The Passing of a Hip Hop Legend

I figured the news would barely be a blip on the musical radar screen, and boy was I unfortunately correct.

Keith Elam, a.k.a. MC Guru from the legendary Brooklyn hip hop duo Gang Starr, died this past week after a long but hardly-publicized bout with cancer, as well as complications stemming from a heart attack and subsequent heart surgery.

Throughout my lifelong hip hop education, I can think of few artists or acts that epitomize true hip hop the way Guru and Gang Starr did throughout Elam’s illustrious career.

You undoubtedly have heard people talk about ‘real’ hip hop countless times, with slightly varying definitions of what constitutes such. There’s the usual suspect list of descriptions: not selling out and remaining true to one’s artistic credibility and fan base that lent support since day one; lyrics and music that are creative in some way, or at the very least speak in a very real and true fashion about an artist’s personal experience. You get the idea.

But one of the highest compliments an artist can be paid is for a dyed-in-the-wool hip hop fan to describe that artist’s work as ‘real’ or ‘true’ hip hop. Being representative of what the art form, music, culture and lifestyle is all about.

Guru was this artist. Sadly, in the year 2010, real hip hop has transitioned into a weird place. It’s not entirely accurate to say it’s completely dead, but it certainly doesn’t wield the same power and influence that it did in Gang Starr’s prime (the early-to-mid 1990s, often described as the Golden Era of Hip Hop).

Gang Starr, however, was it, man. DJ Premier was and is one of the most talented beat blenders and turntable operators to ever get busy on the 1’s and 2’s. His body of work speaks for itself. And Guru? What can you say about this cat. His smooth, laid-back flow, precise delivery and intelligent, thought-provoking lyrics have been a blessing to the musical form. He never even really needed to drop F bombs or threaten your life to be menacing. His mic skills did all the talking. Case in point – tracks like ‘Take it Personal,’ ‘Now You’re Mine,’ ‘Words I Manifest’ and countless others. Guru has dropped thoughtful gems, aggressive gems, girl-problem gems, shout-out-to-Brooklyn gems, and even brilliantly composed Jazz-infused gems (check out his Jazzamatazz series of albums – pure genius).

Premier and Guru were a one-of-a-kind duo. Together, they combined to put out 6 studio albums, a greatest hits album (Full Clip) and both have contributed their talents to a myriad of other excellent hip hop cuts by fellow east coast/NYC area MCs over the years.

Guru, who rhymed that his moniker was an acronym for ‘Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal,’ has been largely absent from the musical scene in terms of putting out new material since Gang Starr’s last album, 2003’s The Ownerz. The ever-changing direction of urban music, coupled with Guru’s health problems, are likely the main contributors to this circumstance. But thankfully, Elam worked tirelessly during his prime years to create a healthy catalogue of timeless hip hop that will always be around for generations of fans old and young to discover.

To pick a best album or cut would be like trying to figure out what’s the most intolerable Billy Joel single, or what’s the best thing on the menu at Chipotle. In other words, don’t bother.

But for starters, GS’s 1992 album ‘Daily Operation’ is quite stupendous from start to finish, as are 1990’s ‘Step in the Arena’ and 1994’s ‘Hard to Earn.’ For individual tracks that are ripe with flavor, the type of songs that epitomize that true hip hop essence, check out ‘Take it Personal,’ ‘DWYCK,’ ‘Code of the Streets,’ ‘Soliloquy of Chaos,’ ‘Words I Manifest,’ ‘Mass Appeal,’ and ‘You Know my Steez.’

Support real hip hop and show Gang Starr some love, if you haven’t already.

A bunch of TV Randomness

* HBO, what the hell is wrong with you exactly? Why must you show ‘Training Day’ seemingly no less than four times a week lately, and almost always in prime time? How do you expect me to get anything else done when I see it on the program guide? Is there not some unwritten social contract being violated here? You know where to reach my people. Please, some more advance notice on the ‘Training Day’ airings on future such occasions. Please and thanks.

* Speaking of HBO, its original programming seems to be knocking them out of the park lately. ‘Treme,’ the new series about New Orelans residents attempting to keep on living life like regular people in the city shortly post-Hurricane Katrina, is showing a lot of promise after only its premiere episode. There’s also ‘The Life and Times of Tim,’ a hilarious tongue-in-cheek animated series about a mild-mannered, sarcastic pushover – the title character Tim – who can’t ever seem to buy a break, or ever scrape together enough dough to take out his blonde girlfriend Amy. The plots are typically over-the-top stupid on purpose (think ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’), but it’s obvious when you watch it that the humor stems from the absurd nature of the writing, and most of the laughs end up coming out of the outrageous dialogue. Throw in new exciting other series like World War II-centric ‘The Pacific’ and fan favorites such as ‘True Blood,’ and it’s clear that the network is on the ball these days.

