Well, in light of the recent news of Gang Starr‘s Guru (real name Keith Elam) suffering a major heart attack, I figured it was time to dust off an old house bootleg I’ve had kicking around for a few years now and really never got to play it out enough.
Well, thankfully? It appears as though Guru is doing well, as he issued a brief statement to his fans. So with that being said, this post will be more of an appreciation for the goodness that was Gang Starr. The first track here is that bootleg I spoke of. It was created by house music’s Sona and released on the short lived Hook-Up Tunes. It looks as though this was the next to last release from the label, but they did have a few quality bootlegs. Here’s Sona’s remix of Gang Starr’s “Mass Appeal”.
Next is just another old track off of the same album that “Mass Appeal” appeared on – Hard To Earn. This one is “DWYCK”, which featured Nice ‘N’ Smooth. How’s that for dating yourself. You’re pulling out a one-hit wonder like them? Wow. But this is still a great tune. So enjoy it.
So I was out at a Haiti benefit Sunday night pretty randomly. Fun was had. Don’t believe me? Check out the picture of me looking like a complete ass. George actually submitted it to This Is Photo Bomb, so I assume there’s a bit of teh funnay involved.
Anyhow, there were a slew of DJs involved in this benefit. The next to last one I remember was playing a ton of old school – or as some call it, the Golden Age – hip-hop. So today’s post is going to be filled with happy thoughts of old school stuff.
One of the forgotten groups from back when is Ed O.G. and Da Bulldogs. They’re originally from up my way, in Boston. Roxbury, to be exact. Also the home of someone else later in this post. You’ll have to keep reading to find out who, though. Anyhow, the first album, Life of a Kid in the Ghetto, produced two notable singles: “Bug-A-Boo” and “I Got To Have It”. The latter is what I’m sharing here. A great bootleg remix of this was released by Peaches Music on their Jager Bomb EP.
Another track, albeit a few years older, is by the Marley Marl Allstars. This one features a bunch of old school guys. Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, as well as Big Daddy Kane. Not a bad collection, eh? Well together, they release one of the seminal hits of the late ’80’s in “The Symphony Part 1”. Part 2? Forgettable. So Part 1 is what I bring you.
Next is probably the strangest man in hip-hop history. Well, at least when he was still part of the Ultramagnetic MCs. The man is Kool Keith, and some may recognize him from Dr. Octagon fame. Well, this track, I remember watching the music video and seeing Kool Keith in a straitjacket, and if I remember right? What looked like a bird cage on his head. Just fucking weird. Well, the mix in the video was the East Coast mix. The album version of this track doesn’t come close to this one. So enjoy!
And the last one for today? Is the other Roxbury native I spoke of. His name in the hip-hop world is none other than Guru. While there may be better overall cuts by Gang Starr, this one is one of my personal favorites. Off of the album Daily Operation, this track shows the immense talents of DJ Premier, also. “Take It Personal” is a cut that simply talks of the world of betrayal, and I’m sure more than a few out there can relate to some degree with this song.
