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.
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