New Jersey Artist MurphyBee Talks Inspiration, Motivation, and His Hip-Hop Journey

In this Rap Olympus Media interview, we sit down with MurphyBee, a hip-hop artist from New Jersey. Tune in as we talk about his early inspirations, what motivates him as an artist, and the musical journey that continues to shape his music.

Introduce yourself to our readers and tell us what first motivated you to begin your journey in music.

I go by MurphyBee, and I’m from Paterson, New Jersey. As a kid, I remember watching music videos on MTV, VH1, and BET all day long with my sister. Back in the day, rappers were like superheroes, and I just admired how they said whatever they wanted to. The passion and delivery of it all made an impression on me early on. I felt like I finally had an outlet to be heard. Growing up, I wasn’t the best at communicating — honestly, that’s still something I work on today — but rap gave me a voice when I didn’t know how to express myself any other way.

Which artists or individuals have had the biggest influence on your sound and musical direction?

It’s hard to say since there are so many people who spark my creativity. Legends like 2Pac and Biggie are easy choices, but I have to say Earl Sweatshirt inspired me a bunch. That “Doris” album made me look at rap very differently at the time of its release. Artists such as Mac Miller, Tyler the Creator, Kanye West, and Kendrick Lamar also played a pivotal role. Good Kid, m.A.A.d City is probably my favorite album of all time.

On a personal level, I draw inspiration from those who embraced me early on — the ones who taught me how to market myself and navigate the music industry the right way. I have to shout out The Cause aka Calm King Causey, Knowledge, Fatboi Sharif, and 89theBrainchild for taking me under their wing and building me as an artist, even if they didn’t know that’s what they were doing. I am forever grateful!

How would you describe your sound to someone who’s just discovering your music?

I can’t fully describe my sound, but I can say that when I’m creating, I like to be vulnerable and not afraid to fall into any mood. Sometimes I’ll make a sad record, and other times it will be aggressive. It really depends, but I guess it’s safe to say I make very mood-driven music.

Can you tell us about any recent projects or music you’ve been working on?

A while back, I released an EP on SoundCloud and CD titled Murphy’s Mind. Since then, I’ve taken those songs to Apple and Spotify. Right now, I’m focusing on singles. I have some exciting collaborations on the horizon. I’ll be working with THE I OF A GENIUS on one of them. After I drop a few singles, I plan on releasing a full project to get me back into the swing of things.

Do you plan on performing any shows in the near future?

I don’t have any shows coming up. I’m currently in the rebuilding process, but I will definitely be hitting the stage again soon!

Is there anything else you’d like to share with the people before we wrap up?

Go check out my new single called “Miss You,” featuring my homegirl Britt Padula. It’s out now on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube! Big thank you to Rap Olympus Media for having me!

For more music-related news and all future releases, follow MurhpyBee by clicking the links below.

APPLE MUSIC | SPOTIFY | YOUTUBE

INSTAGRAM | TWITTER