Albums by Gang Starr
ALBUMOne of the Best Yet (Instrumental)Gang Starr
ALBUMOne of the Best YetGang Starr
ALBUMThe OwnerzGang Starr
ALBUMHard to EarnGang Starr
ALBUMDaily OperationGang Starr
ALBUMStep In the ArenaGang Starr
Gang Starr's Popular Music Videos
Family and Loyalty (feat. J. Cole)
Gang Starr
Family and Loyalty (feat. J. Cole)
Gang Starr
Mass Appeal
Gang Starr
DWYCK (feat. Nice & Smooth)
Gang Starr
Skills
Gang Starr
You Know My Steez
Gang Starr
Bad Name
Gang Starr
Rite Where U Stand (feat. Jadakiss)
Gang Starr
The Militia
Gang Starr, Big Shug & Freddie Foxxx
Full Clip
Gang Starr
Artist Playlists
Gang Starr Essentials
Gang Starr were crucial to several movements in hip-hop.
Gang Starr: Influences
Their classics blend jazz and old-school rap.
Artist Biography
Characterized by rapper Guru’s street-conscious lyrics and producer DJ Premier’s jazzy beats, the venerated East Coast duo Gang Starr were defining figures of hip-hop’s golden age.
• Performing under the name MC Keithy E., Guru formed the original incarnation of Gang Starr with DJ 1 2 B Down. They delivered three singles before breaking up in 1989.
• Guru tapped Houston-born DJ Premier to form the new Gang Starr. The duo released their debut album, No More Mr. Nice Guy, in 1989.
• The albums that followed—1991’s Step In the Arena and 1992’s Daily Operation—are widely regarded as hip-hop classics.
• Gang Starr made their first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Mass Appeal,” off their 1994 album Hard to Earn.
• The duo’s 1998 album Moment of Truth debuted atop Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
• The group split up following the release of their 2003 album The Ownerz.
• Guru died in April 2010 after a battle with cancer. He was 43.
• In 2019, DJ Premier released One of the Best Yet, a compilation of unreleased Gang Starr songs featuring the likes of Q-Tip, Talib Kweli, and J. Cole.
Hometown
Boston, MA, United States
Genre
Hip-Hop/Rap