The celebration of 4/20 is generally a joyous one in the hip hop community, but the day before is always saddened by the anniversary of a legend's passing. Guru, of Gang Starr, passed away on April 19, 2010 after a fight with cancer, and from that day forward rap music has been without one of its brightest stars.
Together, Guru and production phenomenon DJ Premier formed Gang Starr. They had a great run of albums in the early 90s that helped mold the NYC rap scene, with tracks like "Jazz Thing," inspiring the merging of two genres, jazz and hip hop. They continued to release music into the late 90s and early 00s, with albums like Moment of Truth showcasing some of their best material to date.
Gang Starr dropped many jewels over the course of their twenty-year career, and today we throw it back to some of the best jams Guru and Premo ever collaborated on.
"Mass Appeal"
Let's kick this off with some of the most recognizable Gang Starr material out there. The riff on "Mass Appeal" is known around the globe, and Guru's rhymes on this one are some of his illest ever.
"No way you'll never make it
Come with the weak shit, I break kids
Step into my zone, mad rhymes will stifle ya
Lines like rifles go blast when I kick some ass
A lot of rappers be like one time wonders
Couldn't say a fly rhyme if there was one right under"
"Step in the Area"
Years before MMA, there was ol' fashioned street boxing. Guru likens being a hip hop MC to being a fighter in the ring, much the same way that Wu-Tang related rapping to chess or sword-fighting. Peep the vintage visuals from the duo's title track from their second album Step in the Arena.
"Ex Girl to Next Girl"
The scratches on the introduction of this track are proof that DJ Premier isn't mortal. Guru kicks his lazy flow about dating life as the boom-bap production sets the stage with jazzy vibes.
"Take It Personal"
This one comes to you off the 1992 album Daily Operation, the duo's third album. The track would hit #1 on the US Rap charts, their first to rank that high. It proved that Gang Starr was a force to be reckoned with, and as they continued to pave their legacy, it would become obvious that tracks like this are, in fact, classic.
"Royalty"
Gang Starr's 1998 album Moment of Truth featured richer production and more mature lyrics. As the duo shaped themselves into a positive force for the hip hop community, tracks like "Royalty" worked to create an uplifting message.
"Moment of Truth"
Of course, no hip hop album is complete without a great title track. Guru keeps it positive on this one, as he denounces drugs and demonstrates how he doesn't resort to violence when he gets angry. Everybody could use a little "Moment of Truth" in their lives.
"The Lesson"
The 80s rap sound isn't as fly as the 90s sound, but you don't get one without the other either. "The Lesson" is Gang Starr's earliest single, and features a distinctively 80s sound that isn't akin to most of the classic material you've probably heard from the duo. At any rate, it's a solid look into the early stages of what would become a legendary project.
"Words I Manifest"
Gang Starr's ability to blend jazz and hip hop is one of their greatest contributions to the linear story of rap. Here they sample Charlie Parker and Miles Davis, and flip it into something that'll keep your head boppin' to the beat and your mind sharp with the flow.
"Jazz Thing"
Gang Starr was explicit about the jazz thing, too. With a song that nods directly to their musical forefathers, Premo sampled Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Thelonious Monk as Guru raps about the smooth music's soothing qualities.
"Just To Get A Rep"
The message of this track is something that everyone can use: don't be violent just to earn a reputation as a bad man. It isn't worth it. Listen to Guru as he tells the story of a stick-up kid who's out to tax.
"Mad brothers know his name
So he thinks he got a little fame
From the stick-up game
And while we're blaming society
He's at a party with his man
They got their eye on the gold chain
That the next man's wearing
It looks big but they ain't staring
Just thinking of a way and when to get the brother
They'll be long gone before the kid recovers
And back around the way, he'll have the chain on his neck
Claimin' respect, Just to get a rep"