* I don’t know how the rest of this Game 1 first-round NBA Eastern Conference playoff series between the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Bobcats is going to turn out, but currently Magic point guard Jameer Nelson is absolutely abusing Raymond Felton and the poor Charlotte defense. This has been insane – Nelson has 14 points and there’s still about 3 minutes to go in the first quarter. I almost want to send Felton a sympathy card right now. This is mad embarrassing for the Bob-kitties.

* ‘Breaking Bad,’ one of The AMC Network’s two signature dramas, continues to surprise and entice viewers with an unending surplus of twists and turns that keeps viewers guessing what’s coming up next. I’ve definitely raved about this program before, and if you ever check it out (assuming you haven’t already), you’ll know why. Bryan Cranston is in the role of his lifetime as a crystal-meth cooking high school chemistry teacher who turns to drug making for cash when he learns that he’s been diagnosed with lung cancer and wants some cash around for his family when he’s gone. It’s gripping stuff that never pulls punches, but there’s just enough moments of subtlety, humor and gravitas so that you don’t crumble under the weight of the show’s ambitious constitution. If you haven’t ever seen it but are looking for an excellent drama, speed-order season 1 on DVD and get started. You won’t regret it.

* South Park, while still usually funny after all these years, occasionally tests my patience with the entire episode-long toilet humor type jokes. But this latest season has been overall extremely funny and topical. This past week’s episode, the first of at least a two-parter in which all of the celebrities the show has mocked in some way throughout its 13 years on the air are making a return, promises to be an epic moment in SP’s history. Mecca Streisand, the Super Best Friends and J. Lo-via-Cartman’s-hand-puppet-antics have all made a return, thankfully. Stay tuned.

Donovan has Flown the Coop

I should probably start by mentioning that I like to disassociate myself from the stereotypical example of the classic arrogant, loudmouth Philadelphia sports fan who loves to find lame excuses after a loss, runs his/her mouth incessantly without really possessing much of an intricate knowledge about the sport or players they profess to adore, and generally likes to start shit at the drop of a hat.

We all know that this is not representative of all Philadelphia sports fans. But the ones who don’t act like animals are too busy not acting like animals and caring about other stuff in life to possess a voice loud enough to counter the overbearing yell of the ‘loudmouths.’

This is how the actions and words of the negative few can create a scenario in which an entire fan base earns a reputation that is in no way indicative of the general overall group.

And this is why the departure of longtime Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb from the organization has been such a hot-button discussion topic over the past week since the news was announced.

McNabb, along with head coach Andy Reid, have been the whipping post through which all dissatisfied Eagles fans have expressed their frustration over the past 10 years, many (half – exactly) of which have resulted in advancing at least as far as the NFC Championship game, but sadly, rarely further. Except for the 2004-05 season, in which the Eagles lost the Super Bowl to the New England Patriots.

Also, most people realize it’s clear that primarily blaming one or two individuals for any type of failure in a team sport is also pretty damn stupid.

But like it or not, the head coach and the QB are the most visible and often vital components of a football team. These are the guys leading the way. And if a group doesn’t have a leader, then who’s taking charge during the rough patches and providing a presence of general guidance through the ups and downs of the season?

Now, I’ve been saying for quite some time, ironically agreeing with most of the ‘loudmouths’ and taking the opposing viewpoint of most practical, level-headed Eagles fans, that there has needed to be some sort of change or ‘shake-up’ in the whole Reid-as-coach, McNabb-as-QB setup. This isn’t to denigrate McNabb’s skills, which are considerable, or that of Reid’s (I almost can’t type that last part with a straight face).

But for anyone that has been a fan of this team or paid attention to it during the Reid-McNabb era, it’s become fairly evident that there’s something about the current regime that doesn’t feel like a Super Bowl winner. Yes, it is hard to overlook or completely turn away from the division titles, multiple NFC Championship game appearances and one Super Bowl appearance. However, it’s also easy to see how the fans get to feel like a carrot is being dangled in front of them every year and then promptly snatched away at the last second. Let’s not forget, Philly sports fans aren’t the most sympathetic or patient bunch to begin with.

The Phillies’ 2008 World Series and 2009 WS runner-up status has bought some good grace amongst the fans, but what the city truly craves is some football hardware. They want Philadelphia’s first Super Bowl trophy, and they feel like it should be there by now.

