Marcus Murray

Marcus Murray Website

by

Marcus Murray has always been my graphic designer. I’ve known dude since the late-90’s/ early-2000’s Telegraph Berkeley scene, and he has done every single album cover and official logo of mine. These album covers chronicle my life experience in Hip Hop culture, and I plan to hire him for all future official projects. He has a site now, and limited prints are available!! Artists, if you’re in need of professional graphics, Marcus is your dude.. I can tell you from experience that he’ll diligently work with you through the process, is extremely responsive to feedback, and is very familiar with the independent music scene.

In 2017, he did the album cover to 2nd Floor Samurais’ “Shogun Stories.” I initially approached him with a vision of an energy source amidst warring empires, and he took it from there..
In 2013, he did the cover to “the Program EP”; check out how California and Japan are facing each other under the dragon..
2010’s “Projekt Life Force” was probably the most challenging piece for Marcus.. this one took forever to finalize.. but as you can see, it’s something that will stand the test of time.
2006’s “Rewritten Code ov Honor”.. this was the one that convinced me that he was the only graphic designer that I would need..

I cannot recommend Marcus Murray enough. Hit my man up when you need some quality work done.

Kensho Kuma x Far Beats-World Traveler 2

by

Dedicated to everyone that’s been with me throughout my overseas ventures and the awesome people I’ve met abroad. You have changed my life forever..

Kensho Kuma- “World Traveler 2”
Produced and Mixed by: Far Beats
Additional Production by: Akua Naru
Graphics by: Marcus Murray

Verse One: “I’m a World Traveler, nomadic wanderer/ Respect the local folks, but I’m still a conqueror/ Raise the flag of California up at Angkor Wat/ Often in them places foreign artists cannot rock/ Writing down my candid thoughts, hiding out in Sukhumvit/ Go-go dancers everywhere, get lost in illusions quick/ Miles off the beaten path, I’ve seen some gruesome shit/ Third world is grimy, but we know what the beauty is/ Children in the land of smiles, seem to be happy with less/ Many kids in U.S. hoods, carry gats and deal with death/ Most adults are taking medication feeling depressed/ Who are you to tell me that America really the best?/ Weaving through the traffic dawg, don’t crash your motor bike/ Saigon City got it locked, kicked it with the locals tight/ Whether at your venue or a mediocre open mic/ We murderin’ performances perfected out in Oakland right/”

Chorus: “I’m faraway, I don’t know when I’m coming home/ Left my backyard, said good bye to my comfort zone/ Quit my damn job, told my mom that I love her/ There’s more to this life and I have to go discover/ I’m faraway, I don’t know when I’m coming home/ Left my backyard, said good bye to my comfort zone/ Fans always compliment, telling me I’m rhyming dope/ All I ever wanted was to be happy and to find my soul”

Verse Two: “In my wallet I have yen, dollars, and euros/ Cash determines everything, no matter where you go/ Transient, vanishing in back of a Peugeot/ to reappear the next day to rap in Chateauroux, so/ You can say I’m well-traveled, racking up the mileage/ Highly civilized, never blacking out or violent/ Peace to Paris potnas, they made this trip priceless/ And if I stop, probably have a midlife crisis/ Dressed in a kimono yeah fans got impressed quick/ Hustling in Brussels with the man Architeknic/ Bilingual shows in Nantes, translated set list/ And aye damn descendant of Japan must respect this/ No matter where you go, acknowledge they customs/ If you can’t do this then you’ll make all of us look dumb/ Talk to your fans, learn they way of life and have fun/ Take some time to be a tourist but make sure you stack funds/”

Chorus:

Bivas feat. Watzreal

by

FREE download!! Brand new Pandaneze banger!! Bivas featuring the young gun Watzreal. He plays the position of koala. The cover art is satirical; we respect pandas, koalas, and bivas of all sexual orientation.. Produced by Cloud NI9E from the Ficus collective, mixed and recorded by D-Wiz at Drum Dealership, and artwork by Marcus Murray.

Air Maxes on my Feet

by

March 26th is Air Max Day.. Yes, the illest sneakers of all time have their own day!! Nike launches exclusive models and also re-releases a favorite from the past, which fans must vote and decide on. This year’s re-release is the Atmos x Air Max 1 “Elephant.” Although I love Air Maxes and dope sneakers, I don’t consider myself a “sneakerhead” or a “hype beast.” I simply do not have the resources to allocate a lot of time and money on footwear.. however, I wanted these right here.. no doubt, they are simply beautiful!!

I did however, create a song about Air Maxes to share with you for Air Max Day!! Production was handled by DWiz at DRMDLR and the artwork was done by Marcus Murray. FREE Download!!

 

12/06/15 ROTC x HH4C 2nd Annual Toy Drive Hosted by Pep Love

by

On December 6th, 2015, Return of the Cypher will be teaming up with Hip Hop for Change to bring you our 2nd annual toy drive. For those of us unfamiliar with the above terms, ROTC is a weekly Hip Hop open-mic which occurs every Sunday evening at the Boom Boom Room in San Francisco; it has arguably become SF Bay Area’s most successful regular Hip Hop event, and is frequented by local legends, a platoon of hungry MC’s from literally around the world, and weekly featured performers. HH4C is a NGO dedicated to battling socioeconomic disparities, police brutality, and cancerous corporate rap, through educational outreaches, grassroots canvassing, and local Hip Hop showcases.

Our 2nd Annual Toy Drive will be hosted by Pep Love from the legendary Hieroglyphics crew, feature a ROTC x HH4C mini-showcase, and also the December ’15 ROTC MVP competition. All collected toys will be donated to City Team, which will then distribute the gifts to youth living in impoverished conditions.

fly

12/07/15 Update: The Toy Drive a tremendous success!! We got everything from Spiderman drums to remote controlled puppies to mini jengas!! Thank you for participating!! We made an actual difference!!

Toys

2nd Floor Samurais 10/03 IBike Concert, Union City

by

2nd Floor Samurais will be performing at the IBike Concert in Union City on 10/03. The comrade DJ Stikky Ricardo will be holding down the tables. The 2FS flier was designed by Marcus Murray, the artist responsible for all of my album covers and panda logos.

2FS Ibike

Ibike UC