Keith Murray On Fredro Starr Battle: “The First Of Our Kind To Do It”

In a newly-published interview with VladTV, Def Squad emcee Keith Murray discussed various topics surrounding his upcoming battle with Onyx rapper Fredro Starr at MC WAR’s New World Order II on Sept. 28, 2014.

In the interview, he discussed how his forthcoming battle will make a path for other artists.

“It opens the gate for artists who felt they may have something to lose but wanna do it but really don’t wanna do it. It might give them encouragement to other artists doing it now,” Murray explains. “We [are] like the first of our kind to do it, actually are the first of our kind to do it. It’s going to be interesting to see which other rappers jump on, not the bandwagon, I don’t wanna say that word but, participating. It’s gonna be dope. Hopefully I’ll see other artists that I like out there or my colleagues go at it with each other, peacefully, because the only time people battle is when you have a discrepancy, a real problem with a person so you say something about them. Like the Nas and the Jay Z. Me and Fredro didn’t have an issue before this, other artists did so it’s gonna be good.”

Fredro Starr recently discussed battling Keith Murray a cappella. Akin to his opponent, Keith Murray says he’s better with lyrics and delivery when there’s no beat.

You can view the rules to their upcoming battle here.

“I do spoken word poetry… I’m better with lyrics and delivery a cappella in a battle than I am to a beat,” he says. “But I can go off the top of the head and rap to a beat and battle niggas, I’ve done it a lot. We usually used to battle in the street with no beat. If I gotta sit down and wrap my brain around a beat and battle I could be even more potent. So I can [be] freaky either way. But a cappella I would have really been crazy with it. ‘Cause I can play off the crowd, deliver punchlines certain ways that you can’t to a beat ‘cause you gotta stay syncopated.”

You can watch the full interview below: