A few months back, St. Lunatic and – as he aptly stated on one of his verses – “certified rap star” Murphy Lee a.k.a. Murph Derrty …or just Murph … was handing out his “I’m Free” mixtape for free in front of EXO.
“Dang, it’s like that,” a girl coming out the club said.
“Murphy Lee has to hand out his CDs now. Mmm…” she continued –insinuating to whomever was listening that the platinum-selling rapper and member of the now world famous St. Lunatics and Derrty Ent. Family had fallen off.
Her outburst could be blamed on the alcohol. Murph acting as his own street team – a task that seemed beneath him by many – was another story altogether.
Few people outside his circle knew it at the time, but there were some serious intention behind Murph pounding the pavement that night.
After more than 13 years as a nationally signed artist in the rap game, Murphy Lee made a conscious decision to learn the industry from the bottom up for himself as a solo artist and record label owner.
“It just feels good to be free,” Murph said.
“Towards the end of my time with Universal, I was just doing so much and I felt like if I was on my own doing the same thing I could move further.”
He asked for and was released from his contract as a solo artist with Universal Records. Now with the St. Louis release of his You See Me DVD with a complimentary CD soundtrack, he is giving folks the full story.
“Before you go pointin’ fingers at anybody, start pointing at me. I had to step up and build my brand,” Murph’s voice says with a bang during the opening credits.
“Whatever happened yesterday don’t mean [expletive] today if I don’t use it tomorrow. I’m free, I’m ready and on point for my music … my way.”
And just like he did with his DVD, he was ready to put it all out there – his experience as a solo artist with Universal, his journey as the baby of the St. Lunatics to what’s next with the UCME Label … all of it.
“I dropped the DVD because people don’t hear me saying nothing,” Murph said. “I can go in and actually explain what went down – because that’s all I get.”
‘We from St. Louis’
According to Murph, Universal split into three companies, and the person responsible for A&R of the Lunatics left the company.
“We from St. Louis, so it’s not like we are up there with an office in New York making sure all of our stuff goes right,” said Murph.
“We had somebody in there, but he’s not there anymore. That’s me looking at it now. And they just didn’t understand.”
They were left in limbo, and Murph quickly fell off of Universal’s radar as a solo artist.
“I’m mean, first single Grammy … first album platinum … I mean, why wouldn’t you be like, ‘Why we don’t drop it his next album right now?’” Murph said.
“They always wanted to wait until they dropped the next Nelly album or did something – they always felt like piggybacking when it didn’t have to be.”
Even with the confidence that rang from his words, he admitted that the situation started to get the best of him.
“I thought it was me for a second,” Murph admitted. “I was like, ‘Are the songs wack?’”
But with his track record, Murph knew better. Most recently, the massive radio hit “Look at My Shoes” and shine stealing intro guest verse on Big Tuck’s jam “Not a Stain on Me” served as evidence to the contrary.
Even so, Universal hadn’t released an album from him since his debut CD Murphy’s Law in 2003.
Murph had to face the harsh reality that he wasn’t a priority at the label.
“It could have taken Universal five years to drop an album – and they didn’t,” Murph said.
“It took me six months. That’s all I was trying to say. They have over 7,000 artists, and it’s like ‘number 442 next’ and I don’t think I was nowhere in the top nothing. I’m just supposed to keep doing that?”
And so, in the middle of a meeting, Murph said that he wanted out.
“I was like: ‘I’ve got to feed my kids, y’all [expletive] up before and now is the only time I can save it,” Murph said.
To his surprise the label obliged, and for that he is eternally grateful.
You see Murph
You See Me was dropped exclusively in St. Louis first on the week of December 11, and the DVD is prepped for world-wide release this month.
As with each rhyme and phrase, there was serious method behind building what Murph calls his brand, that now includes a record label and fashion line.
“When we started UCME, I didn’t want to just come out and be like, ‘Bam!” – drop something and be the top artist and just stamp himself with a label and like, ‘Oh he has a label,’” Murph said.
“I want to build it from the ground up. I want to be able to talk to the PD (programming directors) and DJ’s. I want to be able to put it in stores. I want to know how distribution works. I want to know everything, so by me doing that footwork – it was on purpose.”
But like the young lady leaving the club, his work – even if it didn’t stop his hustle – fell upon suspicious eyes.
“It was like, ‘Oh, Murph, down and out – I was dying laughing,” he laughed.
“Do you know how much stuff I hear? I’m a full-time Lunatic – this is extra. I’m a Lunatic, that’s where I get my check from – I’m good. I’m always gonna be good. Nah, I’m doing my homework.”
To purchase a copy of the You See Me DVD with free CD, visit http://www.murphderrty.com/
