Murray was introduced to Erick Sermon of EPMD by K-Solo. Sermon would feature Murray on his album No Pressure on the Single "Hostile". Murray quickly established himself as one of the most creative lyricists in the industry with his first album The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World, released in 1994 on Jive Records. The title track from this album remains Murray's biggest solo hit. This album was given 4 mics by The Source.
Murray's second album Enigma was released in 1996 on Jive. It received similar ratings from critics, but it was not quite as commercially successful as the previous album. In 1998, The Def Squad covered "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang. They would later release their own album,El Niño (album). Murray's third album It's a Beautiful Thing was released in 1999 while he was in prison. Like the previous album, it received relatively good reviews, but it showed yet another drop in sales. Murray also appeared on the song "Home Alone" by R. Kelly. In 2001, Murray's return to the music industry was announced with a memorable verse on "Fatty Girl." This song was featured on The Good Life, a compilation of songs for Fubu.
While he was in prison, Murray began writing for his next solo album. Upon his release, he would leave Jive and sign with Def Jam. He's Keith Murray was released in 2003. Murray chose this title because the album represents him, but many fans saw it as an obvious attempt at crossover success because of singles like "Candy Bar" featuring Patti Austin. The album also featured the single "Yeah, Yeah U Know It." This song has guest appearances from fellow Def Squad members Redman and Erick Sermon. Murray dedicated "Christina" to his sister. That same year, Murray was featured on the video game Def Jam Vendetta.
In 2004,he was featured in mantis's song Day By Day which was about street life and children. It was very emotional and touching in which means we should change the world.
Keith Murray's vocals / crowd hyping skills appear on the songs; "Elektrobank" by the Chemical Brothers from their album "Dig You Own Hole" and also is on Redman and Method Mans album "Black Out 2".
Escapism
Keith Murray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
High as a motherfucker
Zonin on cloud nineteen as the Def Squad takes you
on another eerie place... of a dark side
Yesssss!!!
I escape from the world
To show niggaz that my style is superb
but I gotta redefine gravity first
So I figure I get my guns and I bust the biggest cap
from the demand of the trigger
I'm equipped to dip with a knapsack
and a survival kit, with blunts n shit (word!)
I'm in all black, ?with a face? money
want to double to NASA, to hijack a space shuttle
More ages than curiosity
I enter the backdoor with animosity ("Yeah, here's Murray!")
Searchin for the astronauts, checkin my watch
Determined the time I had to be out
I saw my prey without a second delay
Suited up, strapped down, straight and on my way
For five seconds to liftoff I was in the Hell
when I escaped from the world
I escaped from the world (4X)
So far
I went through a Milky Way of stars
And landed on my destination, which was Mars (whoa, shit!)
This planet was foreign and new
As I'm puffin on a blunt, observin the view
To my surprise, a spaceship arrived
Out came a Martian, with six fingers and three eyes
He spoke a bleeky type of dialect ("Bleek, bleek bleek bleek bleek bleek")
but understood my form of intellect
I said, "I'm Keith Murray from the planet Earth
Boy I'm psychosomatic and homicidal with a verse"
My hypercritical form of words busts his brains
and then the whole atmosphere changed ("What the fuck?")
rrarahrhagharhar rharhagahgahrahgh
I was surrounded by some Martians in the hut about to front
I used my last resort, and pulled out the Blunts
Lit it, got the whole Martian crew blitted
So now's my chance to try to get acquitted
I said, "I escaped from the planet Earth
to let my mind untwirl because I'm mad at the world
And the murder wasn't premeditated
My language was just mis-interpretated"
One acknowledge I'm right and pulled out the peace pipe
Aight? About to set the vibes right
He lit it with his finger, I smelled the Martian Buddha linger
I felt good cause I released some anger
No sooner than the cease of the herb ignite
I was headed back to Earth at the speed of light
Upon my return niggaz thought I was in jail
Nah kids, I escaped from the world
As we zone, on the cosmic type of funk
(escapism y'all)
We drop mad flows, for the 1990's
(escapism y'all, escapism y'all)
The Funk Doctor Spock signin off live
(escapism y'all, escapism y'all, escapism y'all)
This is how we do
(escapism y'all, escapism -- escape from the world)
Flows enough for the nineteen ninties and we OUT!
(escapism y'all)
The lyrics to Keith Murray's "Escapism" detail the story of the rapper's desire to escape from the harsh realities of the world, and his journey to achieve that goal. In the first verse, Murray describes his plan to leave Earth by hijacking a space shuttle from NASA. He is determined to get off the planet, and redefine gravity so that he can explore further than anyone has before. He packs a knapsack with survival equipment, and sets out to accomplish his mission. Murray lands on Mars, a planet that is "foreign and new" to him, and he meets a group of Martians who do not understand him at first. He pulls out some blunts and gets them high, and they suddenly become much more receptive to him.
The second verse takes on a more surreal quality, with Murray encountering strange Martians who speak in an incomprehensible language. He manages to communicate with them, and ultimately convinces them that he is not a threat. This scene culminates in a surreal moment where Murray and the Martians smoke weed together, and Murray manages to find some peace and release his pent-up anger. The final verse describes Murray's triumphant return to Earth, where he is hailed as a hero by his friends and admirers. He has escaped from the world, and returned with a new perspective on life.
Overall, "Escapism" is a deeply introspective song that suggests that sometimes we all need to escape from the world and the difficulties that life throws our way. Murray's journey is a metaphor for the human experience, and his struggles to communicate with the Martians reflect the struggles that we all face in trying to understand one another.
Line by Line Meaning
Hooo ahhh!
