R.I.P. Guru

Keith Elam aka Guru: July 17, 1966-April 19, 2010

Mr. Smith will be along shortly with what is sure to be another memorable post, but I wanted to take a minute and pay homage to a rap legend who passed away yesterday.  I have said before that I was once a huge fan of rap, and the duo known as Gang Starr created songs that you won’t hear in the watered-down, bling and nonsense era that currently exists in the hip-hop industry.  Guru (which is an acronym for Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal) and D.J. Premiere formed the group back in 1987, and their unmistakable style was created by combining elements of swing jazz with hip-hop.  They released six albums from 1989 to 2003, their most popular being the 1998 release “Moment of Truth” – which peaked at #6 on the Billboard Top 200, and #1 in the category of R&B/hip-hop albums.  There had recently been talk of a comeback/reunion with possible tour dates in the future, but that ended yesterday when Guru died tragically at the age of 43.

According to the news, Guru was admitted to a New York hospital back in February after suffering a heart attack (update: this has not been confirmed), and slipped into a coma.  He was diagnosed with anoxia, a condition in which the body lacks a significant supply of oxygen, but had also secretly been battling cancer for over a year as well.  Guru’s business partner released a statement saying, “This is a matter that Guru wanted private until he could beat it, but tragically, this did not happen.  The cancer took him.  Now the world has lost a great man and a true genius.”  He also acknowledged the rapper penned a letter from his hospital bed, with the intention that they would be his final words:

“I, Guru, am writing this letter to my fans, friends and loved ones around the world. I have had a long battle with cancer and have succumbed to the disease. I have suffered with this illness for over a year. I have exhausted all medical options. I write this with tears in my eyes, not of sorrow but of joy for what a wonderful life I have enjoyed and how many great people I have had the pleasure of meeting.”

While I am usually not a fan of emotional tributes (See P. Diddy’s “I’ll Be Missing You”), this title track from their 1998 album both illustrates their style, and seems to fit the situation.

(Contains Language)

More classic tracks from Gang Starr on YouTube