Guru has passed away yesterday morning (April 19) after a long battle with cancer.
According to Solar, Guru suffered from the malicious illness for over a year and after numerous special treatments under the supervision of medical specialists failed, the legendary MC succumbed to the disease. Guru always tried to keep this harrowing diagnosis in private but in early 2010 he had to admit himself to hospital due to serious effects caused by the disease.
Since the onset of illness, Guru tried to live a “normal” life as an influential and outstanding musician, loving father, family man, and best friend. Doctors encouraged Guru to think positive that the cancer can be arrested and that a full recovery is possible but several special treatments including hard hitting chemotherapies failed.
While in hospital with terminal cancer, Guru wrote a letter, which was provided by Solar, to his fans addressing his illness, his shining music career, his family and loved ones.
“I, Guru, am writing this letter to my fans, friends and loved ones around the world. I have had a long battle with cancer and have succumbed to the disease. I have suffered with this illness for over a year. I have exhausted all medical options. I have a non-profit organization called Each One Counts dedicated to carrying on my charitable work on behalf of abused and disadvantaged children from around the world and also to educate and research a cure for this terrible disease that took my life. I write this with tears in my eyes, not of sorrow but of joy for what a wonderful life I have enjoyed and how many great people I have had the pleasure of meeting,” read the official Guru statement.
“My loyal best friend, partner and brother, Solar, has been at my side through it all and has been made my health proxy by myself on all matters relating to myself. He has been with me by my side on my many hospital stays, operations, doctors visits and stayed with me at my home and cared for me when I could not care for myself. Solar and his family is my family and I love them dearly and I expect my family, friends, and fans to respect that, regardless to anybody’s feelings on the matter. It is my wish that counts. This being said I am survived by the love of my life, my sun KC, who I trust will be looked after by Solar and his family as their own. Any awards or tributes should be accepted, organized approved by Solar on behalf myself and my son until he is of age to except on his own.”
The statement reads on, “I do not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name likeness, events tributes etc. connected in anyway to my situation including any use of my name or circumstance for any reason and I have instructed my lawyers to enforce this. I had nothing to do with him in life for over 7 years and want nothing to do with him in death. Solar has my life story and is well informed on my family situation, as well as the real reason for separating from my ex-DJ. As the sole founder of GangStarr, I am very proud of what GangStarr has meant to the music world and fans. I equally am proud of my Jazzmatazz series and as the father of Hip-Hop/Jazz. I am most proud of my leadership and pioneering efforts on Jazzmatazz 4 for reinvigorating the Hip-Hop/Jazz genre in a time when music quality has reached an all time low. Solar and I have toured in places that I have never been before with GangStarr or Jazzmatatazz and we gained a reputation for being the best on the planet at Hip-Hop/Jazz, as well as the biggest and most influential Hip-Hop/Jazz record with Jazzmatazz 4 of the decade to now. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time. And we as a team were not afraid to push the envelope. To me this is what true artists do! As men of honor we stood tall in the face of small mindedness, greed, and ignorance. As we fought for music and integrity at the cost of not earning millions and for this I will always be happy and proud, and would like to thank the million fans who have seen us perform over the years from all over the world. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time and is my most creative and experimental to date. I hope that our music will receive the attention it deserves as it is some of the best work I have done and represents some of the best years of my life.”
Guru, born Keith Elam, rose to fame in the 80’s as the founder of the legendary rap group GangStarr. The group released the classic single Words I Manifest followed by their critically acclaimed debut album No More Mr. Nice Guy (1989) and the classic album Step In The Arena (1991). Guru was the first artist to truly blend Hip-Hop with Live Jazz beginning in 1993, and seeing the vast influences his Jazzmatazz concept has had on the industry, it is clear that Guru’s musical contributions have been way ahead of their time. Guru has worked with such great artists as Herbie Hancock, Isaac Hayes, Donald Byrd, Ramsey Lewis, Roy Ayers, Chaka Kahn, Branford Marsalis, David Sanborn, Bob James, Erykah Badu, The Roots, Common, Angie Stone, Jamiroquai, Macy Gray and Damien Marley, to name a few. Despite the fact that Guru isn’t hailing from New York, he is noted as a pioneer of the New York sound and true lyrical Hip-Hop. Guru later on joined forces with hit producer Solar and formed his label 7 Grand Records with the goal to keep “real” Hip-Hop alive.
Guru’s longtime partner, Solar, issues an official statement about the lost of the legendary MC which you can read below:
“The world has lost one of the best MCs and Hip-Hop icons of all time — my loyal best friend, partner, and brother, Guru! Guru has been battling cancer for well over a year and has lost his battle! This is a matter that Guru wanted private until he could beat it but tragically this did not happen. The cancer took him. Now the world has lost a great man and a true genius. For the fans that reached out with love and support, I can’t tell you how much that meant to Guru and myself. Guru prepared this letter [read above] while he was in the hospital for the fans. I hope now that Guru has moved on to a better place! Guru is a great Black American Hero and should always be remembered as such and he is much more that just a Hip-Hop icon — he has changed the world for the better. I salute my fallen brother Guru! He will be missed tremendously!” Solar stated.
We will sorely miss Guru, both from a personal and from a professional standpoint. Our warmest condolences to Guru’s family and loved ones at this difficult time.
This letter is way outta hand. Pure scandalous. C’mon, this isn’t Guru who wrote this letter. Still questioning if he really got outta coma in the first place? Why the fuck did nobody stopped that dude??? I’m stuck with mix feelings, sorry. Hard to accept, R.I.P. to the man who marked 90s hip hop. R.I.P. Guru, what’s going to happen? He will be remembered for ever and ever!! DJ Premier, hold your head up for real. My condolences to his family and friends. Out of respect and mourning I’ll stop posting until this saturday (unless DJ Premier talks).
This can’t be real. Can we get another source other than Solar to confirm this? I can’t believe a word he says.
R.I.P. Guru!
Stay strong DJPremier today and in the days/weeks/month comin
goodluck!
Peace and Respect
Tha5elements
The Netherlands
GURU will always be in my heart & headphones
Sad news about Guru
Was Solar his actual partner, partner?
A scathing shot for Primo uncalled for I would say
god bless ya man we’ll never forget. ya’ll live in our soul RIP
RIP Guru!
You still live through your music.
One love.
swc-records – Switzerland
too hard for me to accept his loss…He will remain for me the voice and the personification of what a true rap should sound like. He’s 90’s to me. RIP Guru
That letters crazy..Can’t believe anything Solar says..I’ve worked with that dude for many years and its sad to say some things dont change
R.I.P. Guru…
RIP GURU
Prim stand strong..
Rip.
Still cant believe it, he is a great artist and always will be.
r.i.p guru……..one of the greatest and smartest rappers to ever touch a microphone
Damn, this is insane. My condolences to his fam and friends. r.i.p.
Why would a man be talking like that about his life long friend & business partner on his death bed???
That letter seems VERY suspect to me.
Primo could you please bring some clarity.
Got the great chance to see Gangstarr in Belgium on 2003 and from this day I dreamed to see those 2 legends on the same stage… Cannot believe the way this story started few weeks ago and finished yesterday.
RIP GURU forever in my mind and my earz.
Stay strong PREEM, I know how it’s hard to lost a brother…
R.I.P. Guru. Stay strong Preemo! Big up from Warsaw, Poland.
Why would Guru take shot at Premo in a “final” letter open to the public? It just seems really random and hella sketchy… Geez
Une partie de ma jeunesse qui disparait. Mais sa musique est toujours là. Guru était un Grand Artiste.
Condoléances à la famille et aux proches.
le hip hop a perdu un de ses maitres ! Guru R.I.P.
I don’t believe ONE word of that bullshit letter. Someone find Solar and waterboard that bitch already! R.I.P. Guru True Legend. Wouldn’t be into hip hop if it wasn’t for Gangstarr.
Gang Starr has got to be the sure shot!
i hear guru’s voice every day and i will keep doing that but i don’t believe that this is guru’s own words. But if this is how he really FELT before he died, he must have went mad before he did.
Solar is just one big fucking disgrace. I’d love to see Bumpy Knuckles take care of that faggot
R.I.P Guru
No Never…. Guru would never have written anything that bad about Primo – Never ! No man as spiritual as him would fill negativity to a sad situation, but would have cleared the air between the two..
Solar is without any honor..
ONE
Guru Rest In Perfect peace in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. When I was in the world Gangstarr were amongst my favourite artists. May God Amighty uphold you and your family during your absence. Love to your nephew Justin Nicholas Elam he kept it real as you encouraged him to do so. Premier I will never take anything away from you or your BROTHER Guru. Evil forces are always in the midst of misunderstandings and would feed of our anger to become stronger while we become weaker unknowingly. When we are in such a state our hearts does not hear when God is speaking, especially when a host for demonic forces is so close to us. The Holy Bible says even Satan appears as an angel of light in order to deceive us. Premier, Guru wasn’t mad at you to the end. He was mad with allowing misunderstandings reach such an extent and didn’t have joy in the sickly state he was in because he know God made him an able man. Any able man can become clouded in making a good or correct judgment when he becomes unable. Therefore, gather strength all of you and continue to pray daily. I don’t care what the devils are saying or writing, Guru had so much love for you and you also loved him. It’s fact. It tells and shows in the work you have both achieved. I’m sure he saw your presence one last time with good thoughts before he finally rested because I believe you were always there. You know the truth.
Solar? Or whatever his name is. Could never be you and you wouldn’t want to be him. It’s all about Guru and Premier always. Your work as ‘GANGSTARR’ will live in the hearts of those who knows and knew HIP-HOP always. Please don’t lower your self. You people think that man or Satan is wicked. Trust me you wouldn’t want to contend against your maker in time of the truth unraveling. Judgment and vengeance belong to God Almighty alone. I’ve spoken.
Though it’s a real effed up situation that hiphop loses another one of it’s icons, I can’t help the feeling that Guru’s final letter seems a bit fishy. It has Solar’s stench all over it.
RIP GURU, a true legend & soldier! I hope you’re in a cypher with Biggie & Pac at the moment.
Peace,
Mel
i cant belive guru would diss premo in that way. to many years togeather. i 2 would like to hear that from another source. r.i.p gura.a legend in the world of hip hop. peave to his family
what the *&^%? dissin primo like that… is it true? cant be… everyone knows guru means gangstarr and gangstarr means primo. they were together for like 16/27 years… i dont even know who this solar prick is anyway… best friend brother? Eh? if he was he would fukin keep his mouth shut and show some respect for the dead. If guru really said that shit he must have been deluded… Primo…. set the record straight on this BS….
Primo, Guru Loved U man!!!
We don’t believe one word of that fucking Letter!!!
I know you don’t, too!
We’re with You and Guru’s family!
This Bitch blocked Guru’s own family to see him in hospital, blocked every single information about Guru’s status including to his own Family !!!
Bitch, we don’t believe you, you need more people, but you ain’t got no one you fucking Bitch !!!
How da fuck a grown man gives up all his rights and concedes all to another Man !?!?!? That shit sounds fishy to every one !!!
This Bitch should be smacked in the streets!!!
Another Michael typo case! Guru was put against Primo, and his own Family by this roach bitch Solar !!!
Now he’s gonna “represent” Solar everywhere possible as like the only source or the only person of right! F*** You, Bitch !!!
I hope there are REAL Legal Papers on this shit! All Guru’s shit must go to his next of kind! His Child, not some fucking homosexual jealous bitch !!!
Primo hope you understand my anger towards this bitch !!!
Much Love and Strength to You, and Guru’s Family !!!
Guru would never write some shit like that. RIP.
Rest In Peace Guru.
You Have Touched Billions & Counting
Dear gimantalon, could you please tell us the primary source where Gurus last letter was published/posted first? I can’t find no info neither on Solar’s twitter nor on their (Solar’s/Guru’s) websites, etc..
You state: “[…]Guru wrote a letter, which was provided by Solar, to his fans addressing his illness,[…]”
Please, where (by which means) did Solar provide this letter to Guru’s fans?
Thanks in advance for your answer and thanks for your really informative blog.
bless ~ganjaleena~
I can’t believe it((( It’s so f*ckin’ sad…R.I.P. King
Smart people know who’s real who’s not…. fuck that Solar dude… Ow and by the way, there’s only one “Solaar” and he’s from France.