Expression of excitement and anticipation
High as a motherfucker
Under the influence of drugs
Zonin on cloud nineteen as the Def Squad takes you
Feeling euphoric while listening to the Def Squad's music
on another eerie place... of a dark side
Being transported to a darker, more surreal world
Yesssss!!!
Expression of triumph and satisfaction
I escape from the world
Taking a break from reality and everyday life
To show niggaz that my style is superb
Demonstrating his exceptional rap skills
For what it's worth I'm gettin off planet Earth
Leaving Earth regardless of the cost
but I gotta redefine gravity first
Finding a way to overcome the laws of physics
So I figure I get my guns and I bust the biggest cap
Using firearms to launch himself into space
from the demand of the trigger
Firing the gun to create enough force
I'm equipped to dip with a knapsack
Prepared with a backpack
and a survival kit, with blunts n shit (word!)
Carrying essentials and drugs for survival
I'm in all black, ?with a face? money
Dressed in all black and focused on the mission
want to double to NASA, to hijack a space shuttle
Planning to steal a NASA space shuttle
More ages than curiosity
More experienced and knowledgeable than Curiosity, the Mars rover
I enter the backdoor with animosity ("Yeah, here's Murray!")
Entering aggressively and announcing himself
Searchin for the astronauts, checkin my watch
Looking for the astronauts and keeping track of the time
Determined the time I had to be out
Knowing the deadline for departure
I saw my prey without a second delay
Spotting the astronauts immediately
Suited up, strapped down, straight and on my way
Getting ready for takeoff
For five seconds to liftoff I was in the Hell
Feeling extreme pressure and danger
when I escaped from the world
Achieving his goal of escaping Earth
So far
Reflecting on his journey
I went through a Milky Way of stars
Travelling through various galaxies
And landed on my destination, which was Mars (whoa, shit!)
Arriving at his intended destination in shock and excitement
This planet was foreign and new
Observing the unfamiliar surroundings
As I'm puffin on a blunt, observin the view
Smoking marijuana and admiring the scenery
To my surprise, a spaceship arrived
Encountering unexpected visitors
Out came a Martian, with six fingers and three eyes
Meeting an extraterrestrial creature
He spoke a bleeky type of dialect ("Bleek, bleek bleek bleek bleek bleek")
Communicating in an unusual language
but understood my form of intellect
Able to comprehend Keith's intelligence
I said, "I'm Keith Murray from the planet Earth
Introducing himself to the Martian
Boy I'm psychosomatic and homicidal with a verse"
Describing his aggressive rap style
My hypercritical form of words busts his brains
Overwhelming the Martian with his lyrics
and then the whole atmosphere changed ("What the fuck?")
Causing a dramatic shift in mood
I was surrounded by some Martians in the hut about to front
Being confronted by angry Martians
I used my last resort, and pulled out the Blunts
Smoking more marijuana to calm the situation
Lit it, got the whole Martian crew blitted
Getting the Martians high
So now's my chance to try to get acquitted
Seizing the opportunity for forgiveness
I said, "I escaped from the planet Earth
Explaining his reasons for leaving Earth
to let my mind untwirl because I'm mad at the world
Wanting to clear his mind due to frustrations with life
And the murder wasn't premeditated
Denying intention to commit homicide
My language was just mis-interpretated"
Explaining misunderstandings about the lyrics of his songs
One acknowledge I'm right and pulled out the peace pipe
Finding a solution and offering a gesture of peace
Aight? About to set the vibes right
Preparing to make amends
He lit it with his finger, I smelled the Martian Buddha linger
Sharing a moment of mutual understanding
I felt good cause I released some anger
Feeling relieved and relaxed
No sooner than the cease of the herb ignite
As soon as they finished smoking
I was headed back to Earth at the speed of light
Returning home quickly
Upon my return niggaz thought I was in jail
Surprising his peers who thought he was imprisoned
Nah kids, I escaped from the world
Revealing that he left Earth voluntarily
As we zone, on the cosmic type of funk
Continuing to enjoy the psychedelic experience
(escapism y'all)
Repeating the theme of this song
We drop mad flows, for the 1990's
Performing impressive rap verses for the decade
(escapism y'all, escapism y'all)
Focusing on the message of escaping reality
The Funk Doctor Spock signin off live
Ending his performance
(escapism y'all, escapism y'all, escapism y'all)
Continuing to promote the theme of escapism
This is how we do
Showing the audience his style and approach to music
(escapism y'all, escapism -- escape from the world)
Continuing to emphasize the importance of escaping reality
Flows enough for the nineteen ninties and we OUT!
Showing that his rap skills are fitting for the time period, and ending the song
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ANDREW NOLAND, GREGORY A. WEBSTER, KEITH OMAR MURRAY, LEROY BONNER, MARSHALL E. JONES, MARVIN R. PIERCE, NORMAN B. NAPIER, RALPH MIDDLEBROOKS, REGGIE NOBLE, WALTER MORRISON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dee Vargas
I’ve been listening to this since it came out,till now 2021.Real Hip Hop
ssgootyj
Day ones
Worn out Testicles
My favourite joint on this album for sure... classic spaced out beat from Reggie Noble.
K Rucker
Mine too 🙌🏾
MrCometCrusher78
Man i use to play this to death!!!
gripperholmes91215
Thank you Keith. Thank you for coming through with this jammie✊🏿 Much appreciated
ozrivera
Creativity at its best!
Fact Chitanda
Keith Murray was in a lane all of his own.
Lefty southpawofdetttth
Keith Murray's an LINY LEGEND!!
KidVerde27
Still bumping into this in 2021 🎵🎶💯