Awesome collection of an outstanding MC - Without a doubt, Keith Murray is in my mind one of New York s most entertaining and underappreciated rappers from the 1990s. As a member of Erick Sermon s Def Squad, Murray has put together a great deal of excellent hip hop and appeared on a few of underground hip hop s best songs in that period. Keith is a joy to listen to, constantly excited and energetic. He embraced everything that was great about the Def Squad, and really everything that was great about the 90s east coast underground sound. His witty and clever battle raps displayed an immense vocabulary and sense of humor that was capped off with a smooth polish. He has tons of character and a very unique delivery and voice. Of course, much credit must go to Erick Sermon for creating his musical backdrops. Sermon s signature cosmic funk is part of the Keith Murray package and a big part of what made listening to Murray so much fun. This hits collection spans his first three Jive albums, 1994 s The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World, 1996 s Enigma, and 1999 s It s a Beautiful Thing, but also includes collaborations from albums by Redman, LL Cool J, Erick Sermon, and the Def Squad, really making an impressive and definitive collection of Keith s work. This is a much more cohesive listen than any of his single albums, and as the latter two are now out of print is probably the best purchase of his library available. I highly recommend The Most Beautifullest Hits to any east coast hip hop fans, because whether you re a die-hard fan or someone new to Keith Murray, this record has features to please everyone.The record opens with Keith s recorded debut, the Erick Sermon collaboration Hostile from Sermon s 1993 album No Pressure. This song really demonstrates what a talent Keith is, and the battle atmosphere combined with the old school funky production make a great vibe. The next track is the breakthrough single and title track from his debut album, The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World. Musically and lyrically, this track is just a classic and one of the finest hip hop songs of the 90s, always a joy to hear. Get Lifted is another classic, an upbeat ode to weed smoking. The LL Cool J collaboration Incredible showcases great production and chemistry from the two New York legends. Cosmic Slop, a Redman song featuring Keith, is standard Def Squad material. The phenomenal The Rhyme from his Enigma album is next on the tracklist, and his lyrically complex, musically simple song When I Rap follows. A great throw-in is the classic 1995 New York posse cut, I Shot Ya (Remix) which features Keith, LL Cool J, Fat Joe, Foxy Brown, and Prodigy. Full Cooperation is from Def Squad s 1998 group album El Nino. The fun How s That and excellent Danger are both welcome additions to the tracklist. The bass-heavy Ride Wit Us features Erick Sermon, Redman, and west coast vet Too Short. 50 Grand is featured on the laidback Dangerous Ground. The last song is the Def Squad cover of Rapper s Delite, a phenomenal cut titled Def Squad Delite, where the MCs rap non-stop for seven minutes for a great song.The Most Beautifullest Hits is a must have for any casual New York rap fan. It seems Keith Murray will continue to be underrated for years to come, but this collection demonstrates why his music was so well loved by his fan base. I suggest all hip hop listeners make this purchase, it is a very affordable and worthwhile record that will undoubtedly provide countless hours of enjoyment.
KiLL-A-CoLLaB. - Hip Hop speaks for itself in this album. It is an outstanding ensemblement of masterpieces from a very underrated MC. Majority of today s generation of rappers are overcommercialised, having turned hip hop into a mix of pop and r&b. Its a shame that the raw unrefined sound of classic hip hop has taken a massive dive into the underground and has never resurfaced. For hip hop fans of the early to mid 90s, this is definitely an album you will love. Fans of the millenium may want to check this out, as the album itself is from a time just before Hip Hop took a turn for the worst. The only disappointment in this album is that there aren t enough solo joints. But also note how Murray outshines his fellow MCs on Def Squad and guest tracks. I would really give this album 4 1/2 stars.
A collection that s up to par. - With only three albums under his belt at the time of this release, it may seem to some a little premature to drop a Greatest Hits album. Well, with Mr. Murray incarcerated, Jive Records had to do something to cash in off of the man s talent. As a whole, this album does hit all of Keith s high points and hot singles. The only reason I gave this album 4 stars is that the banger off of his second album Enigma isn t on here, that s right,Manifique! Also, since Jive took the liberty of borrowing tracks from other albums, they shouldn t have left out the killer verse he dropped on EPMD s Back in Business album, when he ripped K.I.M. which also featured Redman. All in all, a pretty good collection, worth checking out.