R.I.P GURU ,Thanx for the joy you gave me listning to your lyrics,
You will neva be forgotton neva!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is one of the saddest news Ive heard in my life.
We one of the greatest mcs in Hip Hop.
First Nujabes and then Guru.
R.I.P. brotha
I don’t believe this shit , there is no way Guru would’ve put shit like that in a public letter. Whats the truth about this Solar Slimebag yo?
That letter is as fake as that dipsh*t Solar. Guru would never ever throw darts at someone like Premo, especially on his deathbed. I don’t know why he calls himself “superproducer” when his beats suck like liposuction!
R.I.P. Guru, you were one of the best of all time and you will still be for a long time.
R.I.P Guru
Premier, you’ve got our support. Stay strong. We love you.
Peace.
May you Rest In Peace Guru and May God Bless Your Soul….
As for the letter…Was this Notarized?? Are there any other witnesses?? I have been a fan of GangStarr for 20 years and as spiritual that Guru seemed to be, the letter is very uncharacteristic of him. I may not have known him personally, but if there was in fact beef between the two, on his deathbed I doubt he would have said these negative comments regarding DJ Premiere! I refuse to believe that he wished to die with any animosity, just wasn’t the way he was. But all things come to the light…in due time….
RIP GURU , you will be missed
oh btw FUCK YOU SOLAR ! Karma is a bitch !
Rip. GURU “GANGSTARR” forever, peace to premo i got about 6 hrs of gangstarr lined up on the ipod windows down amps up im ridding chitown and bumbin it out…
Devastating news!! I feel blessed to have seen Guru perform in Aspen a little over a year ago. It was such a great performance I would never have known he was battling cancer at the time. Thanks Guru for the timeless songs…
Yall some stupid mutha fuckaz up in here. Why would Solar make this shit up?! Guru was sick. Not incoherent. He been stopped fuckin’ with Primo a long time ago. Alotta niggas stopped fuckin’ with Primo a long time ago. Stop tryin’ to blame the messenger. Primo got some funny style shit with him.
Requiescat In Pace Gifted Unlimited – Solar won’t walk away with this
My Heart goes out to my boy Guru. He will be missed. I don’t believe all that is in that letter is true. The only ones who really know what went down is Guru and Primo. I won’t tarnish the group’s name over hearsay. The past is the past. Reflect on the solid impact you guys made to hip hop and not the words that will cause drama at this point of time. We outgrown thae kid shit. Let’s give respect and live life to the fullest
Guru. I can’t believe you’re gone. this whole thing got me choked up. you taught me great things through your music and wise words – most of which I couldn’t have learned if it wasn’t for you. I’m FOREVER GRATEFUL to have heard and learned about Gang Starr. I never got to see your shows but I’m glad you were around reaching people such as myself with your music. Gang Starr changed my life and that’s real talk.
I love you, Guru. Your legacy will forever live on. May you rest in peace.
R.I.P.
Rest in peace GURU…
What is really imoprtant is the legacy of GangStarr and Jazzmataz, and that will live forever!
Sparx aka Solar , don’t ever post here again.
What a big loss , RIP GURU and thanks for the music.
I can’t believe that a spiritual man like him ,facing his death , could ever wrote something like that about you Preem.
It’s insane , shame on those who try to put one brother against an other for some money.
Not a single fan in this world would ever believe this.
GURU will always be remember as the talent MC of the duo that changed the face of real Hip Hop forever and nothing else.
Stay strong Preem , we love you.
R.I.P. Guru.
Oh, and that letter’s a BIG FRAUD. That sh#@’s just NOT RIGHT!
I don’t believe a word of that letter. Even in the final moments of a man’s life to bring in a personal conflict over business seems unreal. No man in such an alleged moment of clarity looking back on his life about to end would suddenly take such a malicious shot at someone so close to him and vital to his career. RIP to Guru. Solaar seems lame beyond belief. Real music fans know what the real Gang Starr was, Guru and Preem. Peace to both and RIP to Guru.
R.I.P Guru
Peace and Love from Holland
Everybody get this nigga on twitter @Solar_7Grand send a BIG FUCK YOU NIGGA !!!
First of all: R.I.P Guru, you’ll be together with other big talents now.
Second: I can’t beleive this text, somethings not right…
One Love!
Primo,
I’m not able to accept that letter for a minute, either. It seems clearly fake, and almost certainly created by this Solar cat, who I am disgusted with. Any true Gangstarr fan can see right through it. We’ll keep knockin the music you made together, that helped raise so many of us. I hope the truth comes out. Stay strong. I can’t even imagine what this must be like for you. Gangstarr is the Foundation! Guru & Primo. period.
First off RIP Guru. Peace and Blessings.
As for that letter I don’t for one second believe Guru wrote it. Solar’s fingerprints are all over those words rife with jealousy animosity and proprietary yip yap in an attempt to have Solar be someone of importance. He shall not prosper.
There is NO WAY one can separate Guru and Premier as musical entities. It’s called Hip Hop HISTORY. It’s in the books and cannot be erased.
Nothing Solar and Guru have done could ever cast a SHADOW on GANGSTARR.
Peace
Rest in power, Guru.
#FUCKSOLAR
hell no i dont believe it these dudes was way too close for a man to diss another man about MONETARY ish on his deathbed this shit is hella suspect this “solar” cat must be a broad because no WAY in hell i will EVER believe GURU and Prem fell out like that i been in this gamee a minute and this is my first time hearing it was like that between them WHO THE HELL is this partner was he his partner/partner I am confused.
Regardless of the status of Premo and Guru relationship existent or non-existent I don’t believe that such a popular positive icon would let this be his last words. And to glorify a “man” such as Solar? ok, maybe Solar was there for him…was he there because he cared or was he there because he knew that Guru would die and he would have opportunity? This letter is not in the style of someone who always cared about his public persona. By reading this you would think Guru didn’t have ANY family. Where is his mother? his father? his siblings(if any), his aunts, his uncles, etc?
Why would a man of this standing not address this WHOLE entire letter to his son? I’m sure his son has a mother so why say “Solar” is to look after my son and my assets? I can’t believe that he would hold that much hatred for the people who loved him that he wouldn’t acknowledge them in death. Everybody has good and bad in their relationships but if there was once love its always there.
This letter is a set up for “Solar” to profit for “The Real Story Of DJ Premiere Beef” “The Real Reason Gangstarr Broke Up” when Solar tries to capitalize off of this I don’t want to be bothered with it and I won’t support it…
If you know anything about coma’s, heart attacks and dying you will know that once someone reaches the stage of dying even 3 months before death they are on a hospice watch and are given large doses of morphine, ativan, etc, all which keep the person in a dream like state….so smdh at this supposed letter…this man was suffering and most cancer patients can barely talk toward the end…
THATS SOME SERIOUS SHIT TO TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE DAM PREMIER WHAT HAPPENED MUSTE BEEN SOME SERIOUS BEEF R.I.P GURU THANKS FOR INTRODUCIN ME TO REAL HIP HOP
All my love to you. Nothing can shadow the death of a pioneer, legend and loving man such as Guru.
We will all miss him and this letter above, all i got to say about it is WHAT LETTER?
Stay Supreme, Stay Strong.
love from Berlin
Death to an icon. Hip hop lost a TRUE legend.
As for the letter, I was once told a quote in regards to relationships and honestly, it is a great comment for this moment.
“There are 3 sides to every story, HIS side, HER side and THE TRUTH”…
In this case, obviously the HIS is Guru, the HER (no offense) will be Premo and The Truth is now something both Guru & Premo will have to live with. Or in Guru’s case, take to the grave. No one will ever know the truth on what happened and if they do, I highly doubt they know the story lick by lick. All they both need to remember is the magic they had on stage, on records & shows. God Bless’em Both…
And as for Solar, I don’t know anything about him so can’t comment.
one of the best nights i had was in dublin for a gig of gangstarrs,where i met up with preemo,guru and big shug after the gig.good people,and what a combination gurus words were with preemos beats.this punk solar will be forgotten soon,whereas the music,the voice,those scratches,those beats,all that good stuff will be remebered.rest in peace man.:)
I’m really speechless… R.I.P. Guru. but FUCK YOU Solar for that letter!
I do not believe Guru wrote this letter. Keep your head up Primo. I’ll be bumpin “Hard to Earn” all day in my hooptie. Rest in peace Guru.
I can’t believe it.. He will be missed
I feel blessed to have experienced those special days. Watching Rap City with Big Lez & Chris Thomas, Yo MTV Raps with Freddy, Lover and DRE jamming Gangstarr, Eric B. & Rakim, etc.
R.I.P Guru
RIP GURU
People so upset at SOLAR!!?? I don’t know him from a hole in the wall but GURU obviously spoke his mind (although some of you dont believe those were his words…COME ON SON!) That’s just the way it is. I love PREMO and GURU and Gangstarr. But if these two men had issues…thats THEIR BUSINESS!! Only thing you can say is that its a damn shame they couldnt squash this before his death. IT IS WHAT IT IS. I dont know what Gurus beef was with PREMO..but I think in the end, (and NO DISRESPECT TO GURU whatsoever!)…PREMO is the bigger man for putting this letter ON HIS OWN WEBSITE. RIP GURU. You will be missed.
Hey..Y’all just enjoy the flow…Like the track “Connection” w/Kem..It’s only right !!!..His business not ours..RESPECT IS DUE !!!
RIP GURU…The body is temporary, the music is forever!Thanks for that Premo ang GURU.
R.I.P Brutha….I dont even know how to feel. Since Gangstarr was done, I havent really thought about Guru because I have always been more into Preem, but while Gangstarr was together Guru was easily one of my top 5 MC’s. I dont wanna even comment on the letter and all the BS surrounding this mans battle with health problems and now in his death. Its a shame. I hope Preem rises above this, and keeps it positive.
I met Guru and Solar at Armon’s (record shop on chesnut st in philly) about 5 years back. Guru was all about Solar and told me his future music is going to be with Solar, cause I had asked about Primo. I’m not surprised about Solar being such an important part of his life. Didn’t know the beef with primo was that serious, hopefully that’s not the case. But I am sad today to hear this, Guru is one of my top 5 mc’s of all time. Going home after work and pumping moment of truth album!
Guru was truly one of the most consistent brothers in the game for a long time. I remember listening to Gang Starr in the dorms and being amazed at how he had a message in every song. I mean every single track, without fail, contained an uplifting message of some sort.
And when you think about it that’s a risky thing to do in the hip-hop game when cats just simply want to party and bob their heads sometimes. But that’s what made them special…because DJ Premier provided the much needed and emphatic bass kicks and snares to make you want to turn the volume up.
Guru will be missed as an MC and an inspiration to just simply “doing it your way.”
RIP brother.
MASS APPEAL is my favorite Gang Starr track…followed by Above The Clouds!!!
wow!!! so was solar his lover or something?? no matter what happened i dont think it should have been aired out like this.. smh….for him to say that he doesnt even want u to pay tribute to him is like a slap in the face…
Premo, I’m so sorry for the loss and the bullshit letter that is above. Solar is a small small small child and NO fan of Gangstarr could or would EVERY believe that bullshit. Solar will get his, its only a matter of time…in Guru’s words
“as they say every dog has its day and like they say God works in mysterious way, so we pray remembering the days of our youth because we all must meet our moment of truth”
At least Guru is at peace now, Above the Cloud….where the sounds are original.
Above the crowds above the clouds
where the sounds are original
infinite skills create miracles
warrior spiritual
Above the clouds raining down
Holdin it down
rip GURU
and that letter can’t be guru’s. i can’t believe he would be that arrogant, and mention his son only once. That solar guy wtf….
and also, if you’ve ever seen a person on his last days dying from cancer, you should know that you don’t have the energy to talk, let alone write a coherent letter…
I’m from BK. I came up in Clinton Hills, where the “Group Home” was located. I came up with GangStarr music since I was a kid. I am going to miss Guru and I am sad that his last projects (without Preem) will be the last music we will hear from him. I will keep his memory as long as I breath.
As for the Solar situation. If you can’t tell Solar wrote that letter, to slander Preem and to assure that all future mention of Guru be connected with the “superproducer”, than you prolly never stole or had something stolen from you. This guy obviously feels threatened by Preems talent and is scared that he will not be remembered as being connected to Guru. He is also obviously concerned for the future of the label he and Guru started, and it’s finacial future without it’s one and only cash cow. It’s sad that he would take it this extent.
