We thought "Family And Loyalty" was a pleasant surprise, but little did we know that DJ Premier had a full-blown revelation tucked in the cut. Enter One Of The Best Yet, the brand new album from Gang Starr, which features a stacked cast of supporting players. From J.Cole to M.O.P, Royce Da 5'9" to Q-Tip, the lyrical pedigree runs high on this one. And no wonder - Guru remains one of the most respected voices in the game, his gravelly cadence pairing wonderfully with Primo's fresh chopped samples. And if that's not enough, the album is set to arrive on November 1st.
To kick off the upcoming release, Primo has shared the album's latest single "Bad Name," currently available in select international markets. Off the bat, this one immediately evokes shades of golden-age hip-hop, fueled by a renewed hunger in Primo's production; there's a slight edge here, reminiscent to his recent work on Royce 5'9"'s PRhyme. Once again, it's nice to get reacquainted with Guru, who posthumously reminds the masses that Pac and Big would be having none of these "weirdos" in his opening bars.
Check out the tracklist below, and look for "Bad Name" to arrive in full at the stroke of midnight.
1) The Sure Shot (Intro)
2) Lights Out (Feat. M.O.P.)
3) Bad Name
4) Hit Man (Feat. Q-Tip)
5) What’s Real (Feat. Group Home & Royce 5’9″)
6) Keith Casim Elam (Interlude)
7) From A Distance (Feat. Jeru The Damaja)
8) Family And Loyalty (Feat. J. Cole)
9) Get Together (Feat. Ne-Yo & Nitty Scott)
10) NYGz/GS 183rd (Interlude)
11) So Many Rappers
12) Business Or Art (Feat. Talib Kweli)
13) Bring It Back Here
14) One Of The Best Yet (Big Shug Interlude)’
15) Take Flight (Militia, Pt. 4) (Feat. Big Shug & Freddie Foxxx)
16) Bless the Mic