Dubspot

DJ OBaH Guru Tribute Mix by Dubspot

Poetry over beats, excuse me…poetry over really dope beats. That’s how I would describe Guru if asked to. In a hip hop sea flooded with emcee’s, there are only a handful of lyricist I believe earn the title of “lyrical poet”. Keith Elam, better known to us all as Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal aka Guru, lost his battle with cancer on April 19th, 2010. He was only 48yrs old. Not too many people where aware that Guru was fighting cancer during the final year of his life. He will surely be missed by hip hop fans worldwide. But I’m not here to dwell on his untimely death, I’d rather celebrate the legacy he has left behind for all of us to enjoy.

I’ve been a fan of Gang Starr from day one – Guru established Gang Starr in 1987. Gang Starr entered my life at a special time for me, when I was really gravitating towards music, really starting to appreciate it for what it was, what it represented, and how it sounded. And the music I came to love at this time was jazz, funk, rock, soul, and most notably hip hop. I say most notably because the other genres were more personal loves, acquired from my DJ father’s epic record collection.

Hip hop was the mainstream juggernaut that me and everyone around me was gettin’ down too. A couple of the album’s I had on heavy rotation at this time where Step in the Arena and Daily Operation by Gang Starr. Pure classics! The chemistry between Guru and DJ Premier is undeniable. Premier’s hard edged, jazz/funk sampled beats coupled with Guru’s smooth vocal tone and poetic rhyme skills is like butter on toast. For me it was the best of both worlds. Hip Hop, jazz, funk with smooth poetic rhyme skills.  Gang Starr released 6 albums all together. Moment of Truth and Hard to Earn are also favorites of mine.

Guru was born in Roxbury, Mass. DJ Premier is from Houston, Texas. Individually they moved to NY, in post college days, and would eventually hook up as members of Gang Starr. They ended up moving to East New York, which I loved because I grew up in E.N.Y. (didn’t live there when they emerged on the scene). Gang Starr featured other lesser-known members beside Guru, and DJ Premier. Jeru da Damaja and Group Home to name a few. While Gang Starr never achieved mega stardom, the legacy and influence of their music can be heard far and wide throughout hip hop. Just look at artists like Madlib, J Dilla, Jay Electronica… man, the influence is heavy.

Aside from Gang Starr, Guru also released Jazzmatazz, volumes one through four. On the Jazzmatazz series, Guru collaborates with a wide range of talented musicians and vocalists. My top picks would be Volume One, and Volume Four. As a pro DJ, I’m more than happy and willing to spin classics like ‘Just To Get A Rep,’ ‘Dwyck,’ ‘Mass Appeal,’ ‘Full Clip,’ ‘Loungin,’ ‘You Know My Steez’… I could go on. Aside from the blatant quality of Gang Starr and Guru’s music, one quality that can’t be overlooked is the fact that their entire catalog is laced with dope music that does not promote violence, materialism, pimp fantasies, or rampant foul language. For a lot of hip hop acts, those features are like air and water, can’t survive without it… or better yet, can’t make quality music without it. So the next time you’re at a party and the DJ throws on a Gang Starr or Guru joint, put that drink in the air, or two fingers, and show Guru the love and respect he showed us through his music. Rest in Peace! In the power of words from a true lyrical poet:

“while some choose greed, I choose to plant seeds, for your mental… spirit and physical temple. Bob your head to it, there’s the water you’ve been lead to it, bathe in it, a long time you’ve been cravin it. Prance to it, use your third eye and glance through it. Your state of being, becoming advanced through it, while others rhyme with no reason I be breezin.”

-Taken from ‘Moment of Truth,’ on the What I’m Here 4 album