Guru you will be missed, and Solar your 360 is coming.
I can’t BEEELEEVEE IT!!! I was expecting him to recover and get back in the studio and give us another Gangstarr album! To me the material with Solar is good and all but will NEVER match the quality of the ball and glove team of Guru and Premiere. When these two dudes got together the end result was nothing short of STELLAR!
Whatever the beef is between them has imbalanced Hip Hop due to the abundance of bullshit that has been released. With a couple of Gangstarr releases, things would have balanced out a little. Don’t worry. From my angle I will help to contribute good music and provide the genre with a treatment/cure to the cancer is spreading throughout the industry. Stay strong Preem!!!
Hey Solar FUCK YOU , Fake Ass Nigga!!!
Rest In Peace GURU, my thoughts go out to his family & friends. As for the world of hip hop we have lost a legendary pioneer who led the way most of the artists past, present and beyond. You will be missed, REST IN PEACE.
RIP Guru, I don’t care about that letter because it’s obvious Solar’s punk ass is still hungry for attention, capitalizing on his name. Someone with Guru’s intelligence would never let bitter hatred like comments about Premo be his last words, so fuck Solar and I said it before and I’ll say it again – R.I.P. Guru, we’ll miss you but your music with Gang Starr will always remain TIMELESS.
la premiere fois que je suis partis a londres en tant que dj c’etait pour acheter
mass appeal il n’y en avait plus sur paris(ltd ,tikaret…)
je l’ai trouver chez mr bongo a londres
merci gangstarr
rest in peace GURU
MERCI PRIMO
Solar is a manipulative and abusive person who exploited GURU until his dying breath! This “letter” is a joke! There is NO way that the custody will be upheld in the courts. So much of that “final statement” is suspect, especially from someone who is suffering from terminal illness.
GANGSTARR is the only thing that GURU has musically done that matters. The only real SUPER PRODUCER that GURU has worked with is DJ PREMIER!! Soalr will get his, I am sure. He can’t hide in Nanuet forever after this! RIP GURU and my sympathy goes out to Preem and the Elam family.
GANGSTARR LIVES
Long Live Guru and the The Original Gang Starr
SOLAR YOU CAN GO FUCK YOURSELF NO ONE BELIEVES AND EVERYONE KNOWS YOUR BITCH ASS WROTE THIS. TOO BAD IT WASN’T YOU THAT CROAKED INSTEAD YOU OULDNT BE MISSED. WHY WOULD GURU ASK YOUR SHITTY FAMILY TO WATCH OVER HIS SON. HE GOT A MOM. AND GURU HAS FAMILY. YOU AINT HIS BROTHER. YOU DIDNT CHILL WITH HIM HALF THE TIME PREMIER DID AND YOU DIDNT HAVE ONE HOT WITH HIM. THE FANS ALWAYS HATED YOU. THE ONLY REASON YOU EVER SOLD SHOWS WAS BECAUSE FANS WANTED TO SEE GURU, REMEMBERING GANGSTARR. NOW I HOPE YOU GOT A BACK UP PLAN CUZ NO ONE IS PAYING FOR YOUR WEAK BEATS YOU SUCK. AND NO ONE IS PAYING FOR ANY GURU SHIT YOU GOT CUZ THAT SUCKS. PREMIER DONT NEED THE3 GANGSTARR NAME DJ PREMIER SAYS ENOUGH. YOUR THE BITCH ASS WITH IT UP ON YOUR FUCKIN TWITTER. YOU AINT GANGSTARR. I WISH BUMPY KNUCKLES WOULD FUCK YOU UP. YOU ARE THE MOST HATED IN HIP HOP AND YOUR BEATS ARE THE WACKEST. YOU WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED FOR KILLING GANGSTARR AND NOW GURU. IF GURU WAS SO SICK FOR THE PAST YEAR WHY THE FUCK DID YOU HAVE HIM TOURING YOU GREDDY MOTHER FUCKER. YOU WILL GO TO HELL FOR THIS YOU ARE A DEVIL SOLAR. GURU DIED LEAVING A GANGSTARR LEGACY. ONE THAT YOU ARE NO PART OF GANGSTARR IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE GURU AND PREMIER.
Rest in peacepeace Guru!
I hardly knew you, but the music had you as a household name.
this is so fucking sad. that letter is terrible, how do you think it makes dj premier feel to read that. shit hurts me and i don’t even know them.
Hip Hop has gray hair and starting to get wrinkles now. The genre has lost a lot of pioneers and great artists on the way to that status. We in this genre are not only dying of gunshot wounds, we are dying of health causes due to extreme lifestyles and etc. We need to take better care of ourselves and watch those who we hang around.
R.I.P. Guru
This leetter seems to be made by Solar, not Guru himself.
I don’t believe, that Guru had wrote this kind of letter without mentioning Preemo. Solar has fucked up Guru’s liefe. I hope he’ll burn in hell.
“Above The Clouds” is spinning in my player all day long.
Big up Preemo.
This letter rides TOO heavily on the balls of Solar..Theres NO WAY Guru wrote this… Solar has GOT to be mental and think that Guru had all crackhead fans that would believe such a thing… Rest lovely Guru..
gangstarr FOR LIFE said it best…….solar will get his
RIP GURU
Rest in Peace GURU… Hey Preemo? we got love for you, dun’… We can discern from what is and what isn’t…Keith would not dirt you like that… The letter looks very suspect. GOD willing, the truth will come swiftly….
My heartbreaks with the loss of Guru, yet in such a time of sadness, reading the words in this letter hurt, they just don’t make sense and do not even sound correct. We were there, we remember the love, one did not exit without the other and you don’t let that go in the end. Gangstarr lives on forever, stay strong Premo..
Rest in peace Guru ! Enjoy your new life above the clouds !
Solar’s a dickhead, everybody knows that, the guy just realized how useless he is without Guru. But the world knows, Preemo and Guru, that’s what Hip Hop was all about.
“above the clouds, above clouds
where the sounds are original
infinite skills create miracles”
RIP Guru
No its not sad to read- Premier knows the mutual love him and Guru had for each other. And death can’t end that. It goes with them. Premier has his memories and he won’t ever forget them. They will meet again one day! Solar’s lies mean nothing to Premier. He is a smart man. I am sure he knows that Guru did not write that letter. If we all know then he certaqinly knows. Guru was sick. he was not himself for the last six years. And Solar fed off the weak. So for that you shall spend eternity in Hell Solar. We will continue to bump Gangstarr and pray that Premier has some unreleased tracks. YOU faggot Solar take your unreleased tracks and wip your ass. You made Guru sound like fuckin a wanna be. Premier made him sound like the #1 MC of all time that he was
anybody who belive dat fukin bullshit, solaar wrote must be paralysed. premo dont talked with gurizy the last 7 years??? hahaa so fukin wrong
REST IN PEACE Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal.
GangStarr was my favourite group when they where together and I spent alot of time listening to theme…THEY WERE THE REALESTS!
But since they broke up, GURU’s reputation being falling apart…
I dont know what happend between PREMIER and GURU, but this letter is too strong (yes it maybe fake)
Something smells real funky with that letter….it’s suppose to be addressed to the fans….not put Solar on a pedistal….to be honest I kinda heard of Solar and really….I don’t think its dat deep…as a matter of fact…..if it was that deep why wasn’t it a trio in Gangstar and not a duo…
But Preem you a good dude for even putting that on your page, shows that you are a REAL dude. I know you hurting too though, Guru was a big part in your life, as much as you were in his. R.I.P. Guru and L.I.P. (Live in Peace) DJ Premier
Much love and respect
Nakia
THIS IS NOT A LETTER THA GURU WOULD WRITE, HIS REAL FANS KNOW !!!! SOLAR IS A FAKE, HE IS TRYING TO SHYT ON DJ PREMIERE ND HE NEEDS TO BE EXPOSED !!!! WHAT A PIECE OF SHYT !!!
RIP GURU ! U WERE A TRUE HIP HOP KING !!!!
RIP. Guru, regardless what the letter says, im stunned. We´ll remember Gang Starr as the great hip-hop du of all times. Hälsningar från sverige, vila i frid, GURU. / Kiljano from Sweden
reguardless of what happened behind the scenes i truly believe it would be out of place to believe guru wrote anything like that with the intent to stop premo from carrying on and remembering the true legacy of what gangstarr was is and always will be. ill be bangin gangstar till im old and gray and i hope everybody does the same. rip guru(above the clouds) premo.. you know whats up homie
“These are the words that I manifest”
I have a hard time believing this was penned by Guru. His vocals coupled with Premo’s production will live on ……..RIP Guru.
Premo knows his place in the Hip Hop game and it is not on the coat tails of established artists!
The harbingers of REAL Hip Hop!
This is pretty ridiculous—no one writes this as their death letter, not even for an arch enemy.
Solar, I hope Bumpy Knucks fucks you up when he catches you. WORST IN HIP HOP = SOLAR.
Bless up and respect to you too Brother Premier..we know the truth. I respect and honor brother Guru, and my condolences, but something is real wack with that letter. Gangstarr forever. Peace.
Known Keith since back in Roxbury Mass back when I use to visit my dad in Boston who was separated from my Mother who I lived with in NY
Met GURU on a local Roxbury bus on my way to Dudley Station on Humbolt Ave. Story goes like this, a bunch Boston hommies were dissing me hard that day on the bus. They were not believing my NY big up stories like that I had a rep as being one of the best Hip Hop dancers in NYC and part of a popular dance group at that time called (J. A. C. ) which became an opening act at the famed UNION SQUARE Hip Hop night club which allowed me to open up for some of the hottest hip hop groups to ever hit the planet. Remember this was all pre-computer/social networking, etc. So as I’m defending myself, to no avail, Keith aka Guru steps up from the back of the bus and shuts everyone up by saying “dude is telling the truth and I’ve personally seen him do his thing in NY”.
I immediately turned to all my friends that were ragging on me and said see mother f—kers!
Check it ,Keith didn’t have to defend me, we didn’t even know each other b4 that day but that’s how GURU was very supportive and would take up for his fellow bred-ran any day of the week. We later became good friends while on the hip hop scene in NYC and just as he was starting to bubble he asked me to guest appear in some of the early GANGSTARR videos which I obliged. If you got to know Keith you would have seen the that he always showed love and respect to any and everyone who would step up to greet him. He hailed from Boston to NYC with a vision which he told me early on “that yo were going to run the rap game just watch Pete”. And he with GANSTARR and JAZZMATAZZ, definitely become one of the leaders and elite talents with in the hIP hOP arena. His hit records are Hall of Fame classics you can’t ignore. “All around talented dude”.
To my main man and good friend you will be missed. Its crazy not knowing you were fighting for your life cus I’ve been trying to get in touch and just after last Christmas I totally reached out to see If you would be willing to get back with Primo and perform at my Bday, it was just a wish,cus I didn’t know what you were dealing with Cancer illness at this time, so sorry I wasn’t there to help you in your time of need….
I will never forget you nor will HipHop….. My condolences
PETER PAUL
“I do not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name likeness, events tributes etc.”
“I had nothing to do with him in life for over 7 years and want nothing to do with him in death.”
“As the sole founder of GangStarr, I am very proud of what GangStarr has meant to the music world and fans. I equally am proud of my Jazzmatazz series and as the father of Hip-Hop/Jazz. I am most proud of my leadership and pioneering efforts on Jazzmatazz 4 for reinvigorating the Hip-Hop/Jazz genre in a time when music quality has reached an all time low. Solar and I have toured in places that I have never been before with GangStarr or Jazzmatatazz and we gained a reputation for being the best on the planet at Hip-Hop/Jazz, as well as the biggest and most influential Hip-Hop/Jazz record with Jazzmatazz 4 of the decade to now. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time. And we as a team were not afraid to push the envelope. To me this is what true artists do! As men of honor we stood tall in the face of small mindedness, greed, and ignorance. As we fought for music and integrity at the cost of not earning millions and for this I will always be happy and proud, and would like to thank the million fans who have seen us perform over the years from all over the world. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time and is my most creative and experimental to date. I hope that our music will receive the attention it deserves as it is some of the best work I have done and represents some of the best years of my life.”
I dont believe Guru wrote this!!!
