My Gut Reaction: Keith Murray - Intellectual Violence (April 22, 2008)

Any emcee that finds themselves signed to the Koch graveyard (today known as eOne) has to take a look in the mirror. At some point during their career, their lagging sales figures or their controversial asides away from music caused their major label home to think twice about re-upping their contract – I mean, when was the last time you heard about a brand new artist signing a multi-million deal with Koch? It’s a cause for reflection for most artists, who use the opportunity as a challenge to record and release music against significantly increased budget restraints, all the while hoping that they somehow luck into capturing lightning in a bottle once again.

Or you’re Keith Murray, and you end up getting kicked out of the graveyard, too.

Keith “Keith Murray” Murray’s career has long been one of diminishing returns. His highest highs came early in his career, after opting out of his pseudonym, MC Do Damage, and taking the novel route of using his actual name: after making a splash of a debut on Erick Sermon’s “Hostile”, Murray released three solo albums under the tutelage of Sermon, all of which have some monster tracks on them. Those projects, The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World, Enigma, and It’s A Beautiful Thing, were released by Jive Records to critical acclaim, if not the sales to match. Thanks to the success of the Def Squad (the crew made up of Sermon, Murray, and Redman, whose collaborative album El Niño was a late-1990s sleeper hit), Murray switched label homes to Def Jam Records, where he managed to release only one album, He’s Keith Murray, before his violent tendencies managed to get him kicked out of their offices. The Koch graveyard accepted him with open arms, as they did with every lost artists back then, releasing the ridiculously-titled Rap-Murr-Phobia (The Fear of Real Hip Hop) in 2007, which sold zero copies.

However, his sixth full-length, Intellectual Violence, dropped in 2008 on his own L.O.D. Records, and a quick glance at the rest of Murray’s discography shows that he hasn’t signed to a major label ever since. Right now, he seems to be beholden to Sermon’s Def Squad Records, which has since become an indie outlet with a major Bandcamp presence. I don’t remember reading anything about why Murray was no longer a part of Koch or eOne, but his past history leads one to believe that his temperament may have gotten the best of him. Again.

I had stopped giving a shit about Keith Murray’s body of work a long time ago. I have write-ups for the man’s first five albums up on the site, but I only really ever paid attention to the first four when they were released, and that’s the way I try to remember the man: as a lyrical beast skilled enough to weave deft wordplay with some goofy jokes and references, all while lucking into some great beats from time to time. So while I was aware of the existence of Intellectual Violence, I had given up on the man a long time ago: his shtick had long gotten old, and the later work I was familiar with featured a Keith Murray that didn’t seem to care about his craft. But I’ve run out of Redman albums to write about, so.

Intellectual Violence is named after a phrase he used during a winning cameo on his hero LL Cool J’s “I Shot Ya (Remix)”. It was intended to describe what he represents, which was pretty apt: nobody’s ever accused the man of being an idiot. But when your, oh, let’s just say passionate, responses toward the labels that have been tasked to aid your career result in you getting bounced out of multiple jobs, perhaps one should rethink the “violence” part a bit, lest you end up in a position where the only way you can release your music is through a half-assed label you create yourself, where your only product is a poorly-mixed album where the guest features or production credits aren't labeled in any way (I listened to this online, so I have no liner notes, but if the Interweb is accurate, there aren't really any liner notes anyway) so that you don’t have to pay any of your collaborators, since your project won’t make a dent in the current hip hop landscape anyway and, as such, will fly under most radars.

Working theory, folks.

1. OTIS (INTRO)

An excerpt from House of 1000 Corpses? Sure, okay, Keith. At least it actually sets up the next track (and first song on the album) decently.

2, RUN FOR YA LIFE

So goddamn terrible that it retroactively destroys Keith Murray’s image as a lyrical beast. That isn’t hyperbole: our host is stymied by the instrumental, which is far more mainstream than what our host has utilized in the past, and the awkward, stilted flor present on “Run For Ya Life” does nothing for the boasts and threats he typically conjures up, making him sound empty. He also seems to have misplaced several skills from his pen game, as everything he manages to spit on here is Great Value Keith Murray and just as convincing. I’ve made a huge mistake and I’d like to get off of this ride now, please.

3. TALK DAT SHIT

“Your ass outta here, like stratasophic.” That’s no typo: Keith actually speaks that line into existence at the beginning of his second verse on “Talk Dat Shit”, which is another terrible outing. The instrumental sounds like something his formerly-estranged sister’s fiancé cooked up in his bedroom in an attempt to impress our host, and Murray felt obligated to use it in order not to fuck things up before the wedding, which is supposed to take place this weekend. Then again, Keith sounds so… tired throughout “Talk Dat Shit” that this could qualify as a satirical attack on hip hop heads, one where he deliberately turns in a poor performance in order to subvert their lofty expectations. I’m completely joking: that would be giving this shitty song way too much credit.

