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He's Keith Murray
07/15/2003 5:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Dan Leroy
In the first of several skits that litter his fourth album, hoarse-voiced Keith Murray declares, "It's about the lyrics." That sounds a bit strong; throughout his career, which was interrupted until recently by three years in the joint on an assault charge, he's always been an extremely clever MC, but not necessarily a great one. Most of He's Keith Murray earns the same description, again taking his "beautifullest" boasts and booty calls to the edge of coherence. However, the presence of fellow Def Squadders Redman and Erick Sermon, plus some of the hottest beats assembled on a Murray album since his debut (courtesy of a production coterie that includes Sermon, Just Blaze and Jazze Pha), seems to have inspired him to perfect his old style; as he proudly claims on one track, he's certainly got his "Swagger Back." In fact, he's confident enough on "Christina" to drop the clowning and come to grips with his younger sister's death and his damaged career ("I been hustlin' for 13 years/Nothin' to show for it"), the self-pity redeemed in part by the glimpse behind the perpetually goofy smile.
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