It was a sad day for me to get confirmatIon on the death of a man who I will continue to call my brother, Keith Elam, better known as Guru of the legendary Gang Starr.
From 1988-2004, we experienced so much success together that we were able to expand our businesses independently and give each other what Guru called “creative space,” before planning to reunite for our 7th LP when the time was right. Tragically, we will never reach that day.
I’ve been asked to comment on a letter speaking ill of me which was supposedly written by Guru in his dying days. All I will say about it is that our time together was beautiful, we built a hip hop legacy together, and no one can re-write history or take away my love for him. One thing I would never do is play around with the truth about his life.
I will celebrate Guru’s life… I will honor his memory… I will grieve with the Elam family over his untimely death… I will remember the Gang Starr foundation and all of the origInal members of Gang Starr who came before me – we all know each other…. Mostly, I will cherish everything we created together as Gang Starr, forever. I’m gonna miss hearing his signature monotone voice when he walks in the room, but the songs will always bring it back to me….His rhyme flows were insane, and I will never remove him from my heart and soul…….Rest in peace to the man who felt “satisfactIon from the street crowd reaction” … I love you Goo…….DJ Premier
Statement provided by Tre-Media
It is reported today that the father of Hip Hop and Jazz fusion has died due to complications from his battle with cancer. As the vocalist of one of the most respected teams in Hip Hop, Gangstarr, Guru’s voice is also one of the most recognized in the genre. Starting his career off on Wildpitch Records in the later ‘80,s Guru made a name for himself as a top lyricist. In the ’90s, DJ Premier and Guru secured their names as Hip Hop royalty by delivering one solid release after the next. At the same time, Guru began to help to broaden the scope of Hip Hop fan’s listening palates by delivering Jazzmatazz, a blending of Hip Hop and Jazz. He’s continued to deliver quality music for the last twenty plus years. Guru also introduced the world to artists such as Bahamadia, Jeru the Damaja, and Group Home. Guru leaves behind a legacy of quality Hip Hop.
PFM PRESENTS…DJ PLANETARIUM-The Planetarium Funk Metronomes In: A Whole New World Unlike Our Own A HOVEROCK DOMINATION COLLABORATION
For those who know PFM of Hoverock Records, mostly know him as a lyrical monster. He’s able to create and deliver the most complex and awe inspiring lyrics any ears have been blessed to hear. So, when I was given this LP for review, I was curious to see if other talents were to emerge from this enigmatic emcee. Most artists are versatile while others “want” to be versatile. And this is understandable; it allows for artists to be more accessible to the masses but, not many succeed or are as “versatile” as they think they are. That’s not the case with DJ Planetarium and “A_Whole_New_World_Unlike_Our_Own” as it succeeds in every facet of the game.
What this Miami native delivered in this LP is much more than a beat CD, it’s a scenic walk through an instrumental wonderland. Very much in the sense that new surreal surprises wait around every corner, but in that it touches the right nerves to come alive before your mind’s eye. [click to continue…]
Living in America, we tend to take things for granted; for instance, “Freedom of Speech,” among many of our other liberties. We seem to forget that there are people in other countries that lack many of the freedoms afforded to us. Take for instance the Iranian metal outfit Ahoora, who just released their aptly named album “Awkward Diary.” In the Middle East, “Westernized” culture is often banned and at times could land an artist in jail or worse. So, in order to keep hope alive, Ahoora has taken to the internet by posting their art on as many social/musical networks as they can. And so far, it’s working. They’ve garnered a following on a global scale including interviews with many music magazines. They’ve literally fought to get their music to the masses.
I cannot classify Ahoora as a strictly “Metal” band. They would be best described as a “Rock” band with “Metal” influences or simply an alternative band. Here’s the reason why: “Awkward Diary” is an album that dives head first into the depths of experimentation, and it very rarely comes up for air. There are simply too many styles heard throughout the album to ever adequately list them all. [click to continue…]
For years I’ve been asked by artists and aspiring entrepreneurs about an easy way to succeed in the industry. Typically the question is unwittingly disguised as various queries, including: What’s the best way to get noticed? How do we sell more music? How do we get a manager? How do we get a deal? What’s the best way to get coverage? How do we get radio play? What’s the secret to getting more gigs? Et cetera… Many don’t realize this, but in essence, they’re asking, “What’s the easy way to succeed?
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