Sadat X is the stage name of Derek W. Murphy, an American rapper best known as a founding member of Brand Nubian. Born December 29, 1968, in the Bronx, New York, Murphy moved with his family to New Rochelle, where he met future collaborators Grand Puba and Lord Jamar. He began performing under names including Derek X before adopting the name Sadat X, a reference to Egyptian president Anwar Sadat.
Sadat X emerged during the late 1980s as part of the New Rochelle hip-hop scene. In 1989, he joined Grand Puba, Lord Jamar and DJ Alamo in forming Brand Nubian, a group whose music combined jazz-influenced production, socially conscious writing and teachings associated with the Five Percent Nation. The group's debut album, One for All, appeared in 1990 and became an important recording of the golden age of East Coast hip-hop. Songs such as "All for One," "Wake Up" and "Slow Down" established Brand Nubian's distinctive mixture of political commentary, spiritual references, sample-heavy production and tightly coordinated MC performances.
Sadat X's delivery stood apart from those of his groupmates. His high, nasal voice, unpredictable phrasing and conversational approach gave his verses an eccentric character, while his writing often moved rapidly between street observations, humor, cultural references and moral commentary. He was not simply a background member of Brand Nubian's lineup; his unusual flow became one of the group's defining sounds.
After Brand Nubian's first three albums, including In God We Trust and Everything Is Everything, the group's original lineup entered a period of separation. Sadat X used the opportunity to develop a solo career while continuing to appear on recordings by other artists. His first solo album, Wild Cowboys, was released by Loud Records in 1996. Produced in part by figures such as Diamond D, Buckwild, Pete Rock and Da Beatminerz, the album extended the jazz-rap and sample-based aesthetic associated with Brand Nubian while giving Sadat X more room to explore his loose, humorous and often deliberately unconventional style. The single "Hang 'Em High" and the track "The Lump Lump" became notable examples of his solo work.
Sadat X reunited with Brand Nubian for Foundation in 1998. The group later continued working in various configurations, including Fire in the Hole in 2004 and Time's Runnin' Out in 2007, while Sadat maintained a parallel solo career. His solo releases included the 2000 EP The State of New York vs. Derek Murphy, Experience & Education in 2005, Black October in 2006, Generation X in 2008, Brand New Bein' in 2009 and Wild Cowboys II in 2010. Later albums such as Love, Hell or Right, Never Left, Agua and The Sum of a Man confirmed his long-term commitment to independent hip-hop.
He also remained an active collaborator, working with artists including Common, Talib Kweli, Pete Rock, Diamond D, Kurupt, A.G. and El Da Sensei. His partnership with El Da Sensei produced the album XL in 2018, while The Gods Have Arrived, a collaboration with Agallah, followed in 2020. In 2022, Sadat X released Science of Life. Across more than three decades, he has remained associated with lyrical individuality, classic New York production and the enduring legacy of Brand Nubian.