Gang Starr’s “Words I Manifest” was their debut single led by a sample of Dizzy Gillespie’s “A Night In Tunisia.” An earlier lineup of the group had released some singles produced by DJ The 45 King in 1987 and 1988.  No More Mr. Nice Guy was released in 1989 exactly one year after Stetsasonic’s Full Gear and two years before A Tribe Called Quest’s Low End Theory and three years before Digable Planet’s Reachin’ (A New Time And Space) which made them pioneers in jazz rap. DJ Premier’s cuts, scratches and samples of Gillespie, James Brown and Joe Tex was its own band with Guru’s resonant vocals. Gang Starr’s first album did not become a commercial motherlode but they were respected by hip-hop fans, their peers and most of the critics. They were one of the most significant groups of the decade because their pure sonic inventions found a genius way to celebrate past music legacies while forseeing the future. Gang Starr’s catalog No More Mr. Nice Guy was remastered and reissued for a second time in 2022 with the addition of nine bonus tracks. In June of 2023, DJ Premier hinted at new music from Gang Starr on Instagram. One Of The Best Yet was released in 2019, nine years after Guru’s passing. 

Gang Starr’s “Mass Appeal” was inspired by the duo’s disenchantment with the sounds of mainstream radio. The song was an attempt to mock what they perceived to be the politics of the music industry. They surpassed their intentions when “Mass Appeal” entered the Billboard 100. But the biggest achievement of the song went beyond chart placements and reminded hip-hop fans of the special chemistry between DJ Premier’s indelible beats and Guru’s palpable raps. Hard To Earn was their fourth album and was one more reason 1994 was so important to hip-hop. In 2019, the seventh and final Gang Starr album, One of the Best Yet was released with posthumous vocals from Guru who passed in 2010. 

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[youtube id=”-iNpdrhzDxI”]Guru’s son Keith Casim takes center in the Gang Starr video for “Bad Name.” He gets a haircut and the transformation emphasizes how much he looks like his father. DJ Premier calls Spice Adams for his blessing of the song and Adams proves that breakdancing isn’t just for teenagers. Gang Starr’s One Of The Best Yet is one of the year’s biggest surprises. 

DJ Premier shares another song from the new Gang Starr album called “Bad Name.” Guru raps from the beyond about a new breed of rappers who wouldn’t exist had Tupac lived. He also blames the media for encouraging drama and praising rap sensationalists instead of true artists. One Of The Best Yet comes out November 1st and Premier also revealed the tracklisting. Q-Tip, J. Cole and Talib Kweli are just a few of the guest appearances. 

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1. The Sure Shot (Intro)
2. Lights Out (Feat. M.O.P.)
3. Bad Name
4. Hit Man (Feat. Q-Tip)
5. What's Real (Feat. Group Home & Royce Da 5’9″)
6. Keith Casim Elam (Interlude)
7. From A Distance (Feat. Jeru The Damaja)
8. Family And Loyality (Feat. J. Cole)
9. Get Together (Feat. Ne-Yo & Nitty Scott)
10. Nygz/Gs 183rd (Interlude)
11. So Many Rappers
12. Business Or Art (Feat. Talib Kweli)
13. Bring It Back Here
14. One Of The Best Yet (Big Shug Interlude)
15. Take Flight (Militia, Pt. 4) [Feat. Big Shug & Freddie Foxxx]
16. Bless The Mic