Rapper Guru succumbed on April 19, 2010 at the age of 47. Hip Hop has lost a legend. I’m not going to write a typical article about his life or the evolution of his musical career. I’ll leave that to all of the official media outlets. I will talk about how I used to love listening to all of classic Gangstarr joints on Yo MTV raps or tapes I used to steal from my brother as a youngin’ gettin into hip hop. I fell in love with Gurizee’s smooth, monotone voice along with Primo’s head-noddin beats. They were a killer combo. Fast forward to my college years, I can remember wearing the “Moment of Truth” LP out on my portable CD player as I walked around campus.
Guru’s music, especially during his career with Gangstarr, is timeless. Dwyck, Loungin’, Ex Girl to Next Girl, You Know My Steez, Mass Appeal, Just to Get a Rep, Above the Clouds, The Question Remains, Code of the Streets, Words I Manifest. I could go on and on. It’s sad that he and Primo seemed to end on such bad terms. His producer Solar is a questionable dude, but I won’t get into that.
Guru is a hip hop Hall of Famer and his catalog of music should be studied by those who profess to be aspiring emcees. His career was one of longevity and excellence. RIP brother. You will be missed man. I will never stop playing your music.