“Ex-DJ”? You cant even mention him by name after 15 years of close friendship and working together?
“sole founder of GangStarr?” mmhmmm
and how he talks about Jazzmatazz 4 like it was a spectacular album. IT WAS THE WORST IN THE SERIES!!!! The first 3 were the ONLY recognized in the series, dont forget that Solar.
I guess Solar has INTEREST in this particular album selling well, since he produced it he’ll make mad loot if sales start picking up posthumously. But then again, if Solar and Guru were that close Guru probably give all his wealth to Solar in his will anyways.
PS: Suspect how they write “partners”, it’s like they were a couple or something. Why cant they be open about their relation instead of pretending they were just buddies. Obviously something else was going on for Solar to have all that power. They must have been lovers?
Anyway…
Respect goes out to Guru, and a big fuck you to Solar.
RIP
Wow .. First off RIP. Guru was a legend, plain and simple. He bled hip hop. He took hip hop where others were scared to. He will not be forgotten.
To address this letter, if that’s what Guru wanted to say, then let it be. However; I can more than understand all the speculation. To fans when we think of Guru, we think of Premier and vice versa. To supposedly hear that angst from a man we all thought was above that hurts us all and I can’t even imagine how it hurts Premo.
Let me just close like this .. Solar if you had any part of writing this letter, any influence of all in writing this other than listening and letting a dying man speak his remaining thoughts, your actions will haunt you. But if those are in fact Guru’s feelings being addressed, then let it be as there is a dynamic in their relationship that we as fans don’t understand or know about. After all, we are fans.
GURU
A guru (गुरु) is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others
The man lived up to his name…
RIP Keith Elam aka GURU
God Bless!
My brother introduced me to Guru and GangStarr. I’m bumpin’ it all day today!
God Bless, Guru!
Dr. Hoopz
Los Angeles Hoopz
FUCK All The Bullshit! Salute the GOD for the music he created with Premiere & the rest of the Gangstarr! RIP Guru!!
Yo Premo…
I’m not listening to anything about Guru, except from you. Solar is a snake. Gang Starr forever. Great artist’s deserve a great final rest and he is more than deserving of this. Stay strong!
Hmm, I don’t know who Solar is either, but I must agree with many. THIS SOUNDS SUSPECT. This sounds like Solar wrote this him self. I hate to say that about any one, but it just doesn’t sound like a man’s dieing words to his loved ones and fans. It doesn’t sit right with me at all. I’m sorry Solar, but this is extremly unusaul for some one to write…. SUSPECTTTTTTT
rime fantastiche,profonde,gioia dolore e ispirazione…grazie guru
RIP Guru.. No disrespect….. My thoughts and prayers go out to your Son I know he will miss U dearly!!!
Hold your head up Premo! The disagreements between you and Guru are between you two. No one will ever listen to a Gang Starr track and seperate the words from the beats. It’s impossible! RIP Guru, and god speed pioneer. Its a rest well earned…
A poet like Langston Hughes and can’t lose when I cruise
Out on the expressway,
Leavin the Bodega I say “suave”
PREMIER’S got more beats den barns got hay
Clips are inserted into my gun
So I can take the money, neva have ta run
R.I.P. Guru
fuck Solar this guy needs to be expose he sounds shady RIP GURU
RIP Guru
i am so sad… never had that feeling about somebody i have never in person!
you two have influenced my life, have helped me through hard times and made me finally to who i am today! Thank you so much!
What ever has happened… will always remember you two as one of the most talented duo`s of all times!
for me there is no space for hating solar or whoever right now!
Guru, i hope you feel fine wherever you are! Maybe you are chilln` with BIG L above the clouds right now! Will never forget you… and will love and listen to your lyrics all my life! R.I.P.
Unbelievable sad Stille from Germany!
RIP Guru. I don’t really care about this stupid letter. I don’t believe Guru wrote it, but it doesn’t even matter to some extent, because here’s what’s gonna happen: the letter will fade from my memory, and I’ll be left with all that awesome Gangstarr music. Just the way I like it. One of the greatest duos ever.
I am getting so nice to Moment of Truth tonight. Stay up, Primo, and thanks for everything.
WHY SHOULD ANYTHING THAT SOLAR SAID BE BELIEVED…..
THIS IS SO SAD, I JUST PUNCHED INTHE NAME SOLAR ON HERE AND ALL OF THESE STORIES DATED BACK TO EARLY JANUARY. THIS IS “SCARY”. WHY DID ALL OF THIS HAPPEN THIS WAY. IT APPEARS THAT SOLAR BLACK LISTED GURO NEPHEW FROM SEEING HIS UNCLE IN THE HOSPITAL. THERE IS WAY TOO MUCH TALK ABOUT THIS SOLAR CHARACTER HANDLING EVERY ASPECT OF GURO’S LIFE AND NOW DEATH. HE COULDN’T HAVE DIED IN VAIN.. REALLY. CAN’T ANYONE STEP UP AND STOP THIS…
PREME you know how i know Solar wrote this letter?? EVERYBODY LOOK AT SOLAR’S STATEMENT
“The world has lost one of the best MCs and Hip-Hop icons of all-time — my loyal best friend, partner, and brother, Guru,” Solar said in a statement.”
NOW LOOK AT THE FAKE STATEMENT RELEASED BY GURU…THE 1ST LINE OF THE 2ND PARAGRAPH
“My loyal best friend, partner and brother, Solar, has been at my side through it all and has been made my health proxy by myself on all matters relating to myself.”
SOLAR’S DUMBASS USED “My loyal best friend, partner and brother” IN BOTH STATEMENTS!!!
i cant take credit for figuring this out tho…someone else pointed it out to me
smfh @ this nigga SOlar
Rest in Power Guru! I applaud u Premo 4 posting this entire statement @ ur time of grief for your brother. He is u & U R him in our world so who Jah bless no man can curse! Hopefully one day we will get to hear ur side but u choose never 2 address it out of pure respect then we rolling with you on that as well! Peace ,love & light!
R.I.P. Guru
RIP Guru, we’ll miss you.
I think dissin times are over… You two guys have introduced me to the real hip hop and I’m not the only one !! GURU will always be remembered so as you Preemo… I don’t know who this Solar is, and I seriously don’t give a sh… ! Who knows him anyway ? By publishing that letter here, you have proved that you’re a decent man. I respect you even more !! I’m so sad ! I feel like a whole part of my life disappears with Guru.
I’m waiting to see you in Paris, France when you’ll be ready.
Peace.
Adé from Paris
R.I.P. Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal.
FUCK SOLAR-> does anybody know how to get into contact with solar? because I’m finna send his ass hatemail allday everyday!!!
RIP GURU
i cant belive Guru wrote that about premier i cant think of any other thing then last Ganstarr album they must have had some serious beef or maybe its had something to do with Premier Buying D&D Studio now known as Headquarterz
RIP Guru, I loved your music you were a great inspiration to me!! i want to help continue your legacy with your charity for the kids !! love you man !!
JayKapp-
B E A T M O B B
sad sad day for hiphop, RIP guru
“some rappers got flavor and some got skills but if your voice aint dope then u need to chiiil…”
R.I.P. Guru! Thanks for positive influence and impact you’ve had on my life thru music.
Yeah Solar is acting like a little bitch here. I mean you know it is fake when ‘Guru’ writes that he is proud of nothing other than Jazzmattazz 4?!?
Eat a fat one Solar. One love the true Gangstarr Prem and the Guru
As Salaamu Alikum
Somethin don’t sound right
A muslim would never eat the flesh/back bite another muslim
and he was blessed to know judgment was uppon him. Bullshit
Guru: May Allah forgive him of his sins and grant him the paradise for all his work and influence
Salaam
I will say this again: Sparx = solar
How could he dare posting here ?
First things first, Rest In Peace Guru. Thank you for sharing your music to the whole world. It is a great honor to both celebrate your life and death for the massive impact you have done to Hip Hop. Gang Starr will live on as long as music does.
Secondly, it is disheartening that Guru preferred to not have any closure before he died. It contradicts his name, his words, and his works. When you’re dying, you do not think of animosity anymore, you forgive everyone because you want to be forgiven too because this is the end of it. Closure. I am sure Guru has heard of it. I am sure he has felt it. I am sure that Solar didn’t acknowledge it because his emotions are not of a dying man.
Stay strong Preemo. Put yourself in a dying man’s shoes. The power of forgiveness and closure in the presence of death will always be stronger than hate.
I’m sorry he went out like this. You and guru with were the pb&j of hip-hop jazz. You can’t fuck with the original recipe. I hope you can rest easy. All the loyal fans of gang starr back you up. Fuck solar he will never be a god DJ like you.
Word is bond.
read it again:
https://www.djpremierblog.com/2010/04/20/guru-passed-away-after-hard-battle-r-i-p/comment-page-3/#comment-599
that’s all i need as my evidence.
same phrasing…straight sloppy, and phony.
R.I.P. Guru. You will surely be missed and never forgotten.
And mad respect to you Premier for staying decent and human in the midst of all this sadness.
As already written by jscott: “No one will ever listen to a Gang Starr track and seperate the words from the beats.”
Peace out,
:: hakan :: stockholm, sweden
Manifest……was my introduction to Guru. Peace be with you my brother. Ill see you on the other side.
What’s with the exclamation points Solar? What the hell is so god damned exciting and optimistic about this sad, sad occurrence.
Okay, first and foremost; The Gangstarr Foundation will forever be what Shug, Premo and Guru started. Secondly, Gangstarr IS Chris and Keith, Period. No matter who founded it, when we as family and friends look at Guru we immediately think “where is Preme?”. The Jazzamatazz joints and all that was cool. But no matter what when you think of Guru you think of Gangstarr and when you think of Gangstarr you immediately think of Premier’s production PERIOD! Anybody that has benefitted from a Work’s of Mart production will immediately think of Gangstarr because that was the testing ground and later trendsetter for what we know as progressive “REAL” HipHop. GURU was deep with lyrics. He was that intelligent brother that the livest niggas wanted to vibe with because his words would slow a rah rah clown nigga up quick and let him know shit ain’t sweet without totally embarrassing him, and if shit got grimy, he was willing to go there. I don’t know what happend over time, but I do know when Preme and Guru broke up, all hell broke loose in our music. These faggot assed crunk bitch assed rappers and their homo production techniques gave us audio HIV. All of this sissy assed rap with the loud kick, R&B singers with autotune, and a fucking finger snap or one of those bullshit empty claps subbing for a snare is bullshit, and you know it. Now, did I like the Jazzamatazz shit? some… The shit with Solar? Not a fucking second of it. Two CDs with Guru and Solar were given to me by a friend from Paris with some advanced shit….It was tossed into a Metro Rail in Montreal, Quebec. It was all ass-garbage. I was like WTF? Now do I like the Gangstarr and Gangstarr Foundation shit? every fucking track! It’s complimentary. The hard truth and proof is, Premier can produce for everybody, GURU couldn’t rap over production from everybody. Dilla? yes, it would work; Pete Rock? yeah; Beatminerz? yep; Alchemist? yep. Those are just the few that could pull it off and make it enjoyable. But when he was with Premier is when he was most recognizable. Solar, you’re a dick in it, you know it, and the world knows it. GURU was in arguably the best hiphop group of all time, and then he praised your shit without a proven track record, and when the world heard it we still shouted “Guru, where is Premo?”. You are a sucker. Keith gave you a false lifeline; & now that he’s gone, you are going to sink or swim. the only reason half the people came to see you on tour is because they wanted to hear Gangstarr music and a lil’ Jazzamatazz. I believe he knew that shit with you was corny and it may have made him bitter and hate on Premo. Like the production said, for the bullshit you are peddling: Your dayz r numbered. God does not like ugly and right now… You are an Aunt Ester lookin’ nigga. RIP Keith, we love you, and Premo loves you too. – Arin da Silva (Queens, NYC)
R.I.P. Guru… You will be deeply miss – GANGSTARR Lives Forever – No matter what!!
