On this date in 1989, Boston native Keith Elam and Houston native Christopher Martin, better known as Guru and DJ Premier, came together to continue the legacy of Gangstarr and released the group’s first full studio album entitled No More Mr. Nice Guy.
Released by overseas label Chrysalis Records, Gangstarr, and their debut release ironically heavily influenced the NYC Hip Hop sound, even though neither artists were native New Yorkers. Tracks such as “Positivity,” “Conscious Be Free,” and the album’s lead single, “Manifest,” exposed Guru’s unparalleled slow flow, while instrumentals like “DJ Premier In Deep Concentration” just set the pace for who Hip Hop would later recognize as one of the greatest producers in the game.
A supreme salute goes out to DJ Premier, Guru(RIP), the Elam family, the Gangstarr Foundation, and the entire East New York for creating a pivotal moment in Hip Hop history.
On July 17, 1961, Keith Edward Elam was born into this world in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Sadly, 14 years ago today the late, great MC Guru lost his battle with melanoma, a form of cancer. April 19, 2010, was a tragic day for Hip Hop heads worldwide because we lost a true emcee and all-around great human being.
Guru started his career off in 1987. He relocated to the Hip Hop mecca New York City, where he founded Gang Starr. In 1989 with three records and no real blip on Hip Hop’s radar Guru switched up producers and began working with DJ Premier. After that, it was a wrap. The duo released its first LP “No More Mr. Nice Guy” with Wild Pitch records and six more critically acclaimed albums followed.
Premier and Guru made for a perfect combination. Guru’s uniquely monotone delivery and storytelling ability, combined with Premier’s punctuating, soulful production inspired some of the dopest verses in Hip Hop history. The Source ranked Guru as the #30 Best Emcee of Our Time.
Guru’s recording career was one of the most fruitful amongst his peers; with six classic albums released by the duo Gang Starr, all of which were praised by critics and beloved by the streets Guru also released 10 albums without Premier. 16 projects from any artist are impressive, and as an emcee, it’s almost unheard of.
Guru and Premier will go down as one of the most prolific duos in Hip Hop history. They have paved the way for the likes of Atmosphere from Minnesota made up of DJ/Producer Ant and emcee Slug. Today in the fifth year of his passing let us celebrate Guru’s contribution to the beautiful art of Hip Hop. Enjoy the video for “Moment Of Truth”, a classic by Gang Starr.
On this day twenty-eight ago, Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal aka Guru and DJ Premier dropped their fourth album aptly entitled Hard To Earn.
As one of Gangstarr’s most circulated but underrated projects, Hard To Earn, released on the Chrysalis/EMI imprint, set the pace for the Gangstarr sound and legacy. Exclusively produced by the legendary duo, Hard To Earn is a prototypical representation of authentic Hip Hop aimed to please aficionados of the culture and the music rather than seeking mainstream success.
The result? A timeless single (“DWYCK”) featuring Nice N’ Smooth, another groundbreaking single whose title is now being used as a thriving magazine name (“Mass Appeal”), and several other tracks (“Tonz O’ Gunz,” “Code Of The Streets,” “The Planet”) that further solidified Gangstarr’s position as one of the most influential duos in Hip-Hop history.
Salute to Guru(R.I.P.), DJ Premier, Jeru Da Damaja, Lil Dap, and the rest of the Gangstarr Foundation for this crucial piece of Hip-Hop history!
On this date over three decades ago, Chris Martin b.k.a the legendary DJ Premier and Keith Elam b.k.a the Guru (Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal) put together Gang Starr’s second and possibly most memorable album, Step Into The Arena. The duo was one of the first groups signed the newly formed Chysalis/EMI label after ditching Wild Pitch Records following their debut album, No More Mr. Nice Guy.
With production solely in the hands of Preemo and Guru, the raw, gritty sound that helped mold New York Hip Hop during its Golden Era can be found in many facets of this project, which is somewhat surprising coming from a rapping teacher from Boston and a DJ from Houston, Texas who just happened to link up in East New York, Brooklyn. Tracks such as the jux-inspired “Just To Get A Rep”, the consciously cool lyricism of “Who’s Gonna Take The Weight” and the hilarious bug-a-boo fueled “What You Want This Time?” showed and proved Gang Starr’s innate ability to capture an experience on wax that all listeners can feel.
Salute to Preemo, the Elam family and everyone else involved in creating this piece of Hip Hop history!
30 years ago, on this day, the almighty Baldhead Slick, more commonly known as the “Guru” of Gangstarr, dropped his first solo project, Jazzamatazz, on Chrysalis Records. The album featured a slew of artists in and outside of the ciphers of Hip Hop, as this album was the first of its kind, with “Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal” fusing the sounds of Jazz with Hip Hop’s boom bap to create a groundbreaking album.
Jazzamatazz, which was executive produced by Guru, featured Jazz legends such as Roy Ayers, Branford Marsalis, Donald Byrd, and N’Dea Davenport of the Brand New Heavies. Guru also introduced Hip Hop in the states to the international community, recruiting MC Solaar of France(not to be confused with the controversial producer Solar with whom Guru was connected before his passing).
Salute to the Gangstarr Foundation, DJ Premier, MC Solaar, jazz icons, and everyone who was a part of this trailblazing project! RIP Guru!
