IM: WHUSDJ
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Progressive Shed
With the unfortunate passing of Guru, we did another dedication to the man and his music by playing two solid hours of classic Gang Starr. Click on the image to listen.
Early Tuesday we got the news of an unfortunate loss in our community. At 5am while leaving the studio with Blacastan, I get a BBM message from Apathy telling me we lost Guru. We fell silent in disbelief and heartbreak. This honestly hit us harder than losing any other musical influence we've had.
The 90's was the time when myself, and the rest of the Demigodz crew, really started to understand hip-hop in itself and what we've been embracing for years. That is the era that would shape us into the artists we are today. One of the groups at the forefront of our influences was Gang Starr. Not only did they influence us heavily, but it's evident through hip-hop as we hear it today that Guru and Premier influence generations of MC's, DJ's and producers.
With the loss of Guru, it marks an unfortunate end to an era I honestly hold closely to my heart. I remember stealing the cassette for "Step In The Arena" from a friend's older cousin. I essentially did the same thing with "Daily Operation". By the time "Hard To Earn" came out, I either bought it with saved up lunch money, or just stole it from the store. Gang Starr played a huge roll in the soundtrack to my life growing up in the 90's. "Moment Of Truth" was given to me as birthday gift, because it came out around the time of my birthday that year. That album was the soundtrack to my summer of me having my first car, and going into my senior year of high school. Not long after high school is when I joined Demigodz. The first time I DJ'd for Apathy, we used the 12" single for "All 4 Tha Cash" and "Full Clip" came out. Not long after Apathy got signed to Atlantic, "The Ownerz" dropped. With all the excitement of us trying to work on that album, "The Ownerz" made us even more excited to make music. Gang Starr just couldn't lose.
With all of that said, I'm sad to know that I won't have a new Gang Starr album to bring me into the next big stage of my life. All we can do is keep that spirit alive through our music and by playing all of those classics that Guru was on from every Gang Starr related record to Jazzmatazz. Gang Starr should have always been a constant staple in any hip-hop DJ's set no matter what age or era they're from. I feel that if you didn't pay attention to Guru before his untimely passing, why start now? It is people like myself though that will carry the legacy he started, and as a fellow artist from New England, it would be wrong if I didn't. Unlike some generations, I plan on passing the music that's so close to me onto my children. If they don't listen to it, they will at least have the knowledge of who Guru was and what his music means to their father.
Keith "Guru" Elam, you are already missed, rest is power.
-Chum
Boombox playlist from Guru tribute show
Letters posted to OkayPlayer from DJ Premiere and Guru's family