4. U AIN’T NO GANGSTA (SKIT)

…

5. U AIN’T NO GANGSTA

Look, I get it: when you’re releasing your album on an unknown label that’s run from the same desk as where you do your temp data entry day job, you’re going to try to game the system a bit in your favor, in the hope that your project is noticed by the right people. But that still doesn’t fully explain the horseshit that is “U Ain’t No Gangsta”, two verses wrapped around an R&B hook and one of those faux-soulful beats that someone would upload to their Soundcloud today as “College Dropout Kanye-type beat.mp3”. This was fucking bad, folks. Not only are the lyrics terrible and homophobic (Murray sounds incredulous at the idea that someone could ever be stabbed by a gay man, as though he’s equating that possibility with the chance that he could run into a unicorn at Home Depot), they’re also the same bars that appear on EPMD’s “They Tell Me” off of their We Mean Business album, which was released later that same year. I’d be willing to bet that E and PMD’s track came first, though, and here’s why: “U Ain’t No Gangsta” shares its entire first verse and four bars off of the second with “They Tell Me”, with those loose lines worked into the body of the stanza for Erick and Parish. But when Keith runs out of words during his second verse, you can actually hear the transition in his mind from old to new, and he struggles even worse than usual with his dumbass phony threats and alleged lyrical praise. Have I ever just ended a write-up when I was only partly through the album before? Because I’m very goddamn tempted right now.

6. HEY LADIES

Keith “Keith Murray” Murray’s most engaged performance thus far happens to appear on “Hey Ladies”, in which he uses up his two verses terribly flirting with an anonymous woman (or women, who knows), which is yet another topic of discussion nobody wanted to ever hear our host approach. To be fair, though, his bars, although not inspired in the least and nowhere near what he was capable of at his peak, work their magic on the instrumental, so the two-and-a-half minutes it takes for “Hey Ladies” to play out fly right by. I would still like to get that time back, though: please visit my gofundme to find out how you two can help.

7. 2 N----Z

Murray flexes his storytelling muscle on “2 N----z”, a crime tale which follows two men doing illegal shit and running into opposition. The beat isn’t very good, but its attempts to fake dramatic intensity connect a handful of times, which aids our host as he sets the stage. Working within the story format, he’s forced to simplify his vocabulary in order for the tale to unfold, and his flow sounds strange at first as a result. “2 N----z” doesn’t even last for two full minutes, as Murray interrupts himself by promising the story a “to be continued”, so I suppose we shall see. I’ve heard worse songs from Keith Murray, is what I’m saying.

8. DEF SQUAD (FEAT. REDMAN & ERICK SERMON)

You’re only reading this write-up to see where Keith Murray stands with the rest of the Def Squad, right? Yeah, me too. So you’ll be happy to learn that the lazily-titled “Def Squad” features both Erick Sermon and Reggie Noble. (Some heads will recognize this track as the Redman song “Don’t Make No Sense”, released two years prior: given how the hook plays on here, Reggie’s title is a much better fit.) Just by sheer guest star energy alone, “Def Squad” has got to be the best song on Intellectual Violence: hell, our host even sounds a tiny bit excited to be here, even though his verse is by far the worst of the three. After a lengthy concert intro that wasn’t entirely necessary. Sermon opens the track, with Reggie riding in the middle, his verbal Flubber bounding all over the instrumental. This was pretty good, even if the chorus was a bit lazy, but be forewarned: this is the album’s peak, and it’s all downhill from here.

9. PEN LIFE

Okay, that last line was a bluff: “Pen Life” has some redeeming value. But that’s it, you two, no lie. I didn’t need the lengthy setup and dialogue lifted from Joe Pesci’s character in Casino, though. Over an unintentionally goofy instrumental that loops up a version of “The Streets of Cairo”, our host dives into what life is like behind bars while offering up helpful advice to the listener. (“Drink a lot of water” isn’t prison-specific, as it should apply to everyone, but it’s still nice to know he cares.) This is the type of shit people want when they try to listen to a Keith Murray album: a wordsmith waxing eloquently about a subject, providing a level of detail that has you witnessing the events unfolding alongside our host, except with your ears. It isn’t better than “Def Squad”, but it’s a different vibe, so it doesn’t have to be.

10. GOT OUR OWN THANG (FEAT. L.O.D.)

It’s nice to know that Keith Murray hasn’t yet abandoned his friends in the Legion of Doom, giving both of his uncredited guests (I assume they’re 50 Grand and Kel Vicious, but I wasn’t in the recording sessions, so I guess I’ll never know) time to shine on “Got Our Own Thang”, a posse cut, one which makes great strides toward, but never comes close to reaching, the level of excitement that must have been felt in the studio whenever EPMD shared their space with guests. The problem is that, while nobody comes across as weak, it’s nigh impossible to tell anybody apart from one another. I’m fairly sure Keith appears on here, but I don’t feel confident enough to commit. And when your posse cut sounds like it was performed by just one dude, well, you’ve got a failure on your hands, son. One that you wouldn’t shut off or skip past, of course, but still, this will be absolutely nobody’s go-to.

