Jonathan Ancrum, widely known by his stage name, Murda Mook, was born in Harlem, New York City, United States. Mook was born on born December 15, 1984. During his high school era, he had a knack for basketball and was the star of his school. He received a scholarship to study at Elms College in Massachusetts.
The American is renowned for his ability on the battle rap scene and is considered the “King of Battle Rap”, a title acknowledging him as one of the best battle rappers of all time. Murda Mook rose to prominence after releasing many hip-hop DVDs. He co-founded Dot Mob, a Harlem-based rap group, with his cousin, T-Rex, and Dutch Brown.
Mook is a veteran of rap battles and is influential on the new generation of battle rappers. He became popular among hip-hop heads in New York City as fans were in awe of his flow, bars, delivery, consistency, and lyrical depth, which helped in his crowd control.
He was among the popular figures in East Coast street rap battles alongside Troy ‘Smack White’ Mitchell. The Harlem-born rapper influenced the hip-hop culture in New York, which earned him legendary status among hip-hop fans. His rap group, Dot Mob, is associated with names such as K-Shine, NymLo (NymDot), Baltimore rapper Tay Roc, Wattsrapper Daylyt, Pittsburgh rapper Real Deal, hype man/music producer Sho Gotti, and many others.
Murda Mook made an impression as a battle rap star and has performed and participated in several competitions in the United States and parts of Europe. His net worth is estimated to be in the region of $750,000.
Murda Mook Biography
| Full Name | John Ancrum |
| Stage Name | Murda Mook |
| Born | 15 December 1984 |
| Age | 34 |
| Place of Birth | Harlem, New York, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Black |
| Gender | Male |
| Birth Sign | Sagittarius |
| Height | 1.71 m |
| Parents | N/A |
| Siblings | N/A |
| Wife/Spouse | Nia Ancrum |
| Girlfriend/Partner | N/A |
| Children | N/A |
| Occupation | Rapper, Songwriter |
| Twitter Username | @Murdamookez |
| Instagram Username | @Murdamookez |
| Net Worth | US$5 million |
Early Life and Education
Murda Mook was born on the 15th of December 1984 in Harlem, New York, United States. His real name is John Ancrum. While growing up, he attended Fordham Preparatory School in The Bronx. In high school, he was exceptional at basketball games, making him a star point guard.
In 2003, he was granted a basketball scholarship at Elms College in Holyoke, Massachusetts. John Ancrum’s time at Elms College isn’t well documented, and it’s unclear whether he graduated or completed his degree.
He had picked an interest in rapping, and his focus soon shifted from basketball to rap. He began to develop himself by listening to hip-hop songs, writing his own rap lyrics, and performing battle rap in different places on the East Coast.
Mook was raised in a tough environment that impacted his music as his lyrics are often violent. His gritty lyrics and style helped him build a large following among hardcore hip-hop heads in the United States. Particularly, he is exceptional at battle rap and has performed in different rap competitions.
Career
Murda Mook started his music career as a battle rapper, competing with popular Harlem rappers like Loaded Lux and T-Rex. Amazingly, his stunning performance against Jae Millz was widely publicized and featured on a 2002 S.M.A.C.K DVD. The rap battle was telecasted on MTV’s “Making the Brand” show, and it is said to be one of the greatest rap battle videos of all time. At that time, both rappers were starting and growing their careers and fan following.
In 2005, he competed in Fight Club battles, a tournament in Detroit, Michigan, hosted by D12’s proof. In that tournament, Mook recorded five victories in one night. His 100% record made him a crucial participant in Fight Club. In 2007, he faced Serious Jones, the current Fight Club champion, at that time, one of the highly debatable and talked-about rap battles recorded on camera.
Apart from battling at SMACK shows, he performed in a rap battle on MTV2’s Monday Night Fight Club. He competed against other upcoming rappers such as Cardi (Deuce One), Verse, and most notably, French Montana, who was called Young French then. Later he returned to SMACK/URL events on Summer Madness 2, where he competed against Iron Solomon.
He was offered $20,000 to face Iron Solomon, and he accepted the challenge. After the battle with Solomon, he took a four-year break from rap battles. That was his last appearance performing on SMACK/URL at Summer Madness 2 event. Mook also faced Loaded Lux, a popular battle rapper on Total Slaughter. a rap battle contest organized by Eminem and his company, Shady Records.
Moving on, in the year 2008, Mook competed against other rappers such as Serius Jones, Party Arty, and Philadelphia-born rapper Young Hot. Mook performed at the Summer Impact Reloaded event, where he faced the likes of T-Top and Brizz Rawsteen. However, the rap battle wasn’t finalized, as it ended abruptly in its first round due to some arguments. This happened after his original competitor Cassidy backed out of the contest.
Apart from performing at rap battles, Mook has established himself as a core hip-hop artist by releasing two albums titled “The Untouchable” and “Murder He Wrote”. Mook’s debut album “Murder He Wrote” was released under Black Face Entertainment in 2007, and since then, he has gone to create many records and appeared in series of mixtapes.
In 2011, Murda Mook joined the Ruff Ryders. They released “You Know (Ruff Ryders Anthem 11)”, which became a street anthem. In 2016, he signed a record deal with Busta Rhymes Conglomerate. He also founded a rap group called Dot Mob with T-Rex, his cousin, and Dutch Brown. In 2016, he released a mixtape titled “Voices” in collaboration with Dot Mob. The mixtape was said to be hosted by DJ Whoo Kid.
In 2012, Murda Mook made an appearance on the Ruff Ryders’ Cypher of the BET Hip Hop Awards. In 2014, he was named in Fuse Network’s reality TV series titled “Road to Total Slaughter”, a rap battle league hosted by a rap group called Slaughterhouse alongside Eminem’s Shady Films. The tournament had different battle rappers going face-to-face with each other while living in the House of Slaughter. Murda Mook and Loaded Lux were sources of inspiration to the contestants.
In 2015, there were talks of Murda Mook and Drake facing each other in battle rap. Drake reportedly stated he would face Murda Mook if Mook defeated another rapper first. However, there is no official news about the battle. Mook also expressed interest in battling another rapper, Hollow Da Don, but that is, by the way.
Murda Mook Songs and Discography
- Preach.
- Slangin.
- Not Like Murda.
- I Don’t Need Her.
- 100 Dollar Bill.
- Saggy Jeans.
- Whip That Work.
- God Tier.
Personal Life
Murda Mike is married to Nia Ancrum, who owns a wig store, and they have two children. The couple met for the first time during their time at college.
Murda Mook Net Worth
Murda Mook has a net worth of over $750,000. He made money from his earnings as a battle rapper, album sales, and song streams. Mook could be working on new music projects; we will keep an eye on that.