HOW THE FUCK DOES HE HAVE A HEART ATTACK, GO INTO A COMA THEN DIE OF CANCER? I KNOW CANCER COMES IN MANY FORMS AND EFFECTS PEOPLE DIFFERENTLY BUT NONE OF THIS SHIT MAKES SENSE. SHIT IS SURREAL. SOLAR THINKS PEOPLE ARE THAT DUMB. I HOPE PRIMO SAYS MORE THAN JUST CONDOLSENCES ON HIS SHOW THIS WEEK. WHATS THE REAL SHIT? PREMIER NEEDS TO SHED LIGHT ON WHAT REALLY WENT ON THE LAST 6 OR 7 YEARS. ITS A SHAME SOLAR HAS CONTROL OVER ALL OF THIS. DID HE PULL THE PLUG? HE HAD POWER OF ATTORNEY. I THOUGHT GURU WAS IMPROVING. SEE ALL OF THIS SHIT MAKES NO SENSE.
Gangstarr = DJ Premier & Guru, Fuck Solar, Solar you’ll never take away the iconic status of DJ Premier & Guru I don’t give a shit about their beef that was there business, You’ve got no ‘discipline’ using legends to get ‘mass appeal’ u be pissing on niggaz ‘just to get a rep’ Gangstarr soldiers ‘take it personal’ obviously you don’t know the ‘code of the streets’ I hope for your sake you got a ‘full clip’. God bless Keith Guru Elam long live Gang Starr Peace to DJ Premier.
Gangstarr helped shape my youth, and in many ways, it defined my youth. Guru’s lyrical genius combined with Premier’s spiritual beats made for music that transcended hip-hop as a whole and a culture. I’ll always remember those teenage years of my life with reverence, and I’ll ALWAYS hold a place in my heart for Guru and Premier – the best hip-hop group of ALL-TIME! Period. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no debate. I hope that someday Gangstarr gets the tribute they deserve, not just at a ceremony, it is my wish that their music is taught in colleges and discussed within the classroom because anything less would be a dishonor to Guru’s legacy. And to prove my point, here is a verse from Guru that’s I’ll never forget for as long as I live. It’s a testament to the kind of man he was, and what he stood for. He was a spiritual leader, always offering true guidance through his music. So, this one’s for you Guru:
“The wilderness is filled with this,
Plenty of suckers who can’t fish
And too many rapping niggas who ain’t shit!
I follow no man, my road is less traveled,
A bone marrow is felt the sting from the Devil’s arrow.
But even still, I maintain my righteous will,
Until the truth prevails,
Cause too much blood is spilt.
And to my brother’s who’ve perished I shall avenge,
All this worldly wickedness that has brought us to this bitter end.
And if you don’t know by now then don’t speak!
No time to be weak, only for those who seek –
The divine will combine and refine each mind who is willing,
That’s why I commit this rap killing!
Too many step to the mic and don’t be building,
Those null and voids shall be destroyed!
So don’t be sticking out your hand,
You ain’t my fucking boy!
I celebrate after each duck I eliminate,
This rap game they desecrate,
So I’m back to set it straight!
Chumps hallucinate while my game regenerates,
I’m real like Bobby Steel,
So my words penetrate!
Word up, you know my words penetrate!
-Guru (Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal)
R.I.P.
“Call me Guru that’s my man Premier
now many attempts have been made to hold us back?
slander the name and with-hold facts
but I’m the type of brother with much more game
I got a sure aim and if i find you’re to blame
you can bet you’ll be exterminated, taken out, done
it doesn’t matter how many they’ll go as easy as just one…”
Guru rest in peace homie we will never forget you you are a gangstarr for life and now a starr in heaven r.i.p peace
Yo Solar!!!
We don’t buy your French bullshit!!!
The French are pretty gay but damn homie….you take the CAKE!
What a BITCH move!
R.I.P Guru….F****** legend
R.I.P. Guru !!! Gangstarr forever ! A part of my youth died 🙁 This letter confused me .
Keep it up PREMO
greetz from Germany
I agree with Azziz….. I think that in death a man does not even write a letter like that. Honestly most letters in death are written directly to the afflicted’s children. Ususally when a person dies he tries to mend his broken relationships not perpetuate ill feelings even within death. This “letter” is filled with words crafted in the evil mind of Solar. I can’t imagine Guru using his last words to glorify Solar like that. Premo keep ya head up.. True Fans know the real and the truth will always prevail in the end…. Solar can fool some people sometimes but you can’t fool all the people all the time…..PREMO WE GOT YOU!!!!! WE KNOW THE REAL FUCKING DEAL!!!! DON’T NOBODY BELIEVE THAT BULL SHIT!!!!
“Exactly what you put in boy, you will get out of it,The energy released comes back, there is no doubt about it. So when you thrive to connive and contrive foolish deeds this means you’ll bleed from greed” (GURU said it best)
WE GOT YOU PREMO!!! RIP GURU!!!!
Solar, suckas need bodyguards!
primo…chris martins friend here…we all know gurus spiritual essence would have never allowed him to say such things…no matter what beefs yall had, in a time of death, everyone forgives…ur a soldier for taking it and moving on brother..u are what every dj aspires to be…the coolest, humble-est dude….crazy moose saloon holmes…rest in peace gifted…ur music got me through my high school years trying to figure out who i was…dwyck made me realize i was a white boy and just to get a rep scared me from the streets..group home made me get in touch with my gangster and mass appeal made me realize i couldnt rap on beat…get at chris and lets do some steaks at my restaurant homie…
R.I.P
You were such an inpiration for so many.
Let me sum up all these great comments…..
1) RIP GURU
2) word up to DJ Premier!
3) long live GangStarr!
4) who the hell is Solar?
5) To WHOEVER wrote that fake ass letter….eat a dick, nigga.
Simple as that!
R.I.P Guru, Gangstarr a été le groupe le plus innovateur des années 90, injustement reconnu les albums Daily Operation (l’intro est stupéfiante pour l’époque et bien sur Take It Personal
2 Deep) Hard to Hearn(Speak Ya Clout, Code Of The Streets !) et Moment of Truth sont des classiques du real rap east coast, merci pour ces heures d’écoute, R.I.P.
Solar does not equal Solaar. Don’t get it twisted.
First of all. R.I.P. to half of one of the hip hop pioneer groups ever…Gangstarr…Guru. I hope u keepin ur head up Premo! Just know the dark will come to light! and that guy Solar…he got whats coming to him fa real…Gangstarr 4 Life!
Fuck that nigga solar, he obviously wrote most of that letter. In death you tend to forgive and forget the beef and bless your family and friends, this was a lame attempt by solar to make him sound like he is important. Prim keep doin your thing homie, keep releasin that fire and hold your head
Saddened by the loss of a great person who accompanied me through my childhood! He surely didn’t deserve all the drama.
Guru R.I.P. where do we all end up when we don’t know what to do with this sad sad news? on DJ Premier’s Blog – enough said. long live DJ Premier. peace
R.I.P GURU…A TRUE LEGEND..ABOVE THE CLOUDS..
Rest in Peace…why the good always have to die young!
FUCK SOLAR !! R.I.P Guru !!
Damn man….
With Guru, one of my greatest heroes of all time passed away
(whatever this letter would be about, be it really written by him or not)
RIP above the clouds…
RIP GIFTED UNLIMITED RHYMES UNIVERSAL… Gang Starr Forever..
Heaven just got better
R.I.P. Guru, Gang Starr is ended fo real now! :'(
Yo some guy in here said this:
“We don’t buy your French bullshit!!!
The French are pretty gay but damn homie….you take the CAKE!”
This guy is a fuckin’ retard, Solar the gay AIN’T MC SOLAAR the french MC…You gotta be fuckin’ stupid to not know that until now!!!!
R.I.P. Guru, tanx for the tunes.
Peace to you Primo, that letter’s fake, no question.
Blessings from Ireland.
RIP GURU.. Condolences to DJ Premier…
As for the “letter” – I put the word in quotes because I can’t believe a dying man’s last words would be distancing himself from his own musical history. It doesn’t make any sense.
Weird letter; suspect, and hard to believe. I can’t imagine why Guru would wish to disassociate himself from the man whom he spent half of his life creating art, and his legacy with. I tend to think that despite any beefs since Gangstarr split up he’d still have good memories of those experiences, and hold love, good will, and respect in his heart for Premier, based on all that they accomplished together over two decades. The letter has an odd, cold feel to it, and indeed seems less than worthy of such a great writers last words.
Guru and Gangstarr was and is one of my all time favorite Hip Hop groups of all time. GURU’s smooth lyrics with his confidence you can only find in a man like him. the way he rocked the mic with intellectual but hard as nails lyrics was insane. JAZZMATAZ was mind blowing in the 90’s…seemed like all we had then was the WU (thank god) then “Step In To The Arena” dropped and well…you know what we all did..we took two and passed…
RIP GURU my prayers are with you and your family.
sincerely,
Zig
Damn.. I.. R.I.P. Guru!
-G.O.A.T.-
(from) The Netherlands
Guru, may your soul now rest in perfect peace. The worlds will always remember your contribution as an artist and as a caring human being.
Premier, please accept my deepest sympathy for your loss.
As for the childish comments made by people on Solar and others; people need to grow up and act their age. Today is a day to mourn the loss of our brother and friend, not spread hate towards each other. Premier has demonstrated he is a bigger person; you all need to follow his example and not create hate where there is none. Show some love and respect for the man.
who was the dj guru spoke of not using his name?
Seen some comments here dissing MC Solaar. MC Solaar and the producer Solar, who wrote the letter that was posted on this blog, are two completely different people. Don’t hate on innocents! Rest in peace, Keith. Together with Premier you made the world a better place.
I’m talk from Brazil, the Guru make my days in this 18 years old I have… Rest in power, it’s like I had lost a close relative. Guru is eternal R.I.P.
like DEFone said… a part of my youth just died….Guru WAS jazz rap, his voice, his flow….the epitome of the genre. i miss him already i want to cry…RIP
my message to premo: bring back the reel to reel i can’t vibe out as heavy to your beats anymore caus they’ve lost that third dimension. how can you preserve this shit by cutting out the tape? it’s the final sheen on the sculpture and the dopest sounding. please! it’s not hard just print it once and go.
Guru is a legend now. nobody ever sounded even remotely close to him. a true pioneer just like his one and only partner, Dj Premier.
RIP Gang Starr
“Yo Solar!!!
We don’t buy your French bullshit!!!
The French are pretty gay but damn homie….you take the CAKE!
What a BITCH move!”
solaar is not mc solar from france
iditos
MC Solar = Grima Wormtongue
“I want NOTHING to do with him in death”, that’s an extreme and ridiculous statement. He will mostly be remembered by the general public for the Gangstarr records that he made with Premier, and I expect would know this, and be grateful he ever met Premier for the simple fact that without Premier he may never have got on at all, let alone have reached as many people as he did. I bought and listened to all the Gangstarr records as they were released, and this kind of talk does not resonate with me as that of the same guy I heard rocking the mic. I can’t imagine a man as intelligent as him making such a statement.
A new star is now in the sky. Above the clouds where the sounds are original.
DJ Premier and Guru forever.
May solar be judged for what he has done. I hope for him god will do it not men…
Please do no mistake solar the so called “superproducer” and mc solaar one of french greatest mc.
And yes please do not diss nobody on that page. Have some respect for the great GURU.
I find it disturbing that all you guys seem to be SURE that this is a fake. Who are you guys? Were you any close to Guru or to Premier? You are just a bunch of phony fan boys spamming this forum, you have NO CLOU what went down and neither do I. So cut the crap, a legend died, play his songs remember him and let the matter rest.
Peace!
Solaar sound a lil gay in this letter, damn u solaar rip Guru a legend
SOLAR WAS THE CANCER!
Rest in peace GURU! Your lyrics inspired me to be positive when I was a teen in Sweden. Me and my friends were so happy when you and Primo came to hangout with us in the park after your show and we had so many laughs. Your legacy with Gangstarr will be forever banging in my iPod.
Ps! The idea that someone as positive and inspirational as you would write such a bitter letter on your deathbed is preposterous. Denying Primo to pay Guru homage after their achievements together that is truly sick, Solar!
i grew up with the moments of truth LP. literally listened to it on my cd-walkman every day for a whole year.it defined REAL hiphop for me. his art will forever be part of my life-story. everlastig ras-pect from Germany.
R.I.P Guru – you are a Hip Hop Legend and will me missed.
I will always hold a place for you and your music in my heart!
As for the ‘letter’ its BULL SH*T! Solar must have no compassion in that frozen heart of his. To manipulate a dying artists last words. All that he has accomplished is to make himself look foolish and heartless.
