Just when you think you've got Keith Murray nailed down, something else comes up. Weeks before the scheduled release of his Def Jam debut, He's Keith Murray, the temperamental Central Islip native was apparently dropped by the label as a result of an altercation rumored to have sent a member of the Def Jam staff to the hospital. While quite a surprise considering the circumstances that brought Murray to Def Jam, this latest development is typical of a turbulent career that has seen him go from a gold-selling, 19-year-old wünderkind to a con-victed felon serving time in a Connecticut prison to a reinvigorated rhymer capitalizing on his time away from the spotlight. The future looks uncertain for the 28-year-old MC, but Murray has made a career out of standing up to adversity, earning a reputation as one of the hardest-working artists in hip-hop. Raised by a single mother in a Central Islip housing project, Murray grew up rough. A gifted learner and promising athlete, he was nevertheless kicked out of Central Islip High School during his senior year, and soon began dealing drugs and developing an extensive rap sheet. A fortunate friendship with Brentwood's K-Solo (who was then signed to Atlantic Records) brought Murray to the doorstep of EPMD's Erick Sermon, who saw promise in the energetic, gravel-voiced kid. Sermon featured Murray on the track "Hostile" from Sermon's solo debut, No Pressure, giving the young Murray the spotlight he needed to get a deal with Jive Records.