Keith Murray - The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World

Jive
(1994)

My hip-hop baptism has proven hard to pinpoint. I usually make reference to the Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) as the jump off because it's (a) untouchable (b) familiar to almost everyone, and (c) honestly the first record my mind gravitates to when searching for the beginning. Memory, however, has an odd way of being unsound, even concerning such linear perceptions as the chronology of life. But in digging back through time, which is well documented in musical crates, I found an error in my previously consistent testimonial ("It was 'C.R.E.A.M.' to infinity, man..."). Important as the former album may be in the grand scheme, it did in fact have predecessor (in terms of the assembly of my collection): Keith Murray's The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World, an album that was one of the first five CD's I ever purchased. Rather than an indication of juvenilia, the early carbon-date is a measure of legitimacy; of the initial five, this album is one of maybe two that have weathered the changes in musical taste brought with each passing year - still remaining in my possession to this day.

It would be fair to consider the sound of The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World dated. Fortunately, this date occurred before the dawn of "bleep-bloop" SFX and Auto-Tune technology. Rather, Eric Sermon's now classic darkened funk stylings lend the majority of tracks a chill but slightly hostile demeanor - the perfect mixture to hold proper levels of interest and bounce. The title track (a minor hit in its time) strays from from the formula, being a tad more genial both musically and lyrically; but the tastefully understated R&B melody and an awesomely implemented background nuance in the warm crackle of a record spinning not only help keep the track from becoming an obvious single attempt, but solidify it as an under appreciated anthem.

While he's not quite Rakim, Keith Murray holds his own on the microphone. Coming off like the poised and collected member that Onyx never had, Murray harnesses an important x-factor in charisma, which allows for great shifts in vocal inflection and rhythmic delivery. Listening to him flow is the equivalent of watching a good welterweight bout: plenty of speed and agility, with the occasional heavy blow. Lyrically, Murray isn't exactly a slouch, though his memorable lines waver between clever and ridiculous.

"Cowabunga/I'm taking MC's straight under/You can't see me like Stevie Wonder."

"You couldn't see me if you ate 5 million carrots."

"I'm internationally known from the East to the West Coast/I likes hot butter on my breakfast toast."

An all-around credible release, The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World represents an era in hip-hop when talent found an outlet in the mainstream (the record is certified Gold). Eschewing any transparent gimmickry, Keith Murray kept it simple with solid rhymes over solid beats - a should-be but often distorted maxim. At 15 years of age, this album has inevitably been lost to both current and future generations. I therefore deem it necessary to borrow a savvy line from the man himself: If you got a crew, you better tell 'em.

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NOTE: Some of you may have a vague recollection of Keith Murray being part of the Def Squad, a group consisting of him, Erick Sermon and Redman. They scored a big hit in '98 with a cover of "Rapper's Delight".