Love and respect to Guru and Premiers family and friends, and all Guru’s real fans!
Guru rest in peace.
Your lyrics stood up for more
than the text that somebody obviously forged.
Rest in peace Guru.
This letter sounds so fake. Solar is obviously not fooling the people and fans who have followed Guru’s career, we must say it loud cause, many news site don’t know better and just say report the story without further thought and comments.
Yes, 43 is WAY TOO YOUNG to leave this Earth; especially over B.S. This is truly a sad day for Hip-Hop but an even sadder day for Guru’s family. I believe in every fiber of my being that the letter released to the public is contrived by someone with a devious agenda afoot.
My father died of cancer 4 years ago. While he was alive he was the most miserable and miserly man you would ever want to meet. On his death bed, however; he sought to be at peace with every one he had encountered in life. He also asked for the 23rd Psalm to be read to him before he expired. That is what someone does when they KNOW they are about to pass from this Earth, they do not continue to beef with someone and write it down in a letter [with tears in his eyes? GTFOH!]
Unlike many cats who leave their comments here I have actually worked with Solar in times past so I know how he gets down. Back in the 90’s I worked with Solar on a few cuts – we did about 30 songs or so but none of them ever popped. He had a manipulating & controlling aspect to his nature even back then. I would liken the relationship to a “Diddy – Shyne” scenario, even though I never did any time. I can only imagine what would have happened if any of those songs did actually blow? Would I be in the same position Guru is now in? Food for thought.
R.I.P. GURU – GANGSTARR!
This whole situation don’t make sense was the beef with Preem and Guru that bad? We’ll find out one day. Solaar if you made that ish up, you gonna get yours homie.
Real recognise real and that shit ain’t real!
Rest in peace Guru, repose en paix.
The only reason why this letter doesn’t make any sense is that, if you were to talk about Guru, you had to talk about Gangstarr,and IF you were ever to talk about Gangstarr…you had to talk about the Premo,not just the ”dj”, but the architect, the other half, the one that brought the music,the sound that every hardcore Hiphop cats use to LOVE to the death, man.
So yeah, like pretty much everybody who commented yet, the true fam know what’s the deal and even a nation of million won’t hold us back!
BEWARE!
Shoutout to the man, Keith Elam, you were amongst one of the most influencial emcee’s of the golden era, and after.And I know you will forever be an influence for every cat that will eventually adventures into Hiphop culture.
In fact, in every tributes, events, cd’s,vynil or whatever type of thang that anyone would release about Guru, Premier you have your place and you deserve to be recognise. For the role you played in Keith’s life and for the work, the achievements, and all the time you were together. No beefs can go over this. No beefs can erase what you guys did when you were together, and you deserve more respect than that. You’re not an ex-dj (sigh), you’re a Hiphop pioneer as much as Guru and Gangstarr will forever be respected by the realness.
Wisdom,nowledge,Overstanding.
I feel your pain Premo, even if it cannot be as much as you may feel it. But all the real heads, the Hiphop cultur is with you and we all share the same tears. Don’t stop, I put my fist up for you and Guru.
I’m from Montreal and I think I don’t need to tell you that Gangstarr is well respected up here.
We will never forget.
RIP Guru
Guillaume Routhier-Ouellet
a.k.a. Techknowledgee
Zulu Nation North, Montreal QC
Rest in peace Guru. Bless.
Guillaume said it all. Rest in peace Guru.
SOLAR the producer and MC Solaar the MC from France are not the same. PLS DONT MISFIRE.
R.I.P. Guru
Having the privalige of being Gangstarrs promotor in Sweden, right from the begining in the late 80ts, early 90ts, tru to their last great tour 7 years ago, it was truley heartbreaking, to recive the news of Guru´s death, my condolances to his family, and true friends, and fans, You will be greatly missed and never Forgoten.Thank you for all the memories. RIP
I am also heartbroken and concerned for his “true Brother in Arms” Premier, to be put through such a hard, and emotionell time,as this, in such a dispecable and rotten manner, by a suspect and downright mean letter, released from the hand of Solar, some people have no shame, Guru and Premier shared some of their greatest and proudest moments, of their lives “together” at each others side, and nobody can ever take that away from them, Gangstarr for Ever
The more I analyse this letter, the more obvious it is fake beyond a doubt. It mentions his charity in the first paragraph, then rides Solars dick in the second, and disses Premier in the third, all before he even mentions his family. I’m a pretty intelligent person, and don’t buy this letter for a second. It reads totally unnaturally for a man on his death-bed. Solar has played himself!
haha yall niggas is stupid, why would he manipulate his words? you guys are in denial, Guru just harbored ill will toward premier. get over it
How can you have a Guru tribute without mentioning Gangstarr, or playing a single song that Premier produced?
R.I.P. Guru you were one of the best and will be surely missed. So sad to lose another one of our heros.
What man disses another man he worked with for 15 years on his deathbed. Furthermore, he didn’t even go into depth about his family and only raved about Solar. Its clear Solar manipulated the letter. I bet Guru wasn’t even conscious during his last hours
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
guru and premo always did their own things. Before Gang Starr and while their were together, they made many solo joints and came back together to create another classic gang starr LP…thats a fact right here…dida ya hear the ownerz in 2003?? fukin great homogeneous hip hop…after that they got in to that solo game again…BUT they couldnt make any gang starr album since then, because the time wasnt right…and solaar tried to control guru for his on benefit
rip…
Rest in peace, guru. Blessings from Barcelona!
RIP to Guru.
…but I’m sceptical that statement was prepared by Guru. How many times is Solar mentioned throughout it, in an entirely self-serving manner?
And I know he’s just passed, and thoughts should be with his child and family, but the way he dissed Premier even in passing comes across as a bitch move. If he did write this statement, of course.
Just doesn’t sound like the Guru I know to me.
R.I.P GURU
I grew up through the early 90’s Hip Hop scene. Guru’s voice was so prominent and powerful. He and Premier, Gangstarr, were hands down one of the greatest duos to ever do it. His lyrics were a window into the streets and the culture that drives it. Good or bad Guru spoke on it. He is simply one of the finest emcees to ever bless the mic. I will miss him and the music he created. Regardless of what happened between Guru and Primo at the end, they created classic after classic after classic… You will be missed Guru. R.I.P.
I used to write for the Los Angeles Sentinel and every time I met GURU he was always so warm, welcoming and repectful. Long live GANGSTARR!!!
RIP GURU you will be missed…
This is some stupid drama, so unlike G.U.R.U., garbage, go home and shut up Solar
R.I.P. GURU (MY HERO)….
MAY GOD LAY YOUR SOUL TO REST AND TAKE YOU HOME TO GLORY MY G!
AND HEART AND PRAYERS GOES OUT TO GURU FAMILY & FRIENDS….
JUST REMEBER THAT GOD DON’T MAKE NO MISTAKES… GURU IS GONE BUT NEVA FORGOTTEN SO LETS CELEBRATE LIFE OF A SOLDIER ALWAYS ON THE FRONTLINE… SALUTE!
Rest In Peace Guru! Love from Norway. <3
that letter is a prime example of greed in the music industry that slimey dirtbag fucking piece of shit (SOLAR) made that LETTER UP! SO, HE CAN GET WHAT EVER ESTATE THAT GURU HAD LEFT! (REV BLACK) YOU MUST BE APART OF SOLAR WHACK CREW ! YOUR THE ONLY DUMB ASS TO BELIEVE SOME SHIT LIKE THAT! GET OFF SOLARS DICK BITCH ASS PUNK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT FAGGOT ASS NIGGA SOLAR WILL GET HIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
R.I.P G.U.R.U! Is’s a shame. You are a legend.
I ask why it states “I have been battling this disease for a year” when he is on his death bed in a coma and happens to write an exact time of when he has gone if this was meant to be in case he passes. One thing I want, is to see the letter itself. It’s just odd but who knows…
R.I.P GURU
Your music have given me strenght during tuff times. I will be always greatfull for that. This is ha sad time for the true hip hop.
Sweden will miss you.
GANGSTARR FOREVER — I HATE THOSE MOTHERFUCKIN POSERS! FUCK SOLAR…
RIP GURU
1LOVE PREEMO
RIP to Guru – one of the greatest of all time. Too bad you and Premier couldn’t have solved your beef before you passed away.
Peace and respect for the big mc of gang starr rests in peace.
Your flow and music touched where the heart of music lies.
I express my greatest sympathy, GURU God preserve him forever.
R.I.P GURU.
That begin said this letter seems suspect, I’ve been listening to Gang Starr since day one and Guru was always a very spiritual person, This letter sounds like a person who was not connected to Gangs Starr and what they meant to the hip hop community. Regardless of what beef a person had in the past when it comes to the final hours all beefs go out the window because a person link Guru would want to go on to the next level on a clear conscious.
SUSPECT!!
“I do not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name likeness, events tributes etc. connected in anyway to my situation including any use of my name or circumstance for any reason and I have instructed my lawyers to enforce this”
PREMO AND GURU IS GANGSTARR. …GANGSTARR FOR LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
R.I.P. Guru!
Finland will miss you too!
A good example of taking advantage of power of attorney to the maximum. From what I’ve read in this thread it obvious that the people see this statement as suspect, and most probably totally fraudulent. RIP Guru. Keep your head up Premier. Peace.
P.S. Good luck trying to get another gig in the U.S.A., or period for that matter Solar. You played yourself like a big time toy.
RIP guru,
you will surely be missed, Guru and Premier has had a hand in raising me into the b-boy I am today. Your music will always live in my heart and hip hop will never die as long as we keep reppin’ artists like them.
Influenced me in ways I’ve only realised on reflection with G’s passing. The backdrop and soundtrack to many great moments in my life. I can clearly remember as a teenager feeling a buzz when I “discovered” the Jazzmatazz albums. It leaves a hole.
I can only hope that with the inevitable resurgence of re-releases that the those who profit are the correct beneficiaries i.e. family.
RIP Guru, thanks for the great times. Love to the family. Your music lives on and will continue to touch us…
Guru Rest In Peace…
I`m living with that Gang Starr music since I was a kid. You`ve changed my life, and I want to say THANK YOU!Music is everything and death is nothing, we will always remember. I don`t believe in that “letter”, don`t belive in Solar being a brother… PREMO I know who hard to be hit like that, be strong!
Guru and Gang Starr is still alive in our hearts,peace.
P.S. It`s really hard to say sth else, I`m really shocked…
Antwan,Love and respect from Moscow, Russia.
for me it would be interestd if you (primo) visit him the time he was in hospital( reminds me some eazy-e dr.dre stuff
Music lost another Icon today. My thoughts are with DJ Premier. I have to agree with most people on the letter issue. I just can’t believe Guru would diss Preimo in a letter that was supposedly written on his death bed, I just can’t believe that Guru would call Priemo out for all the world to see on his death bed. Solar seems like a douche fuck that dude.
R.I.P. to Guru one of the best emcees period. Was my dream to meet u know it wont ever come true:((((((((((((( [*]
RIP Guru
repose en paix
Gangstarr forever
J-Zen
Im confused where in this do they diss premiere? what was so mean about the letter? Im a lil confused forgive me!
I have to decipher if a document is fraudulent various times during each day in my line of work. That letter is the most fraudulent piece of trash I’ve ever read. This goon Solar has got to be kidding me. R.I.P. Guru. Gangstarr for life!
wau!!!
“Solar and his family is my family and I love them dearly and I expect my family, friends, and fans to respect that, regardless to anybody’s feelings on the matter.”
Are we really supposed to believe one of the greatest lyricists of all time wrote that sentence? Give me break Solar.
I’m sad the homie is gone on to a better place with hate in his heart for his brother. However, DJ Premier and GURU made history together and they were two of the best to ever do it. If this letter is real, that’s sad. And if it’s the act of a jealous sideline nigga, Thats ef’ed up. RIP GURU, through those of us who love hip hop, you’ll live forever!!!
GURU rap in peace! Your legacy will not be forgotten. Thanks and respect from Sweden for all the music and other work you did.
I’m a hip hop head two years younger than Guru and since I live in Italy I just have “versions” through the web of what went down. To me it smells $$$. It’s evident that Guru, once kicked out by Premier, had to leave and join old friend Solar but, there is no way that on a death bed he may have had such strong words aginst his lifetime partner. Preemo created the soundtrack for Guru and the whole world knows it. All my love goes to Guru’s family and to Dj Premier. Two honest working man whose motivation was the love for the art. We need more artists and less executors. We need truth and no lies. Nothing new.