On this date in 1989, Boston native Keith Elam and Houston native Christopher Martin, better known as Guru and DJ Premier, came together to continue the legacy of Gangstarr and released the group’s first full studio album entitled No More Mr. Nice Guy.
Released by overseas label Chrysalis Records, Gangstarr, and their debut release ironically heavily influenced the NYC Hip Hop sound, even though neither artists were native New Yorkers. Tracks such as “Positivity,” “Conscious Be Free,” and the album’s lead single, “Manifest,” exposed Guru’s unparalleled slow flow, while instrumentals like “DJ Premier In Deep Concentration” just set the pace for who Hip Hop would later recognize as one of the greatest producers in the game.
A supreme salute goes out to DJ Premier, Guru(RIP), the Elam family, the Gangstarr Foundation, and the entire East New York for creating a pivotal moment in Hip Hop history.
On this day in Hip Hop history, famed rap duo Gang Starr released their first compilation album, Full Clip: Decade of Gang Starr.
Dropping a year after the duo’s most popular album Moment of Truth, this compilation album contained some of the group’s biggest singles stemming from their prolific 10-year career.
It’s common knowledge Gang Starr had one of the longest successful careers in Hip Hop and this double LP greatest hits compilation is proof of their longevity. Only after the passing of 2Pac had there been a greatest hits compilation spanning two discs. The sheer volume and quality of this project perfectly describe the ability of one of rap’s most underrated tandems. Commercially, the project did fairly well peaking at #33 on the Billboard 200 chart and making appearances on music charts in the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Sweden. The album was certified gold in the year of its release and continues to sell copies across the globe. Following this release, the group went on to take a four-year hiatus before putting out their final LP The Ownerz in 2003.
29 years ago, on this day, the almighty Baldhead Slick, more commonly known as the “Guru” of Gangstarr, dropped his first solo project, Jazzamatazz, on Chrysalis Records. The album featured a slew of artists in and outside of the ciphers of Hip Hop, as this album was the first of its kind, with “Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal” fusing the sounds of Jazz with Hip Hop’s boom bap to create a groundbreaking album.
Jazzamatazz, which was executive produced by Guru, featured Jazz legends such as Roy Ayers, Branford Marsalis, Donald Byrd, and N’Dea Davenport of the Brand New Heavies. Guru also introduced Hip Hop in the states to the international community, recruiting MC Solaar of France(not to be confused with the controversial producer Solar with whom Guru was connected before his passing).
Salute to the Gangstarr Foundation, DJ Premier, MC Solaar, jazz icons, and everyone who was a part of this trailblazing project! RIP Guru!
Nothing beats a classic rap record and a few MCs were dropping them on the regular quite like legendary ’90s rap duo Gang Starr. The group, consisting of Guru holding things down on the mic and DJ Premier handling the head-bumping production, dropped six albums in their career before calling it quits in 2003.
While a reunion album was reportedly planned, unfortunately, Guru passed away on April 19, 2010, before the project could be completed or properly executed overall. While the Hip-Hop community definitely took a blow due to the loss, the work they did create while recording together influenced the genre in ways that we’re still seeing today. One LP that specifically represents Gang Starr’s influential legacy is their third album Daily Operation, which celebrates its 30th anniversary today.
Chrysalis Records
Comprised of jazz-tinged samples and lyrics that illustrated life in the streets of New York City during the early ’90s, Daily Operation saw Gang Starr striding smoothly towards the legendary status that we now place the group in today. The project is East Coast-inspired through and through, from recording the LP entirely at the dearly missed D&D Studios on West 37th Street in Midtown Manhattan all the way to lamenting about Brooklyn on the opening track “The Place We Dwell.” Other standout cuts include “I’m The Man,” featuring the solely credited cameos by Group Home member Lil Dap and Jeru the Damaja, “B.Y.S.” — cleverly abbreviated for “Bust Yo’ Shit” — and the lead single “Ex Girl to Next Girl” that gave us one of the most 90s-looking music videos ever created.
The key to Gang Starr is that, while none of their albums ever crossed Top 5 status on the Billboard 200 — their highest placement happened in 1998 when Moment of Truth hit #6 — sales were never the thing that represented their effect on the game; the music always came first and foremost. Daily Operation received all sorts of critical acclaim nonetheless, and we even included it on our “100 Best Rap Albums” list for The Source’s 100th issue (January 1998). So, while it only reached #65 on the Billboard 200 and faired slightly better on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at #14, those numbers mean nothing when compared to the slick verses, smooth-yet-rugged instrumentals, and thought-provoking bars that still makes this album a certified classic almost three decades after its original release.
On this date in 1989, Boston native Keith Elam and Houston native Christopher Martin, better known as Guru and DJ Premier, came together to continue the legacy of Gangstarr and released the group’s first full studio album entitled No More Mr. Nice Guy.
Released by overseas label Chrysalis Records, Gangstarr, and their debut release ironically had a heavy influence on the NYC Hip Hop sound, even though neither artists were native New Yorkers. Tracks such as “Positivity”, “Conscious Be Free” and the album’s lead single, “Manifest”, exposed Guru’s unparalleled slow flow, while instrumentals like “DJ Premier In Deep Concentration” just set the pace for who Hip Hop would later recognize as one of the greatest producers in the game.
Supreme salute goes out to DJ Premier, Guru(RIP), the Elam family, the Gangstarr Foundation and the entire East New York for creating a pivotal moment in Hip Hop history.
