Hip-Hop/Rap
United States
Gang Starr
About Gang Starr
Hometown
Boston, MA, United States
Formed
1985
Genre
Hip-Hop/Rap
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.
Members of Gang Starr include, or have included, DJ Premier and Guru.
Musical InfluencesGang Starr's musical influences include Roy Ayers, Boogie Down Productions, Eric B. & Rakim and more.
Influenced by Gang StarrGang Starr has influenced the music of JAY-Z, DMX, M.O.P. and more.
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