I don’t really want to get into the whole letter thing.
It is some very sad news about his death. The first thing I did when i found out about it, I put on ‘Just to get a Rep’ really loud. He’ll live for ever in music and thats the way I’m sure he would want to be remembered. R.I.P Gang Starr
man i can’t believe it … first roc raida, now guru. two of my biggest idols passed away in one year … condolences from germany … RIP
I grew up with DJ Premier and Guru , and for me they will always be remembered as the real artists!
The Gangstarr music gave me some of my best hip-hop moments! And Dj Premier made me start as a DJ.
The letter seems humbug, i dont trust Solar!
Norway will miss you for sure! R.I.P Guru 🙁
Rest in Peace Guru. You will never be forgotten.
R.I.P Guru From Dominican Republic
This whole letter thing just smells to me man. I have strong doubts that Guru actually wrote it himself. It seems like this might be an attempt by Solar to define Guru’s legacy. I’ve seen interviews with the two of them a while back, and Solar kept stressing the beef b/t Guru and Premier and how he was Guru’s true partner and blah blah blah. I hope I’m wrong, but it seems really suspicious to me.
In any case, RIP Guru. We lost one of the greats today.
RIP Guru, the letter does sound very very suspect. It mentions Solar like they were lovers (no disrespect). I do not believe that Guru wrote that letter at all.
I go back with G.U.R.U. to college. Many of us have always be proud of him and what he represented. We will not allow these final days to influence our memories.
R.I.P. Guru , Boston will always remember u , your music will live on FOREVER!!!!
http://www.taxexemptworld.com/organizations/nanuet_ny_10954.asp
This site shows the so called non profit “each one Counts inc” which looks like its really ran by Gurus so called sister Denise”Asia”Sandoval. This guy John”Solar”Mosher is even promoting this company in Guru sudden death. why the F!!!K! didnt Guru ever mention this while he was Alive! If he was so involved! This people are leaches and cons> and if they represent the five percent nation. Then all in that set are pieces of S!!t! and should be considered black devils for orchestrating this exploitation of the great Kieth”Guru”Elam.. RIP
RIP guru.. That letter’s some real bullshit though. Shit was not cool dissin premo like that at all. Definitely wasn’t guru’s doing or if it was he was hella influenced by solar on what to say. Solar’s a bitch.
Thank you! Wishing you a Peaceful Journey!
Guru and GangStarr are forever in rotation.
R.I.P Guru, Gangstarr a été le groupe le plus innovateur des années 90, ce groupe n’a jamais eu la reconnaissance mérité, les albums Step In The Arena Daily Operation (l’intro est stupéfiante pour l’époque et bien sur Take It Personal beat ralenti, flow lent tous le monde les a copier par la suite) Hard to Hearn ( Mass Appeal Speak Ya Clout, Code Of The Streets que des classic!) et Moment of Truth sont des albums mythique du real rap east coast, la recherche de la qualité et de l’innovation,le rap a perdu un de ses plus grand B-Boy merci pour ces heures d’écoute: for right now yo my religion is rhyming
perfect timing test the flow and climb in
Ansaar, Sunnite, Sheite, Jihad
all must regard the times are hard
unite or perish
is the message I cherish
that goes for my people of all religions
if we’re all black why have so many divisions
superficial factors are drawing us apart
don’t let it happen
let’s put some respect back in
so before I act I think cuz it’s the brink of destruction
word corruption what’s up son your gun is just one
and I just might have one
or two or maybe even three or four
and plus an army of 100 or more
but violence is never my first choice
I come in peace to release the effect of my voice. R.I.P. G.U.R.U.
RIP GURU I have had the pleasure of meeting both Premo and Guru both of them influenced me tremendously in my career ……. and I spoke directly to Guru in Newark Airport he was on his way to France and he told me himself “and swear this is real talk” he was like fuck premire all he wants to do is work with Pop Artist like christina Aquillira and Im still working the streets hip hop wise and I told him he should talk to premo and work it out because yall dudes legacy should have a positive revrance and he told me to tell premire that …….
Group Home, Jeru, Big Shug and Guru would not exist without Primo.
Jazzmatazz would have never happened without the success Guru had from Gangstarr. And I don’t think Guru’s solo career was anywhere as close as to successful as his work with Primo as Gangstarr. And you can see that theme over and over again with the other acts he worked with that I just named off.
And this is why it is so clear to me why Gangstarr had a beef. It’s not rocket science to me. You need an emcee to make your beat shine but an emcee is a pile of shit without a decent beat. Look at how many dope emcees get looked over because they don’t have dope beats. Canibus. Chino XL. Rass Kass. Juice. Hell, you can be a super shitty emcee and blow up off a dope beat. Look at Soulja Boy. Group Home. Big Shug. Game.
Guru, Group Home and Jeru all had beefs with Primo at some point which is why they all split ways at some point. But without Primo, they had nowhere close to the same kind of success. Primo has said before in interviews that people he worked with did not appreciate what he did for them biting the hand that feeds them. Could be that Primo treated people like that and for good reason. I remember him saying in an interview in Remix magazine that a Producer has to pull the best performance out of the emcee he is working with. And sometimes that means asking them to do a verse over or something. And sometimes that can offend an emcee with an ego but you still have to do it because as a producer it is your job to make sure the song comes out as best as possible. Diddy said the same thing about working with LL once. Were LL got mad because Diddy asked him to redo something to fix it and LL got pissed that Diddy would have the audacity to suggest that LL, a legend, messed something up. I am speculating, but based on the fact that almost all the acts that Primo worked with excluding Shug, basically wanted to walk away from Primo after he put them on. Maybe they didn’t like him having so much control over the creative process or something.
It is all speculation. But one can’t help but speculate because this is huge news in Hip Hop.
It happens over and over again with all these duos. EMPD. Little Brother. Pete Rock and CL Smooth. Kobe and Shaq. No one likes to be under appreciated or seen as second in command. Especially and emcee. Because in every emcee’s head that I know, THEY ARE NUMBER 1. Imagine lacing an emcee with a dope beat and he blows up and then acts like you had nothing to do with it. Well I am sure it works both ways. If a producer blows up and acts like the emcee had nothing to do with it, I am sure that would make the emcee mad too. But with Primo I can see how he could look at it that way (if he did indeed have a ego too.) Look at how many emcees he laced. You can easily place Primo in the top 10 off all time if not top 5 as a producer. Primo had huge success away from Gangstarr. Look at how many people he laced with classics. Nas. Jay-Z. Biggie. Big L. Now Guru didn’t shrivel up and disappear but he didn’t drop anything as close to ass hot as he did with Primo.
When one side feels and acts more important than the other, people start developing animosity towards one another. It is why I avoid working with people.
With all that said, I think it is even a moot point to debate because no matter what Guru says or Primo does, they will be forever locked together in the history of Hip Hop as one of the greatest emcee/producer duo’s to ever have done it.
Rest in peace from Germany!!!!
Your music has made me what I am today…
RIP GURU
we don’t know the facts…but Guru and Preemo we’re the living and winning combo….the drama is just a shame…
i’ll stick to the positive and keep loving the music, not matter what eventually is disclosed… & Preemo will always be holding the Gangstarr fort… in my book
RIP Guru and thank you
why do bad things happen, to good people? Seems that life is just a constant war between good and evil!
These news have brought tears out of my eyes. It has upset met to know that one of my favorite emcees and one of the greatest emcees ever has passed away. I really feel for his family and friends. Guru will always be remembered as a pioneer, a teacher, a father and anything he means to all of us. R.I.P.
HipHop has lost one of it’s most respected pioneers..
HipHop is not what’s is’ used to be…
Who’s gonna take the weight?
R.I.P Keith.
gr. From Eindhoven NL.
A very sad day for Hip Hop. My best wishes to Guru’s family and friends. Countless songs by Guru and Gang Starr have made the journey through life less bland and more exciting.
I’ll be playing my Decade of Gang Starr album on full blast as a tribute to a fantastic MC.
Guru Rest In Peace.
Premo and Guru together were one of the best matches in hip hop history. Whatever the beef should be squashed expecially now after Guru passing away. They both should be proud of what they did together and how they touched people all over the world with their music. I remember back in like 94 when I was listening to Gangstarr and thinking to myself… “Damn this Dj knows exactly where this MC is coming from and he makes beats that are perfect for what this MC is feeling / saying / expressing” I truly believed that then and I still do to this day!!! They are / were both the best at what they did, and especially when they did it together!
RIP Guru
Condolences to his family and the man Primo.
Guru REST IN PEACE!
From this loyal BRAZILIAN fan, Moment of truth is still a song that makes me shed a tear, as I’ve lost someone very special in my life and can relate to a lot of yours songs
you’re a poet, a genius and jazzmatazz is ALWAYS on my headphones
Thanks for your legacy…. see you !
as many others his music inspired mee so much. hard to earn… my first hip hop vinyl. never played anywhere without gangstarr in my crates.
hard to imagine anything as great will ever pass through the speakers in the future
R.I.P GURU… WHAT A SAD SAD DAY!!!! GANGSTARR WAS WHAT MADE ME REALLY GET INTO HIP-HOP MUSIC!!!! YOU WILL BE MISSED
R.I.P Guru…all the worries of the world are left behind now…In all honesty that letter is a lil sketchy. Wasn’t Guru in a coma majority of his time in the hospital? When did he have time to write such a letter? And why would he feel obligated to write a letter like this? It sounds more like his estate…why would his fans want to know what is going on with his estate at all? For some one to keep so many things private up until now, as a fan, I’m definitely questioning this letter. They always say the truth will be revealed in due time.
Rest in peace Keith Elam….aka Guru……..God took one of the best mc’s ever that shined on the planet Earth. I do remember the time Gangstarr & Jeru the Damaja did a show in Amsterdam and the next the Ice Cube & The Gravediggaz did a show. During that show Guru, Big Shug and a couple of other guys did chill the whole night with us…..it was the bomb….when they played NWA…we all went loose……never ever will forget that!! Have a save journey homeboy!!
Guru + Preem Thanks for all the Good Music you made. Rest in Paradise Guru. You will never be forget. Best wishes From Germany
R.I.P Guru.. just need to say the shit that cat solar is kicking is mad shady i seent on youtube having gurus nephew crying in a video desperatly trying to make contact with someone with power to get him in his dying uncles hospital room and this cat solar claimed to be gurus brother and his wife his sister filling up the visitor list so his real family cant get in and fake letters disrespecting preemo saying that guru pressed out his last words that solar should get the awards and credits for all gangstarrs work and dj premier should not be able to even say his name for instance “Big L rest in peace” in beginning of tracks but instead “Guru rest in peace” but no.. haha i would emagine if he said something it would be to his family. ah never mind .. BIG UPS GANGSTARR , Guru R.I.P
gangstarr is for me a part of guru, the tracks i heard from guru
were accually gangstarr tracks when i first started digging him
back in the days.. anyways drama will probably go down on this cat solar, and i sure think he will deserve it. Call in the cavlary
Rest in peace one of the greatest rappers that walked this earth
Guru, Kieth Elam.
Your Music Will Be Spinning On My Turntables 4EVA! R.I.P
Just wanna share my story. First of all I’ve been listening to Gang Starr since I’m 13. I’m 33 now. Like a lot of other people I look at them as “THE” rap group I loved the most and defined a large part of my youth. Guru’s lyrics have gotten me through some tough times in my life. I lost my father at the age of 13 and I found a positive, street smart, bright, monotone voice that would teach me lessons through his experiences and observations. At the age of 23 I traveled down to Miami from my home town of NYC for Urban fashion week. Just looking for a good time on the beach and in the club. You know the deal. My boy Mark and I went to a club, we’re just hanging and in comes Guru. I have never walked up to any celebrity or music star in my life. And I’ve seen my fare share growing up in New York. But this was Guru. I figured if he was anything like what he spoke of it might be ok. I said what’s up, introduced myself, talked briefly about M.O.P. then we took a flick with him and his friend and they walked away. About an hour later…I’m ready to bounce. My boy is gonna stay. So I was like fuck it Imma say goodbye to Guru. Walked up to dude and told him it was great to meet him and that I was taking off. He says: Nice to meet you too Sean, you alright? you good? I said..I’m good man peace. Dude said be safe and peace……Not for one second did he make me feel uncomfortable. Real cool guy. To think of all the folks that he’s met and the people that have come up to him randomly. He was still able to maintain a pleasant vibe. That is no easy task. Respect Bro. Fan of you music and words. And I can say you are nice person. Premier..Peace bro. You guys did it and you live on to keep doing what you do. I send you positive vibes in this hard time. Thank you Guru. These lyrics seem fitting. Peace…
I say people people come on and check it out now
You see the mic in my hand now watch me wreck it now
What is a party if the crew ain’t there?
