Gang Starr, was definitely a distinctive part of the late 80’s-early 90’s, positive hip hop movement. Besides DJ Premier’s great mixing and cutting, Guru (seen at right in the adjacent photo) had both a unique lyrical style and unique vocal sound. Together Guru and Premier epitomized the intersection of Hip-Hop and Jazz.
Herewith, some of their best tracks:
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Who’s Gonna Take The Weight? (I was raised like a Muslim / Prayin’ to the East)
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DWYCK (Leaving the bodega I say suave / Premier’s got more beats than barns got hay)
Guru has passed on, after a long battle with cancer. He was my age. His death, along with Malcolm McLaren’s, seems like the beginning of the end for an era of Hip-Hop that highly influenced me. An era before pimps and hoes, n*s and b*s, ghetto fabulous and bling, took over the main stage. An era when Hip-Hop held a little more dignity for the Black man.
Godspeed kind sir.
And whatever this beef is between Guru, Solar, and Premier, it’s whack! Kill the noise.