Apr 21 2010
Guru - Rest in Peace

Guru Succumbs to Cancer, but Gangstarr [should] Never Die

On Tuesday morning I heard about Guru losing his fight against cancer, put a quick R.I.P. on Twitter and mumbled Gangstarr lyrics throughout the day. Man, we lost another one.

In 1989, Guru and DJ Premier formed Gangstarr and from 1990 to 1998, Guru’s monotone flow and DJ Premier’s hard edge jazz/funk/where’d he get that samples blessed hip-hop fan’s ears with music comparable to none - then or now. As a team, they spoke for the art of music, the intention to contribute a unique, honest expression of the streets to the hip-hop archives. Step in the Arena, Daily Operation, Hard to Earn, the singles, “Words I Manifest” and You Know My Steez. That is Gangstarr as I will forever remember them - and how I will forever remember Guru.

Gangstarr

It’s too bad, in his final days (really, over the last seven years,) Guru didn’t feel that same bond with DJ Premier. Before he passed away, Guru wrote a ‘final letter’ to friends and fans, which basically dismissed everything he and DJ Premier worked on, saying “I do not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name likeness, events tributes etc. connected in anyway to my situation including any use of my name or circumstance for any reason and I have instructed my lawyers to enforce this. I had nothing to do with him in life for over 7 years and want nothing to do with him in death.”

You can read the full letter on the fan run DJ Premier blog “Guru Passed Away After Hard Battle With Cancer, R.I.P.”

I’m not sure what could make a person so upset they’d curse another as they’re headed to the afterlife. Seriously, isn’t that when all long lost connections are mended?

As of this time, there’s no news that DJ Premier has responded to Guru’s statement/letter. I hope he doesn’t, and instead waits until they meet at that lounge just past the pearly gates. Yeah, the one Big and Pac hang out at all the time.

R.I.P. Guru [One of the best, you know the rest]

Tagged: Rappers

☼ What's Your Opinion? ☼

1 SqBiz... Wed, Apr 21, 2010 - 2:37 am

Rest in peace my brother. U are truly one of the greatest and most underrated M.C. but true hiphop heads know ur steeze!

2 farfrmovr Wed, Apr 21, 2010 - 6:26 am

sad that he wasn’t cool w/ Premier but nonetheless R.I.P. Guru

3 noneofurbussiness Thu, Apr 29, 2010 - 9:02 pm

don’t know who guru is but r.i.p anywayz hopeu was cool wit da man up stairz     :(

4 sasago Wed, May 05, 2010 - 3:15 am

Yeah, who cares? Recently, I found an age-gap site called __Agegaplove``.co`m__ and I met my lover here. He is 9 yeard older than me. It’s a nice place- for Younger Women and Older Men, or Older Women and Younger Men, to interact with each other. Age gap is- not problem there. You may check out or tell your friends.

5 crimebridge02139 Wed, May 05, 2010 - 4:00 pm

That letter seems fraudulent, theres been a lot speculation that it was really written by Guru’s current business partner “solar”.  A lot of Guru’s family is not cool with the way Solar has been distributing information about Guru.  And the editor is right, it wouldnt make sense for Guru someone who made so much dope music w/ preem to have that type of hate in him on his deathbed.

6 igotmilk Mon, May 24, 2010 - 12:08 am

yeah, solar is rumored to have been a very shady, negative figure in guru’s life. just my .02, but i don’t think that letter is legit.

r.i.p. guru

7 brooke <3 loves yhu bittsshh Thu, May 27, 2010 - 3:45 pm

aww : (thats horriable.

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