You can't knock Keith Murray's dedication. The rapper didn't even let last week's brush with death interfere with promoting his new single, "Yeah Yeah U Know It," and his upcoming album, He's Keith Murray.

In fact, the animated MC seemed back to his normal hyperactive self when he called MTV News the day after his serious van accident (see [article id="1470196"]"Keith Murray In Serious Car Accident"[/article]).

"We were driving down [Interstate] 85, and it was icy," recalled Murray. "Now, I had just done 'Direct Effect' and left New York around 9 p.m. Then we drove all night in a customized van to get to North Carolina by morning. But the driver was supposed to have gotten rest all day to prepare for the nine-hour drive. ... I don't know what happened, but I do know I have a phobia about drivers being fully rested. And now I'm even more nervous about that because all I know is that at 7a.m., I woke up to the van spinning and a pre-existing collision heading towards me. My first thoughts were, 'Oh sh--!,' and then my mind went so blank."

While Murray stopped short of blaming the driver for the accident, he did say that the accident -- which totaled the van but remarkably did not injure Murray, the van driver or Murray's three companions -- left him wary of car travel but reinforced his belief in seatbelts.

"We got bruises and we're limping, but none of us is hurt, by the grace of God. ... But I'm shook now. I just been telling people how important that seatbelt is. Remembering to put your seatbelt on is remembering that you want to live."

The accident forced Murray to reschedule a few of his appearances, but just a few hours after being released from the hospital, Murray went to a radio station to promote his latest work.

"When I can rock a crowd or perform a party song or talk about my music, it's love," said Murray. "That's a real healer for me. I love it. Hip-hop gives me a new life."