11. WDEF RADIO

Skit…

12. I’LL GO CRAZY

Our host repositions himself as the Forrest Gump of rapper deaths. Okay, that’s a severe exaggeration, but there isn’t any other reason for him to brag about hanging out with The Notorious B.I.G. less than twenty-four hours before he was murdered, or being in the vicinity when 2Pac was shot in New York. If anything, this just makes him the prime suspect, wouldn’t it? Murray uses the hook on “I’ll Go Crazy” to warn the listener to not test him, but then talks about how apparently everyone he’s ever known has passed away, and we’re supposed to not think that those two concepts are related somehow? I guess what I’m saying is, Keith Murray is a serial killer, and this track doubles as his confession.

13. KILL EM (SKIT)

…

14. WHAT IS TROUBLE

Keith Murray has always worked best when the instrumental backing he’s given helps set an antagonistic mood, as that caused him to want to physically fight the microphone using his words. (That was supposed to be a compliment.) The beat for “What Is Trouble” (a terrible fucking song title, by the way) is not one of those, so Murray comes across as that obnoxious dude at the bar who doesn’t know how to shut the fuck up, but you’re too lazy and/or tipsy to leave your stool, so you power through it. Ugh.

15. EXCITEMENT (SKIT)

…

16. BLOKKA BLOKKA

Meh. Man, does it feel good to use that again.

17. STALKER (SKIT)

…

18. RAT HUNTERS

Likely unintentional (and unintentionally hilarious) reference to Johnny Dangerous’ “Beat That Bitch With a Bat” aside, “Rat Hunters” is somehow even worse that its crappy song title. Keith and an uncredited guest spew lazy street rhymes that don’t necessarily have to discover new territory, but you know, it’s be nice if Keith gave a damn about the quality of his work. The chorus is performed at a first grade reading level, the instrumental plods along like the piffle used on those Wu-Tang Clan z-team albums of olde (I had a Solomon Childs vibe when I wrote that last sentence for some reason), and, worst of all, absolutely none of this was entertaining in any way. Skip this shit, with a vengeance if you’re able.

19. ANGER

“Anger” is probably the first word that comes to mind whenever I think of Keith Murray. (Others include “weed”, because of “Herb Is Pumpin’” and “Get Lifted”; “beautifullest”; and “Wendy’s”, thanks to an old profile in The Source that has stuck with me for, oh, let’s say twenty years). So having our host explore the concept of “Anger”, “the most misunderstood emotion” according to him, is at the very least mildly interesting to me. The man does seem to be more focused than usual over the beat, but ultimately the song fails to initiate a dialogue, as Keith would rather beat your ass than confront his demons. Ah well.

20. DON’T HATE ME CAUSE I’M BEAUTIFUL

I would have preferred a rap album outro than this garbage, which seemingly exists only to evoke memories of Murray’s breakthrough single, “The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World”, a song I still don’t fucking like, @ me. Keith refers to his flow as “lyrical nihilism”, which I actually agree with, as he definitely recorded this entire project without a single fuck given about his career’s longevity, his legacy, or our chosen genre.

THE LAST WORD: Although there are plenty of aggressive acts taking place on here, there is absolutely nothing intellectual about Intellectual Violence. Hip hop heads will be hard-pressed to find even the tiniest sliver of the Keith Murray who once slaughtered Erick Sermon beats while using made-up words such as “beautifullest”, as the Murray that attends this particular seminar sounds bored, lethargic, and flat-out untalented. Everything about this project seems to have been rushed, which is absurd, as it dropped just one year after his final (to date) major label effort: there is absolutely no reason Keith couldn’t have taken his time. Instead, as a thank you for following the man since Sermon’s “Hostile”, we receive elementary rhymes lazily “spit” over some generically bland instrumentals (some of which may have actually come from Sermon, who the fuck knows) that are physically incapable of grasping anyone’s attention. I’ve heard much more polished material from Soundcloud rappers who record their songs sitting on the floor of their bedroom closet because the acoustics are better in there: I’m not saying Intellectual Violence could have sounded better had our host tried that tactic, but it certainly couldn’t have fucking hurt. This album is terrible, and everyone involved should be ashamed that they ever dared to ask people to pay for this bullshit. Fuck this. (Speaking of which, Sermon has Intellectual Violence up for sale on the Def Squad Bandcamp page, which is by far the most marketing this project has ever received in its relatively short lifespan. Tell your friends. Or, rather, don't.)

-Max

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I don’t see how you’d even want to follow Keith Murray’s career after reading this shit, but here’s a link if you’re feeling particularly masochistic.