Albums Gang Starr - One of the Best Yet (Discussion Thread)

[Big Mel]

Broke down and played this. Couldn’t wait for the CD to ship. Bless The Mic is awesome.

 

[Big Mark]

Read an article today. When asked if there will be another Gang Starr album, Preme said, “you never know”. I’ll take that as a yes since he as more vocals left and supposedly already had at least 5-8 before he brought 30 from Solar.

 

[ILLMMORTAL]

RAP MUSIC NEEDZ THAT DESPERATELY

 

[radio rahiem]

Bumping now. solid sound.

 

[Threnody]

Bless the Mic Guru is crazy underrated lyrically I knew he was different when I heard this

 

[BXKingPin82]

This shyt hard as a muthafukka

 

[Mike the Executioner]

Bless the Mic Guru is crazy underrated lyrically I knew he was different when I heard this

The beat sounds like it could have been made yesterday. And yeah, this is one of Guru's best performances. He could fit a lot of words in his bars, but he never sacrificed the flow.

I'm rushing you like a defensive end, as I recommend
That you comprehend, I could stomp you in
A battle, contest, or war, what will occur
Will be the forfeiture of your immature
Insecure for sure, meek, weak visions of grandeur
To rudely awaken you, I then'll be breakin' you
Taxin' without askin', attractin' a snake in you
Makin' you succumb to the drums of Gang Starr

"Bon voyage", "Sayonara", "Arrivederci"
Your ass gets busted, doodoo mustard, you tried to work me
You irked me, because you copy and falsify
And I don't care how many step up, 'cause you all could try
To wish and fish for a style, here's a fishing rod
These rhymes are hittin' hard, constantly I'm gettin' large
Inevitably, I readily kick a slew
Of lyrics so deep, so don't sleep, but just peep me
Puttin' methods on records and spinning for each millisecond
33 RPMs displays the art of men
And as my rhymin' builds you see my time it's chill...
And then I look upon weak ones
I'm teachin' each one so they become redone
Essays are relayed to twist you up like French braids
Or tied up like corn braids, 'cause I got a strong rage
Force like police raids to never be delayed
I once was the least paid but I made the grade
'Cause this ain't a slave sale and I ain't the same stale
Rapper, no, I'm not a phony microphonist with no class or
No type of real appeal or real talent

 

[patscorpio]

This album was...


Wonderful


That last track is so haunting....

 

[Mike the Executioner]

No doubt. Here’s a few others from that Full Clip to Ownerz era that get overlooked

"Battle" is a really underrated song. Guru sounds like that wise old man sitting on the porch drinking and looking at all the new guys pretending they're about the street life like .

Also, "This ain't TV, but I'll show you what a fear factor is" is a really simple line, but the way it's delivered gets me every time.

 

[Big Mark]

"Battle" is a really underrated song. Guru sounds like that wise old man sitting on the porch drinking and looking at all the new guys pretending they're about the street life like .

Also, "This ain't TV, but I'll show you what a fear factor is" is a really simple line, but the way it's delivered gets me every time.

I feel that Gang Starr should’ve put out at least two more albums than they did during their career. I know they were working on other stuff but I just feel like they had more in the tank. My other regret of their career, albeit minor, is that as exceptional and totally dope as a Full Clip was, Battle” was not retroactively added to the album. I know thats a lot to add but it, to me, would’ve finalized what they were trying to do by bringing all of their soundtrack joints to one project.

 

[Big Mark]

More unreleased material from Gang Starr. I hope that that means at least one more album and not just video.

Gang Starr’s DJ Premier on life after Guru and their unreleased material

 

[kdslittlebro]

Diamonds are forever like family and loyalty

 

[Mike the Executioner]

This album still sounds great one year later.

The only song I'm not a big fan of is "Business or Art." It just moves too slow for me. But this was a fantastic way to end one of the most consistent discographies in the history of rap, and pay tribute to one of the best rappers to ever touch a microphone.

 

[CAVEMAN]

This album still sounds great one year later.

The only song I'm not a big fan of is "Business or Art." It just moves too slow for me. But this was a fantastic way to end one of the most consistent discographies in the history of rap, and pay tribute to one of the best rappers to ever touch a microphone.

I feel like they shoulda got Scarface on 'Business Or Art' - I know they sampled his voice on that anyway but he just fits that beat, thats that Face suspenseful vibe. Talib was the wrong choice for that one to me, doesnt really bring anything to it. You know Uncle Face woulda told an intense ass story over that and brought some powerful depth to it.

also think they needed somebody else featured on 'Bless The Mic' - that track is too beautiful to not have a 3rd verse. Been thinking who would have fit on that one, and I think Nas, Rakim or Busta Rhymes woulda floated all over that one. The album really needed a Nas collab to be honest, - it was put out on Nas's own label, which is named after a Gang Starr song, and Nas never got to be on a song with Guru ever. Preem said he even asked him to jump on the album too, but Nas catted off:

“Nas was supposed to get on it, but it wasn’t clashing right at the time. Honestly, Nas was like, ‘I’m just not in writing [mode]; I just have no writing in me right now. And if I’ma do it, I gotta kill it, ’cause I gotta sound as good as Guru. I just have no writing feels right now, so I just don’t wanna half-ass it.’ And I respected that.” -- DJ Premier, Take it Personal Radio podcast ​

That honestly just sounds to me like a lame ass dodge from Nas, like, at least write to a song and try, if it dont come out fire then dont gotta use it, but at least try.




Red & Meth were definitely a dope addition on the 'Bad Names' Remix. I actually edited that track a lil cuz I kinda hate when they yell REEEMMMMMIIIIIXXXX all over a song, I'd rather it just sound like the regular song so I can swap it on the album without it standing out:
03 Bad Name (Ft REDMAN & Method Man) [Prod By DJ Premier] mp3

 

[KingsOfKings]