Heartfelt Attack

New York rapper Keith Murray could've become more than an underground legend had it not been for his penchant for landing on the wrong side of the law. "Hardcore, I live out my metaphors," he rhymed during a freestyle session posted on YouTube last year, and he isn't kidding; he possesses an actual rap sheet for assault. The arrest record is a bit ironic for Murray, considering his best-known songs are "The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World" and his cover of Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" with fellow Def Squad members Erick Sermon and Redman. Murray is the epitome of a thug poet, his intelligent word-twisting ability packaged with a violent edge. Catch him on Thursday, May 1, at Mighty at 8 p.m. Admission is $20; call 762-0151 or visit www.mighty119.com.