The Guru

Rapper Guru

Keith Elam, (born July 17, 1966 in Boston, Massachusetts), better known as Guru (and occasionally Baldhead Slick), is an American rapper, and the lyrical half of Gang Starr, together with DJ Premier. With his Jazzmatazz album series, he is also considered to be one of the pioneers of hiphop/jazz crossover. The name Guru is a backronym and stands for "Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal" and the less often used "God is Universal, He is the Ruler Universal".

Background

Being with Gang Starr since 1987, even before DJ Premier joined the group, Guru has built up a sizable following in the early 90s, releasing the classic albums, Step in the Arena (1991) and Daily Operation (1992). Guru's style is based on battle rhymes delivered smoothly, modestly, and with sly wit; he typically avoids using overwhelming charisma, focusing instead on his rhyme skills. His formidable skills on the mic earned him legions of admirers, and he even took on some younger rappers, including Jeru the Damaja, as proteges. He is credited with DJ Premier for executive producing Jeru's debut, The Sun Rises in the East (1994).

In 1993, he released his first solo album, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1. The album featured collaborations with Donald Byrd, N'Dea Davenport, MC Solaar and Roy Ayers, while his second LP, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality, featured Ramsey Lewis, Branford Marsalis and Jamiroquai. Though the Jazzmatazz albums were commonly considered some of the best rap in the early 90s, Guru's reputation suffered slightly with the mixed reviews of Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3: Streetsoul (2000) and Baldhead Slick & Da Click (2001).

However, recent Gang Starr albums have continued to garner Guru critical acclaim. Prominent Boston underground rapper Mr. Lif frequently cites Guru as a major stylistic influence; he appears as a guest with Lif on the Perceptionists' debut album, Black Dialogue (2005).

Besides Gang Starr and his Jazzmatazz and solo albums, Guru has collaborated with countless artists since the early 90s. Not only in hiphop, but also with artists from various genres such as pop, electronica/dance, acid jazz and even brass bands.

His "first proper solo album", in his own words, was Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures (2005), released with the help of producer and new live backup MC Solar (who is not to be confused with MC Solaar from France). The album was a failure with both fans and critics, but it has still managed to sell well for an independent release.

Producing and acting

Not really unusual for a rapper, Guru also feels home behind the mixing board. He has co-produced all Gang Starr tracks since 1989, and produced (or co-produced) much of his solo and Jazzmatazz work.

Guru has also acted in several b-movie productions throughout the 90s and 00s.

Label ownership and current projects

Besides his Jazzmatazz projects, Guru also started a record label called "Ill Kid Records" in the mid 90s. With some help from DJ Premier, several 12" vinyl singles and the album Guru presents Ill Kid Records were released. Most of the material was by artists loosely connected to either Guru, DJ Premier or the Gang Starr Foundation. However, as of 2005 the label seems to be history. Guru founded "7 Grand" with the afromentioned MC/producer Solar, on which his recent solo singles and albums have been released.

Guru's next project is a fourth installment in the Jazzmatazz series, a 2 CD release planned for April 2007. As announced in several interviews and on his blog, it will be entirely produced by himself and Solar, and will feature many artists from the US and UK. In 2007, Guru will also appear on producer Domingo's debut album The Most Underrated and on the Official Joints compilation, a collection of previously unreleased songs by NYC rappers.

Gang Starr's current status and future are unknown.

More on this topic is to be found in the main article for Gang Starr.

Discography

For a full Guru discography, see external links.

Gang Starr albums are listed in the group's here.

Jazzmatazz Albums

Album information
Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 Released: May 18, 1993 Billboard 200 chart position: #94 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #15 Singles: "Trust Me", "Loungin'", "No Time To Play" & "Le Bien, Le Mal"
Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality Released: July 18, 1995 Billboard 200 chart position: #71 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #16 Singles: "Watch What You Say" & "Livin' In This World"
Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3: Streetsoul Released: September 26, 2000 Billboard 200 chart position: #32 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #8 UK chart position: #74 Singles: "Keep Your Worries", "Lift Your Fist", "Certified" & "Supa Love"

Label Compilation (Various Artists)

Album information
Guru Presents Ill Kid Records Released: 1995 Billboard 200 chart position: - R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: - Singles: -

Baldhead Slick Album

Album information
Baldhead Slick & Da Click Released: September 25, 2001 Billboard 200 chart position: #122 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #22 Singles: "Where's Our Money?!/In Here" & "Cry/Pimp Shit"

Solo Album

Album information
Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures Released: May 10, 2005 Billboard 200 chart position: - R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #54 Singles: "Cave In", "Step In The Arena 2" & "Hood Dreamin"

Filmography

• Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories 2005 as 8-Ball
• Kung Faux 2003 as Voice Over/Various
• Urban Massacre 2002 as Cereal Killah
• Grand Theft Auto III 2001 as 8-Ball
• 3 A.M. 2001 as Hook-Off
• Train Ride 2000 as Jay
• The Substitute 2: School's Out 1998 as Little B.
• Who's the Man? 1993 as Martin Lorenzo

External links

• gurugangstarr.com official website
• The Guru's MySpace Account
• guru7grand.com 7 Grand Records website
• Gang Starr Trackology fan site, includes extensive Guru discography
• The Guru IMDB Entry