A sad day in hip-hop today.
We lost another one. We lost Guru of Gangstarr, to cancer.
To be honest, I was never the biggest fan (and I don’t mean that in the negative sense where you’re trashing someone, just literally as typed) of Guru, but his importance in hip-hop’s history is without question. He was a good emcee, and the ideal yang to DJ Premier’s yin. He was a natural fit to Premo’s production. Premo, on my producer influence list, especially in my earlier work, was trading #1 or #2 with Dr. Dre, depending on the project, with RZA, Just Blaze and Timbaland rounding out my top five.
Solar, Guru’s producer in the last half of his career, submitted this letter that Guru wished to release upon his death (credit: AllHipHop.com):
I, Guru, am writing this letter to my fans, friends and loved ones around the world. I have had a long battle with cancer and have succumbed to the disease. I have suffered with this illness for over a year. I have exhausted all medical options.
I have a non-profit organization called Each One Counts dedicated to carrying on my charitable work on behalf of abused and disadvantaged children from around the world and also to educate and research a cure for this terrible disease that took my life. I write this with tears in my eyes, not of sorrow but of joy for what a wonderful life I have enjoyed and how many great people I have had the pleasure of meeting.
My loyal best friend, partner and brother, Solar, has been at my side through it all and has been made my health proxy by myself on all matters relating to myself. He has been with me by my side on my many hospital stays, operations, doctors visits and stayed with me at my home and cared for me when I could not care for myself. Solar and his family is my family and I love them dearly and I expect my family, friends, and fans to respect that, regardless to anybody’s feelings on the matter. It is my wish that counts. This being said I am survived by the love of my life, my sun KC, who I trust will be looked after by Solar and his family as their own. Any awards or tributes should be accepted, organized approved by Solar on behalf myself and my son until he is of age to except on his own.
I do not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name likeness, events tributes etc. connected in anyway to my situation including any use of my name or circumstance for any reason and I have instructed my lawyers to enforce this. I had nothing to do with him in life for over 7 years and want nothing to do with him in death. Solar has my life story and is well informed on my family situation, as well as the real reason for separating from my ex-DJ. As the sole founder of GangStarr, I am very proud of what GangStarr has meant to the music world and fans. I equally am proud of my Jazzmatazz series and as the father of Hip-Hop/Jazz. I am most proud of my leadership and pioneering efforts on Jazzmatazz 4 for reinvigorating the Hip-Hop/Jazz genre in a time when music quality has reached an all time low. Solar and I have toured in places that I have never been before with GangStarr or Jazzmatatazz and we gained a reputation for being the best on the planet at Hip-Hop/Jazz, as well as the biggest and most influential Hip-Hop/Jazz record with Jazzmatazz 4 of the decade to now. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time. And we as a team were not afraid to push the envelope. To me this is what true artists do! As men of honor we stood tall in the face of small mindedness, greed, and ignorance. As we fought for music and integrity at the cost of not earning millions and for this I will always be happy and proud, and would like to thank the million fans who have seen us perform over the years from all over the world. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time and is my most creative and experimental to date. I hope that our music will receive the attention it deserves as it is some of the best work I have done and represents some of the best years of my life.
If you’d like to read more on the story, you can click here.
I know that Guru and Premo had a falling out, and it made me sad to know that they never patched it up. As much as Guru isn’t one of my favorite emcees, GangStarr had some really good hits and to me epitomize hip-hop. When I think hip-hop, I think of GangStarr, because you have Premo’s boom bap, Guru with his rhymes, and Premo scratching. It’s textbook hip-hop music at it’s finest. “Code of the Streets,” “Mass Appeal,” “DWYCK,” “Tons O’ Gunz”, and “Above the Clouds” were just a few of their culture-wide accepted classics, “Full Clip” and “1/2 and 1/2″ with M.O.P. being two of my personal favorites to add to the list above.
Gangstarr is on that top list of the legendary duos of the early 90′s, which includes a who’s-who of names including Eric B. and Rakim, Pete Rock and CL Smooth, and EPMD (Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith).
Guru had some big ideas, and aside from his GangStarr legacy, will also be known for his pioneering efforts in what is considered hip-hop jazz or jazz rap, a feat that I do admire. I’ve personally gotten to appreciate jazz more over these past few years, especially when I got to play bass for a jazz band a few semesters ago, really taking in the sounds of Dave Brubeck, Herbie Hancock, and others.
