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Gang Starr
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- Gangstar redirects here. For the video game, see Gangstar: Crime City.
Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop group that consisted of Guru and DJ Premier. The group was known mainly for their unique style, which combines elements of New York swing jazz and hip hop.
group was founded in 1986 by Guru (then known as Keithy E. The Guru), DJ 1,2 B Down, Mike Dee and various producers, such as Donald D, J.V. Johnson or DJ Mark the 45 King helping out.
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Encyclopedia
- Gangstar redirects here. For the video game, see Gangstar: Crime City.
Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop group that consisted of Guru and DJ Premier. The group was known mainly for their unique style, which combines elements of New York swing jazz and hip hop.
Background
The group was founded in 1986 by Guru (then known as Keithy E. The Guru), DJ 1,2 B Down, Mike Dee and various producers, such as Donald D, J.V. Johnson or DJ Mark the 45 King helping out. In 1987 and 1988, Gang Starr released three 12" vinyl singles on the Wild Pitch label.
In 1989, the group split and the only member willing to continue under the name Gang Starr was Guru. He soon got in touch with DJ Premier (then known as Waxmaster C) who sent him a beat tape which Guru liked. He invited DJ Premier to join Gang Starr and in that same year they released their first single "Words I Manifest" along with the album "No More Mr. Nice Guy" (1989).
During their career Gang Starr helped pioneer the New York hip hop sound. The entirety of Gang Starr's catalog, especially Step in the Arena (1991), Daily Operation (1992) "Hard to Earn" (1994) and Moment of Truth (1998) are well-respected among critics. Their track "Jazz Thing", featured on the soundtrack to Spike Lee's film Mo' Better Blues, helped establish the sound of jazz rap.
Gang Starr Foundation
Both members of Gang Starr have deep roots in the New York hip hop scene, despite hailing from Boston, Massachusetts (Guru) and Houston, Texas (DJ Premier), and have each worked with countless artists.
The Gang Starr Foundation was a loose collective of various people who have worked closely with the group, through either Guru's now defunct Ill Kid label, DJ Premier's production work or the management company that Gang Starr was represented by, Empire Management. The founding member was Vikar.
Current status
It is undetermined if the group actually broke up or not. However,on September 1, 2005, Guru has revealed in an interview with the hip hop online magazine sohh.com that the group doesn't exist anymore, but that it has ended instead of breaking up. This has finally cleared up the rumors that came up first on the European Gang Starr tour in 2003/2004 when DJ Premier suddenly went back to the US and Guru continued touring under the group's name with another DJ. However, in an December 21, 2005 interview with the online magazine allhiphop.com, DJ Premier has denied that Gang Starr is history; he said it's rather a long break than a real break up. In a more recent interview from April 20, 2006, with the online magazine hoodstars.net, Guru has stated he would not work with his previous partners anymore. In a newer interview he stated that Gang Starr has reached the peak and that he is out of the project.
To add even more to the confusion, DJ Premier said in a November 21, 2006 interview with the XXL Online Magazine "If I confirm it, then it’s official. If I don’t confirm it, then we still together." On September 21, 2007, he also told Red Bull Music Academy; "If Guru wants to do it I’m down, it’s really up to him. He’s the one that said we should pause for a minute and if that’s how he feels fine by me. If he calls me tomorrow and says I’m ready to start, I’m ready." On January 17 2009 Premier stated that he has not spoken to Guru since 2003.
Discography
- No More Mr. Nice Guy
- Released: 1989
- Billboard 200 chart position: -
- R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: 83
- U.S. Sales: 53,000
- Singles: "Words I Manifest"/"DJ Premier In Deep Concentration"/"Here's The Proof", "Positivity"/"No More Mr. Nice Guy (Remix)"
- Step in the Arena
- Released: January 15 1991
- Billboard 200 chart position: 121
- R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: 19
- U.S. Sales: 287,000
- Singles: "Just To Get A Rep"/"Who's Gonna Take The Weight?", "Love Sick"/"What You Want This Time?"/"Credit Is Due", "Step In The Arena"/"Check The Technique (Remix)"/"Credit Is Due"
- Daily Operation
- Released: May 5 1992
- Billboard 200 chart position: 65
- R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: 14
- U.S. Sales: 297,000
- Singles: "2 Deep"/"Take It Personal"/"Ex Girl to Next Girl"/"B.Y.S."/"Soliloquy of Chaos"
- Hard to Earn
- Released: March 8 1994
- Billboard 200 chart position: 25
- R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: 2
- U.S. Sales: 389,000
- Singles: "Code of the Streets"/"Speak Ya Clout", "Dwyck", "Mass Appeal", "Suckas Need Bodyguards"/"The ? Remainz"/"Now You're Mine"
- Moment of Truth
- Released: March 31 1998
- Certification: Gold
- Billboard 200 chart position: 6
- R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: 1
- U.S. Sales: 500,000
- Singles: "Royalty", "You Know My Steez"/"So Wassup?", "The Militia"/"You Know My Steez (Three Men And A Lady Remix)"
- Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr
- Released: July 13 1999
- Certification: Gold
- Billboard 200 chart position: 33
- R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: 11
- Singles: "1/2 & 1/2"/"Gangsta Bounce", "Full Clip"/"Dwyck", "All 4 Tha Ca$h"/"The ? Remainz", "Discipline"/"Just To Get A Rep"
- The Ownerz
- Released: June 24 2003
- Billboard 200 chart position: 18
- R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: 5
- UK chart position: 74
- U.S. Sales: 191,000
- Singles: "Skills"/"Natural", "Nice Girl, Wrong Place"/"Rite Where U Stand", "The Ownerz"/"Same Team, No Games"
- Released: December 26, 2006
- Billboard 200 chart position:
- R&B/Hip-Hop chart position:
- Singles:
Use of Gang Starr songs in media
Several of Gang Starr's songs have been featured in video games. The first was "Just To Get A Rep" on Thrasher: Skate and Destroy, followed by "Mass Appeal" on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4, "Moment of Truth" on Dave Mirra's Freestyle BMX 2, "B.Y.S" on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, "Now You're Mine" on Skate, "Code of the Streets" on 25 to Life, "Full Clip" on True Crime:NYC and most recently "Who's Gonna Take The Weight" on Grand Theft Auto: IV.
The song "Work" was featured on season 1 of the HBO original series, Entourage.
The song "Code of the Streets" was featured in the 2007 film Freedom Writers.
The song "Full Clip" is featured between show segments of The Jim Rome Show, a nationally syndicated sports talk show.
A portion of the song "Just to Get a Rep" is featured in an ESPN promotional ad for "ESPN College Gameday".
The song "Jazz Thing" is part of the soundtrack for Mo' Better Blues.
The song "Zonin'" is featured in the graffiti movie Stockholm Subway Stories.
In 1998 the group collaborated with fellow New York rappers M.O.P. on a track called "1/2 & 1/2" for the soundtrack to Blade.
The song "Full Clip" is featured in Josh Kalis' part of the skateboarding vide, the DC Video.
External links
- DJ Premier's label site
- by Jared Pauley, ()
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