Unfortunately though, the thing about chemistry is that it’s impossible to predict it or bring it about intentionally. Through following sports for years, I’ve seen a lot of championship teams at the pro, collegiate and even high-school levels (the latter through having at one time been a sportswriter). And that un-definable chemistry is always there somewhere. You don’t know how it got there, but you know it when you see it. And if a team doesn’t have it – good luck.

Clearly, none of the Reid/McNabb-led Eagles teams has ever quite had that ‘chemistry’ factor in strong enough presence to produce a championship. You can only keep getting the same undesired result so many times before it makes sense to try something different.

While not knowing the exact circumstances that led to McNabb’s departure, I’d like to be cautiously optimistic that a change might re-energize the team’s current dynamic. Having said that, if I could have chosen I would have much rather seen Reid – along with his blank-stare, unbelievable late-game clock mismanagement and overall lack of enthusiasm for anything not fried-food related – hit the road instead of McNabb.

Not to mention that the Eagles didn’t seem to get the best return-on-investment for one of their most prized commodities. An additional second-round draft pick this year plus a third or fourth-round pick in 2011 isn’t exactly an outstanding ‘get’ for the Birds considering they lost the longtime engineer of their offense, inconsistent though he was at times. Oh yeah, and then there’s that issue of the now uncertain future at the QB position in Philadelphia. Kevin Kolb is next in line. He’s shown promise at times as more of a pure drop-back type of passer and a seemingly acceptable game manager, but nevertheless, kind of a frightening thought. Maybe the team will scoop up a promising young QB in a couple weeks at the 2010 NFL Draft.

One thing I do know – it will be a riveting 2010 season, especially in the NFC East now that McNabb will be wearing a Redskins uni, no matter what happens.

Another thing I think I can predict – even though it won’t be deserved for the guy who’s worked so hard for the Eagles over the past decade, the boo birds will be out in full force when McNabb and Washington visit Philadelphia this coming season.

Why does it feel so natural to root against Duke?

Look, you’ve got me. The 2010 Division I Men’s Basketball Champions are practically pariahs, for chrissakes. All I know is that it’s one of those stereotypical, everybody’s-doing-it kind of activities that still feels right, somehow. Unless you’re a Duke fan or have been since a wee child, there’s not much to hook you in and convince you to get behind the Blue Devils as a team. It’s a little bit like rooting for pizza to beat out all other foods in a popularity contest, or like pulling for the U.S. to be the wealthiest nation. Organically, stuff like this is going to fall into place sooner or later anyway.

Nobody is sitting around crying for Duke with each year that passes without a Blue Devils national men’s hoops championship. Because everyone who knows even a fart’s worth about college basketball is aware that they have the horses to win the title every year anyway.

Oh and I suppose there is also the inherent unlike-ability factor. Both Mike Krzyzewski and his players just always seem to be completely devoid of personality or, you know, pretty much anything that makes them in any way compelling. This doesn’t necessarily tarnish the impressive accomplishments of the organization, I suppose. By the numbers, Duke is still a model of excellence and consistency in the sport, and that’s what matters most. But when it comes to the bipartisan person, you aren’t going to have a whole lot of people getting behind the school that wins all the damn time anyway. Oh yeah, and the school that’s perceived to have one of the largest contingents of elite, rich, upper crust students.

You know what – congrats to them. They played the best. They won the title. But I can’t think of many people I know that were actually hoping Butler didn’t win that championship game. You want to talk about a longshot? A less-than-mid-major-conference school with an enrollment of less than 5,000 total students came within a last-second missed shot of winning the biggest prize in all of college basketball. This, presumably, is what sucks so many of us into March Madness each year – stories like that. Where even the barely casual followers of the sport become riveted at what’s unfolding. But when Duke beats Butler for the whole enchilada, it just seems like one great big tease.

Sure, the whole 2010 tournament was pretty thrilling – one of the best in awhile. But I have no problem admitting that no more than two seconds after the final buzzer sounded, I promptly changed the channel and didn’t turn it back. This is highly uncommon for me, by the way. I relish the moments to see any championship winning team in those first minutes after the final horn has sounded. To witness the sheer euphoria, the uncontrolled, organic human reactions that stem from the actual desired outcome after months, even years, of ass-busting hard work. There’s nothing like it.

But for Duke? Yeah, not so much interested in seeing them rejoice. Did they do anything to me to elicit these feelings about them? No, not really. But more importantly, I suppose it’s that they don’t do anything FOR me either.