When Guru passed away in 2010, he left behind a legacy as one of hip-hop's most distinctive voices. Rocking a deep monotone flow, Guru came to prominence as part of the group Gang Starr with DJ Premier—but the Boston-born emcee also maintained a solo sideline as a figurehead of the jazz rap movement. 1993's first installment of Jazzmatazz brought the original jazz cats that hip-hop artists had been sampling into the studio with Guru to record fresh tracks. It was a concept he kept faith in for three further volumes, complete with cameos from The Roots and Angie Stone.