Guru’s Jazzmatazz was an interesting fusion, using a mix of live jazz musicians and some sampling for his audio backdrop; it was a departure of the static looping of hip-hop, using longer phrasing and it allowed for more dynamic instrumental performance. The sound was a lot smoother, and had a definite, laid-back, classy feel that you would associate with jazz. Couple that with Guru’s laid back delivery and flow, and you’ve got a nice combo.
I’m going to drop some YouTube videos below of some of the joints I mentioned above to pay tribute. If you’re a later fan of hip-hop and you’ve never gotten to hear Gangstarr, you’re definitely missing out. I’ll also link up a Jazzmatazz track too just so you can appreciate some of Guru’s pioneering work.
Above the Clouds feat. Inspektah Deck:
1/2 and 1/2 feat. M.O.P.
Full Clip
Jazzmatazz: State of Clarity feat. Common and Bob James
Rest In Peace, Guru. Hip-hop music, musicians and listeners alike, will forever thank you.
-mnshyn
Music Scene Spotlight: Aaliyah Was One In a Million
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010I remember walking into the Virgin Megastore that was on Union Square on August 25, 2001. It was my first day at my dorm at NYU for my sophomore year. It was a small tradition that I made for myself that each year I go back to New York I would buy a CD at that store. The first year it was Dilated Peoples “The Platform,” and that year it was Canibus’s “2000 B.C.”
I walked up to the counter and while ringing up the CD, he asks me, “Did you hear about Aaliyah?”
I said, “No, what happened?”
He replied, “She was in a plane crash and passed away.”
My jaw dropped.
I admired Aaliyah, because her “One in a Million” album was a classic to me. The combination of Aaliyah on top of Timbaland beats were a match made in heaven, and I had bumped the songs from that album consistently for a number of years, most especially “If Your Girl Only Knew,” “One in a Million,” “Four Page Letter,” and the remix to “Hot Like Fire.” Her voice was just right; she wasn’t a flashy singer, but on point with emotion and delivery with that correct amount of soul. Her harmonies always sounded great.
Most people usually use the word “angel” to describe her, and I’d have to say that description is pretty accurate especially when it came to her voice. There was a smooth feel there that just made you feel, “this girl’s definitely got it.”
And you have to admit, the hair over the eye, shades, and the baggy jeans/pants and tank tops were a good look without sluttiness giving a touch of not-so-feminine but sexy.
She had great versatility too. On that album alone you had ballads like “Four Page Letter” and “How Could the One I Gave My Heart To,” more funky songs like “If Your Girl Only Knew” and “Hot Like Fire” (remix was RIDICULOUS), and sensual sounding songs like “One in a Million,” and she handled her business properly on each.
Couple that with Timbaland’s ingenuity, and you had the perfect combination. Sorry Keri Hilson (even as great a songwriter as you are), but Keri doesn’t match nearly as well with Timbo as Aaliyah did.
Even her later works, like “More than a Woman,” “We Need a Resolution,” “Rock the Boat,” “Try Again,” and “Miss you,” were all really good songs, and I thought Aaliyah opening up “Up Jumps the Boogie” with Timbo, Missy and Magoo was just epic; there was just a feel to it that made you feel something was about to happen.
When I think of female R&B artists now, there’s a void where Aaliyah should be. No disrespect to the Beyonce’s and Alicia Keys’s of the world (both great artists, mind you), but there was something about Aaliyah that was different. The right amount of soul and sweet melody with no gimmicks, no overdone sexiness, and a good amount of versatility.
Here’s just some of my favorites from YouTube so you can enjoy the greatness that was Aaliyah:
If Your Girl Only Knew:
One in a Million:
Four Page Letter:
Hot Like Fire [remix]:
Rest in Peace Aaliyah. We all miss you.
-mnshyn
Tags: 4 page letter, aaliyah, canibus, dilated peoples, four page letter, hot like fire, if your girl only knew, missy, missy elliot, music scene spotlight, one in a million, timbaland, union square, up jumps the boogie, virgin megastore
Posted in Music Commentary, Music Reviews, Video Clips | 1 Comment »