It's a Beautiful Thing (album)
It's a Beautiful Thing is the third solo studio album by American rapper Keith Murray. It was released on January 12, 1999 via Jive Records, making it his final record for the label. Recording sessions took place at Mirror Image Recording Studios in Dix Hills, New York. Production was handled entirely by Erick Sermon, who also served as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Déjà Vu, Canibus, Erick Sermon, LL Cool J, Redman and Too $hort. The album peaked at number thirty-nine on the Billboard 200 and number nine on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the US.
It's a Beautiful Thing | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | January 12, 1999 | |||
Recorded | 1997-1998 | |||
Studio | Mirror Image Recording Studios (Dix Hills, New York) | |||
Genre | East Coast hip hop | |||
Length | 51:50 | |||
Label | Jive | |||
Producer | Erick Sermon (also exec.) | |||
Keith Murray chronology | ||||
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Singles from It's a Beautiful Thing | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
The recording of the album began during the difficult times of Murray's legal and financial troubles, along with his desire to leave the label. However, the album was unfinished when Murray went into incarceration, with the label deciding to complete and release the album despite Murray's disapproval.[2] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine considered the album to be a rather indistinctive one in Murray's discography, but did state that "there's enough to make It's a Beautiful Thing a reasonably entertaining listen, even if they aren't enough to make it memorable".
Track listing
All music is composed by Erick Sermon
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Intro" |
| 0:53 |
2. | "When I Rap" |
| 3:21 |
3. | "Incredible" (featuring LL Cool J) |
| 3:03 |
4. | "Some Shit" (featuring Canibus and Déjà Vu) |
| 3:14 |
5. | "Bodega Skit" |
| 0:40 |
6. | "Slap Somebody" |
| 3:57 |
7. | "Secret Indictment" |
| 3:41 |
8. | "Radio" |
| 3:50 |
9. | "Intersection" |
| 3:35 |
10. | "Shut the Fuck Up" |
| 2:15 |
11. | "Interlude" | Murray | 0:36 |
12. | "Media" |
| 3:30 |
13. | "Life on the Street" |
| 4:04 |
14. | "Ride Wit Us" (featuring Erick Sermon, Redman and Too $hort) |
| 3:51 |
15. | "Jungle Boogie" |
| 0:56 |
16. | "High as Hell" |
| 3:22 |
17. | "Bad Day" |
| 3:55 |
18. | "A Message from Keith" | Murray | 2:05 |
19. | "My Life" (featuring Déjà Vu) |
| 3:45 |
Total length: | 51:50 |
Chart history
Album
Chart (1999) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard 200[3] | 39 |
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[4] | 9 |
Singles
Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | U.S. Hot Rap Singles | ||
1998 | "Incredible" | 70 | 36 |
Personnel
Information taken from AllMusic.
- arranging – Keith Murray, Erick Sermon
- assistant engineering – Dave O'Donnell
- engineering – Mark Berto, Troy Hightower
- executive production – Erick Sermon
- mixing – Troy Hightower, Ivan 'Doc' Rodriguez
- performer(s) – Canibus, LL Cool J, Redman, Erick Sermon, Too Short
- production – Erick Sermon
- project coordination – Chris Tricarico
References
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "It's a Beautiful Thing - Keith Murray | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
- ":: BlackElectorate.com ::". www.blackelectorate.com. April 4, 2003. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
- "Keith Murray Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
- "Keith Murray Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
External links
- Keith Murray – It's A Beautiful Thing at Discogs (list of releases)