Squad Delite '' pay homage to the Sugar Hill Gang but it introduced the first commercially successful rap song to a new generation of hip hop fans.

5. “Full Cooperation” with Erik Sermon and Redman, (1998)

After years of being featured on each other’s projects, members of the Def Squad: Erick Sermon, Redman, and Keith Murray, gave their fans a collaborative album, “El Nino” in 1998. The first single from the gold-selling LP was the funky “Full Cooperation.” Produced by Sermon, the trio's chemistry is undeniable as they each dropped hot 16s. With one of the best videos of the era, each rapper spoofed a film from Eddie Murphy (Murray, "48 hrs”, Sermon, "The Nutty Professor”, and Redman, "Trading Places”). As the only album released by Def Squad, “Full Cooperation” is the embodiment of one the best rap collectives of the 90s.