Guru (rapper)

Infobox musical artist
Name = Guru

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Background = solo_singer
Origin = Boston, Massachusetts
Born = July 17, 1966
Genre = Hip Hop, Jazz
Occupation = Rapper, Producer
Years_active = 1987–present
Label = Wild Pitch Records (1987–1990)
Virgin Records (1991–2003)
Ill Kid Records (1995-2005)
7 Grand (2003–?)

Guru (born Keith Edward Elam, July 17, 1966), [" [http://www.mtv.ca/news/article.jhtml?id=9827 Afternoon Fix: Celebrity Birthdays] ", MTV, retrieved 23 September 2008] is an American rapper, and the lyrical half of the hip-hop group 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 that stands for "Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal" and the less often used "God is Universal, he is the Ruler Universal". As stated in numerous interviews, he is of Trinidadian descent.

Background

Founded in 1987, Gang Starr built a sizable following in the early 90's, releasing classic albums like, "Step in the Arena" (1991) and "Daily Operation" (1992). Guru's lyrical style is based on battle rhymes delivered smoothly, modestly, and with sly wit; he typically avoids using overwhelming charisma, focusing instead on his rhyming ability. Over the years he has even taken on 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 and Roy Ayers, while his second LP, ', featured Ramsey Lewis, Branford Marsalis and Jamiroquai. The "Jazzmatazz" albums are commonly considered some of the best rap of the early 90s, Guru's reputation was also bolstered through the continued success of ' (2000) and "Baldhead Slick & Da Click" (2001).

Moreover, 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, 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 backup MC Solar (who is not to be confused with MC Solaar from France). The album reached #1 on the college hip-hop charts, but was a failure with both fans and critics. It still managed to sell relatively well for an independent release.

Guru's latest project is the fourth installment in the "Jazzmatazz" series, entirely produced by Solar. It was released in early June 2007 and received good reviews and comments from fans.

Gang Starr's current status and future are unknown.

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

Producing, acting and label ownership

Not really unusual for a rapper, Guru also feels at 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, and has also acted in several movie productions throughout the 90s and 00s.

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, as he founded "7 Grand" with Solar, on which his recent solo singles and albums have been released.

Discography

:"Gang Starr albums are listed in the group's main article."

Jazzmatazz Albums

olo Album

Mixtapes

Guru has appeared on various mixtapes throughout his career, and has released two of those on his own: "The Official Guru Gang Starr Mixtape" (2004, CD, with various freestyles over well-known beats) and "Back To The Future" (2007, CD, in support of Jazzmatazz Vol. 4, with b-sides and remixes).

Filmography

*"" 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"
*"" 1998 as "Little B."
*"Who's the Man?" 1993 as "Martin Lorenzo"

External links

*myspace|guru7grand
* [http://www.guru7grand.net/ guru7grand.net] 7 Grand Records website
* [http://www.gurusjazzmatazz.net/ Official Guru's Jazzmatazz site]
*imdb name|id=0857260|name=Guru
* [http://www.riotsound.com/hip-hop/rap/interviews/Guru/index.php Guru Jazzmatazz interview]
* [http://artofrhyme.com/interviews/artist/Guru-%26-Solar/76/ Guru and Solar Interview with ArtOfRhyme.com]
* [http://www.britishhiphop.co.uk/features/interviews/guru.html Guru Interview with Britishhiphop.co.uk]
* [http://www.gowherehiphop.com/2008/02/20/gowhere-hip-hop-exclusive-interview-guru-and-solar/ Guru and Solar Interview with http://www.gowherehiphop.com 02.20.08]