Ori Murray

{{short description|American-born Israeli rapper (born 1983)}} {{Infobox musical artist | honorific_prefix = | name = Ori Murray | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_size = | landscape =  | alt = | caption = | native_name = אורי מארי | native_name_lang = he | birth_name = Rory Murray | alias = Ori M'Ori | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} | birth_place = [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]] | origin = [[Beit Shemesh]], [[Israel]] | death_date =  | death_place = | genre = [[Alternative hip hop]], [[Jewish rock]], [[Jewish hip hop]] | occupation = Rapper, songwriter | instrument = | years_active = 2002–present | label = | associated_acts = [[Shtar]] | website = {{URL|shtarmusic.com}} }}

'''Rory Murray''', known by his stage name '''Ori Murray''' ({{Langx|he|אורי מארי}}) is an American-born Israeli rapper, best known as the co-founder and rap vocalist of the band [[Shtar]].

==Early life== Murray was born in [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]] to an [[Irish Americans|Irish]] father and a Jewish mother, although he was raised with little connection to [[Judaism]].<ref name=JPost>{{cite web|title=Shtar Power|url=https://www.jpost.com/ArtsAndCulture/Music/Article.aspx?id=262236|publisher=[[The Jerusalem Post]]|accessdate=10 January 2013|author=Marder, Rachel|date=March 17, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Infinity|website=Amazon |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007GALGAK|accessdate=11 January 2013}}</ref> His father, Rod Murray, was a high-ranking [[martial arts]] instructor with a school in Seattle. Ori himself actively trained and competed in [[karate]] and other disciplines from a young age, including several years as a [[collegiate wrestling|collegiate wrestler]].<ref name=aish>{{cite web|title=Rolling with the Punches|url=http://www.aish.com/sp/so/rolling_with_the_punches.html|publisher=[[Aish HaTorah|Aish.com]]|author=Rabbi Gavriel Horan|date=July 26, 2008}}</ref> He was introduced to [[hip hop music|hip hop]] through albums like [[Jurassic 5]]'s ''[[Quality Control (album)|Quality Control]]'' and the [[Rawkus Records]] compilation ''[[Lyricist Lounge 2]]'', and was further influenced by his high school [[poetry]] class.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Shtar|title=Interesting and inspiring tidbit from Ori Murray of Shtar...|url=https://www.facebook.com/shtar/posts/10151075137806261|publisher=[[Facebook]]|date=Oct 30, 2012}}</ref>

As a teenager, he would often get into fights at house parties in Seattle's [[South End, Seattle|South End]]. One such fight left him so badly injured that he required [[Orthopedic plate|metal plates]] in one leg and was unable to walk on it for a year.<ref name="aish" /> As part of his recovery, he worked with [[personal trainer]] and family friend Yaakov Lunen, an [[African American]] who had converted to [[Orthodox Judaism]]. Lunen's influence inspired Murray and his entire family to pursue a deeper relationship with Judaism.<ref name="JPost" /><ref name="aish" /> Murray began attending a weekly class at a local [[yeshivah]]; there, he encountered two rabbis from [[Aish HaTorah]] who persuaded him to come study at their yeshivah in [[Israel]], where he ended up settling.<ref name="aish" />

==Career== Murray began rapping professionally while living in Seattle. He recorded his first album at age 19 under the name '''Madsteez''' and performed at shows throughout the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]].<ref name="aish" /> He also performed as an [[rapping|MC]] and [[disc jockey|DJ]] in the city's [[house music|house]] and [[drum and bass]] scenes.<ref name="JPost" /><ref name=A7>{{cite web|last=Bresky|first=Ben|title=Yeshiva Hip-Hop Band "Shtar" Releases New CD|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/138270#.UNFXEIE9-So|work=[[Arutz Sheva#Israel National News|Israel National News]]|publisher=[[Arutz Sheva]]|accessdate=19 December 2012|date=June 2010}}</ref>

At Aish HaTorah, Murray initially gave up rapping to focus on his studies, until one of his rabbis told him it would be a ''[[chillul Hashem]]'' to repress his talents in such a way.<ref name="JPost" /><ref name="A7" />

===Shtar=== {{main|Shtar}} In 2006, Murray met fellow Aish HaTorah student [[Brad Rubinstein]], who had previously been a guitarist in the short-lived English [[trip hop]] band [[Lisp (band)|Lisp]]. They began writing music together and formed [[Shtar]], initially as a duo, before adding a full band to strengthen their live performance. They released their debut album, ''[[Infinity (Shtar album)|Infinity]]'' through Shemspeed in 2012, followed by their [[Boss EP|''Boss'']] EP, which featured Murray's fellow Seattle native [[Nissim (rapper)|D. Black]] on the song "Rabbit Hole". They competed on the 2015-16 season of the Israeli reality singing competition ''[[HaKokhav HaBa]]'', coming in ninth place.

==Personal life== Murray currently lives in [[Beit Shemesh]] with his wife and children.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |author=Marder, Rachel |date=Dec 6, 2012 |title=The Israeli Music Scene's Rising 'Shtar' |url=http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/12/06/the-israeli-music-scene%E2%80%99s-rising-%E2%80%98shtar%E2%80%99/ |accessdate=11 January 2013 |publisher=[[Algemeiner Journal]]}}</ref> In addition to his music career, he teaches [[kung fu]] and works in [[real estate]].<ref name="JPost" /> He has also written for ''[[The Times of Israel]]'' as a [[blog]]ger.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ori Murray|url=http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/author/ori-murray/|publisher=[[The Times of Israel]]|accessdate=9 June 2016}}</ref>

==Discography== {{main|Shtar#Discography}} * ''[[Infinity (Shtar album)|Infinity]]'' (2011) * ''[[Boss EP]]'' (2012)

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.shtarmusic.com Shtar official website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Ori}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Jewish American musicians]] [[Category:Jewish American rappers]] [[Category:Rappers from Seattle]] [[Category:Haredi rabbis in Israel]] [[Category:Baalei teshuva]] [[Category:American emigrants to Israel]] [[Category:Israeli people of Irish descent]] [[Category:Alternative hip-hop musicians]] [[Category:Israeli rappers]] [[Category:21st-century American Jews]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Participants in Israeli reality television series]] [[Category:Jewish Israeli rappers]]