St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • G15

01.19.18-01.25.18 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH GO! MAGAZINE 15 stltoday.com/go PHOTO: HANDOUT When Grammy- winning St. Louis rapper Murphy Lee packed up his family and headed to Atlanta, his goal was to start a new chapter in his career. And that chapter includes other interests besides music. not chasing that super record he says.

have to move to Atlanta to do Murphy Lee is known for hits including Ya Da Hook Gon and He has been featured on Force to the and While continuing to make music including to the a 2015 collaboration album with producer Jay-E, and singles such as and Murphy Lee, 38, has shifted his focus to breaking through in aka Atlanta. Murphy Lee (born Torhi Harper) and his brother, Kyjuan, aim to fully realize a longtime goal of creating lm and TV projects. The brothers were part of the St. Lunatics, the St. Louis supergroup that also included Nelly, Ali and Slo Down.

They have dabbled in lm since 2002, Murphy Lee says, but got the break or (were) ever able to put potential into looking to produce and write sitcoms, movies, reality shows, cartoons, game shows and more. just following the Murphy Lee says. think we want to put our marbles all in one He says their scripts are wide- ranging, ecting the idea that life is a story. nite. like writing music.

never have block. always something out there to He and Kyjuan have been shaking lots of hands, taking meetings and building relationships in Atlanta and beyond. he says. want to be in the right place at the right time and just be The move also made sense for the rest of Murphy family including his wife, singer Seviin Li, and daughter, Essence Lee, who both perform in touring plays. Even with other projects underway, Murphy Lee says hard into the putting his own money into it to make things happen.

As in indie artist, he can release music on his own schedule. He and Jay will continue doing the thing they did on to the creating their own version of the classic Eric B. and Rakim dynamic. roll out a new EP with Jay in the spring followed by a full album in the summer. Getting his music out there was easier when Murphy Lee was on a major label and working with artists like Sean Combs.

But now he has to be more particular about the proper route, building awareness. Sometimes you gotta pay for awareness. One of the things about us when we built this foundation as St. Lunatics is we were always working. constantly working.

The route I took will take a longer process to put me on a certain plateau because sticking to my guns creating my own He says he has been able to change his sound without being a copycat or following trends. sounds fresh. a new Murphy Lee. keeping my hunger. And getting into showing people me.

made so many party songs. My songs now are based on real stu more storytelling. more truths about myself, and a little more Murphy Lee says easing saying it feel right at this point in his career. While he may still have lyrics telling women to he build an entire song around them. He and Kyjuan are on the bill at the All-Stars of Hip-Hop this weekend at Chaifetz Arena.

the St. Louis section of the he says. gonna get nothing but St. Louis out of me. gonna be fun, and glad to be a part of that lineup.

This is how I want the rest of my life to be WHAT All-Stars of Hip-Hop with DMX, E-40, Scarface, MC Lyte, Young Bloodz, Murphy Lee and Kyjuan, Tela WHEN 7 p.m. Saturday WHERE Chaifetz Arena, 1 South Compton Avenue HOW MUCH MORE INFO 1-800-745-3000; ticketmaster.com stltoday.com/blender Murphy Lee the The Blender Rapper Murphy Lee hopes to come to TV and movie screens near you BY KEVIN C. JOHNSON POP MUSIC CRITIC TheBrentwoodCenturyFoundationisa501(c)(3) communityserviceandgiftingorganization BrentwoodSonsand DaughtersArtExhibit TheBrentwoodCentury Foundation presentsthe rstinaseries: www.brentwood100.org FineArtPhotographer Photojournalistfor NationalGeographic Press, U.S.News&WorldReport inphotojournalism PioneerofMid-CenturyModernArchitecture DesignedthousandsofhomesthroughouttheU.S. FlewbombersinWWII Houseportraitsfeaturedin GoodHousekeeping, Showcasingtheworkof: CAMERACOMPANY Sponsoredby: 7p.m.Ticketsare $15 inadvance, $20 atthedoor, $10 forseniorsandstudents. TheCenturyFoundationwillra eo twoMichaelTitus prints.Formoreinformationonthera eandhowyou.