[what’s your name? ] call me guru that’s my man premier
Now many attempts have been made to hold us back?
Slander the name and with-hold facts
But I’m the type of brother with much more game
I got a sure aim and if I find you’re to blame
You can bet you’ll be exterminated, taken out, done
It doesn’t matter how many they’ll go as easy as just one
Bust one round in the air for this here
’cause this year suckers are going no where
LOLOL here is where Solar fucked up…. I’m wondering if anyone out there in the public realizes and says something.,
“My loyal best friend, partner and brother” — Guru opened his statements with this exact quote…. and then Solar used the EXACT same words in his statement. Just by looking at the wording of both statements, they were 1000% written by the same person. lololol
RIP GURU … Gangstarr forever!!! (Guru and PRIMO)
No words can describe the pain caused by ur demise. Jah knows best tho’, rest in peace Guru!!! U were truly underated.
So Sad. You will not stop to be my hero. Daily Operation is my ultimate classic. So much memories to that album. That was my first time ever visiting a concert, Gangstarr doing Daily Operation, 13 years old. I was so impessed. Later on I met him once when we sneaked backstage to say hi to Guru and Premier, and we stumbled into Guru. And i was struck. So impressive to meet someone you admire and love for so many years. And he was very friendly.
And Premier is forever linked to you. You two was the sort of magic people will remember and enjoy for a very long time.
Premier, that final statement was hard. I wish for you that you can give it a good place.
All the best and strength for your loved ones.
Godspeed
RIP Guru You helped a brotha go from the streets to school and becoming an engineer. I got my peoples from NJ where im from to Cali rockin your music all day! Much Respect and One love you will live on within our beats and hearts!!
No fret, DJP, it’s obvious that this man, Solar thinks he is the universe and he wants to be the only star in the sky in the face of Guru’s last waning moments; Solar thanks himself, repeatedly. Even if you and Guru had beef, which happens on this planet and to Gang Starr fans it pains, at least me, to watch two brothers not working it out… It happens. Everyday. I am not one to even claim to know what went down with you and Guru and it doesn’t matter as it is not my or anyone else’s business, that is between you and Guru.
But, the truth is real and what you and Keith did back in the 80s & 90s is the truth and it’s as real as the cancer that consumed the great man we know as Guru. That’s what matters. I don’t wanna potty mouth this Solar cat, but it just seems ridiculous how he is communicating the issue.
I’m sure that this type of adversity is killing you right now as it is defacing your legacy and your good name, but like I said, we know the truth. Your name and legacy is strong. It’s too bad that Guru couldn’t be by your side. I am sorry for your loss and you are a good man for remaining poised and classy through an unreal situation. Stay up.
Gang Starr will always be the #1 most influential group in my DJ/Producing career. Primo you are the man. Too bad there has to be drama. RIP Guru. Gang Starr will live on forever though!!!!
Wow…I can’t help but feel uneasy about this whole ordeal (especially in relation to that letter)…however, what can I do but accept it as it is.
I remember the night I met him in Montreal (Quebec, Canada). It was one of the best NYs nights I ever had for a number of reasons. Meeting him, and getting to pose with him in a picture, was a bonus! He was so humble and real.
I grew up listening and loving rap (hip hop) music and am grateful that he was so genuinely influential during that time to me and many others. His music will always be classic as will his and the GangStarr name.
I hope his family find some peace AND answers (in whatever way possible) over this and hope many who are affected by his unexpected and unfortunate death learn from it rather than take his legacy, creative contributions to the music world, and inspirational life go in vain.
May he R.I.P. and may the old hip hop (rap) culture return to what it was…I think that would be a great way to pay homage to him and show him and those who walked/walk like him honor.
As per the beef between Premier and Guru, that resulted in their split and related angry and hurtful feelings, I hope P will come to peace with things and remember the good times they had/shared. They matter most.
There is NO WAY that Guru wrote this letter. It doesn’t even sound like the way he talks or writes.
I hope you burn in hell Solar for being the parasite you are. You make Don King and Suge Knight look respectable. Real fans of Guru and Gangstarr will NEVER support anything you try to put out to capitalize on Guru’s death.
RIP Guru… a true emcee legend
Hey folks, please keep in mind that Solar and Solaar are two different people! Unfortunately Solaar is getting hit in the crossfire with all this drama.
Guru reast in peace ! from chile
from chile say you rest in peace
He was one of the best mcs
forces and a lot of support for solar :/
Makes me so sad and to think that 50% of the hiphops answer to the beatles would ever write that to the other half? No way. Guru and Premier made music history.
This is a letter written by some one who needs cash for drugs, not a dying person.
Rest in peace Guru and enourmous respect to Gang Starr, all the way from corny fuckin’ Sweden.
mad love n respect may you rest in peace Guru, i was blessed to see u when u came to sweden n performed. u will always b remembered. big uppp
ps.i just have som thoughts i cant figure out thou first was going on with solar? n for a dying man writing to his fans he seem to mension solar name a little to much i think, somthing fishi going on there. every sntence even begins or ends with ” with solar” hmmm shameful what people will do for fame…….
Rest in Peace Guru, a part of me is gone with you. youll be missed always and forever. thank you for all man and thank you too Primo, stay strong homie.
GangStarr for life.
CREO
Italy
A real lyricist with true depth of life will be missed greatly. Blessings to his mother and father.
I met Keithy-E back in 85′ and knew great things were destined for him because of his charisma on the mic’.
btw, Guru would have been “48” years old on July 18.
*side-eye*
from RollingStones.com
(Oct. 2006 by Steve Batlin)
read:
“…Guru sees himself as an educator of sorts, a role he takes very seriously. His teaching took a personal turn this year with the birth of his first son. Keith Casim Elam was born July 30, shortly after Guru cut the track “Guidance” with the help of sax player Donald Harrison and vocalist Amel Larrieux. Guru said of “Guidance” before his son was born: “It’s dedicated to my unborn son. I’m telling him what to look out for in the song.”
Guru’s honesty in the song is particularly moving when he confronts aging, an issue rarely dealt with in the genre. Against the backdrop of a soft, jazzy hook, Guru says, “My life has changed now, plus I got a shorty now/Mad responsibilities, it’s like I’m almost forty now/All the young girls wanna swing/My wife, she says she wants a ring/I wonder what the next days are gonna bring.”
^^^^ CORRECTION
(October 2000)
Let’s be real here. Without Preems innovative sound, we would have never know who GURU was. If he indeed wrote this letter, he needs to rememebr who helped him climb that huge ass ladder to become a legend. Real talk.
RIP to the legend.
Guru & Gangstarr kept me company many missions, sessions, train rides, times alone.
There with headphones on or parked in my car listening to the monotone voice, over hypnotic Primo beats… I was there.
That said, I refuse to believe that this letter is penned by the hand of Guru. I never knew him personally, but I cant see any logical reason going to that length to convince the public that there should be no affiliation with the team that are icons.
Not just that, why spend all of your last words with all of that effort?
It makes no sense, so I will not speculate.
I will hope that for the sake of those that cannot speak that their wishes be done no matter if it is hard to swallow.
Let the truth be known and Guru’s son know the truth.
RIP.
Your now ‘above the clouds’.
Thanks Premier for all the great music you made with this man.
And God Bless Solar’s soul if he wrote that letter in the place of GURU.
Primo this shit is breaking my heart dude. Guru is by far the most under rated mc ever, both of you are icons and the source of much inspiration in my love of hip hop and countless others. I refuse to believe Guru or anyone on their death bed would ever release a statement this malicious. Like I said t’s breaking my heart and I refuse to believe it’s true, stick to the high road homie.
R.I.P. GURU – LEGEND, ICON, AND A TRUE MASTER OF CEREMONIES!!!
YOU WILL BE SORELY MISSED AND NEVER FORGOTTEN
i dont believe the letter at all.i truly believe that even if he said some of it majority of it was written by solar.if you read it it specifically continues to emphasize solars name and then he would allow guru family to even speak or see guru…thats solars words in that letter…and whats sad is that his greed and wickedness wouldnt even allow the man to goto his grave in peace…no matter what drama guru and dj premiere went through the world will always remember gangstaar guru and dj premiere.who is solar??? homie you gon burn in hell for what you did and i believe he probably pulled the plug on guru to reep guru ryalties and benefits…sound like a suge knight did to tupac move…
First off, RIP GURU! Thank you for the magic that you left with us in the form of music thru most significantly Gangstarr. You and Preemo benchmarked hip-hop, period. If that letter “is” authentic, it is clear that you were indeed suffering from more than just cancer and I pray that now you have found peace.
As a day one, every album owner, that letter is somewhat a smite to all Gangstarr fans. The recognition/success of Guru and the relationship 90% of your fans had, developed through Gangstarr. I say this because you clearly distanced yourself conclusively from DJ Premiere and the Gangstarr catalog, simply by not referencing it or the fans that supported that whole movement.
It’s clear my brother that you took alot of baggage to the grave, and that’s real sad.
To DJ Premiere, I salute you. Stay strong brother, we’ll never know or need to know what happened, but no man deserves to be put out like that by a long time friend on his deathbed. That’s not “keepin it real”.
Without Preemo there would be no Ganstarr and I want to thank you both for the music. I know you’re gonna keep holding it down lacing MCs into the next decades. Your talent knows no bounds, C. Aguilera comes to mind, classic. I really hope you haven’t sworn off diversity due hating critics. Hip-hop is the new world music.
Again RIP Guru, prayers to his family. With Gangstarr you benchmarked hip-hop and your work with Jazz music is still ’til this day ahead of it’s time.
As a French musician who was making hip hop in the 90s with up and coming rappers in Marseille, and will always get goose bumps when listening to Guru and DJ PREMIER’s magic:
I am DISGUSTED when I read this OBVIOUSLY FAKED letter. I am certain Guru would NOT have said such things, especially on his death bed. That is insane, and something MUST BE DONE. Solar gets NONE of the rights. WHY would he? WHO agrees with these terms?
Le reve ne meurt pas. Merci pour ton inspiration qui touche le monde entier. (The dream does not die. Thank you for your inspiration which touches the whole world).
-mano
@ doasuwish
The each one counts stuff was mentioned by Solar, in a video on youtube where they were being interviewed together back in 2008….he talked about working with kids and giving back and said that is some of what he was doing when he first met Guru….thats strike one on this letter
Next this letter is as fraudulent as the health proxy that was fraudulently signed by solar and his wife posing as Guru’s brother and sister….
Finally this letter reeks of someone trying to make anyone reading this letter believe all of their criminal actions that they have committed.
When a person is on their death bed, in the manner that they have said Guru was, there is no way possible that he had the strength to write anything. This letter is too lengthy, this letter does not flow in the tone of a person that is on their death bed, and it praises one person throughout it…
One thing I do know about writing, the more you write and the longer you write, you tend to make the story within your letter all about you, while discrediting others.
And this is the video link were Solar talks about meeting Guru and what he was doing when he met him (working with homeless children)
Guru never said anything about working with children, that is Solar who wrote that letter, those are his words in that letter, he got lost in that letter and starting conveying his own thoughts in that letter….
He even goes as far as to talk repetitively about Guru and his situation with the other group…..pffft….someone lock these criminals up….before something happens to Guru’s only child
Im absolutely crushed to hear this news – Guru, you were a pioneer, a music genius, your jazzamatazz was one of my first albums ever brought at age 12. Im so glad I got to see you when you came to Melbourne, Australia – You were loved & will be missed. Love your biggest Aussie fan – Athina. RIP Guru x x x
Tragic – I have great memories with Guru’s music. It’s hard to believe this letter is true, it does not makes sense to me. But who am I to judge that.
Respect – from Norway
Guru was a poet; plain and simple. I used to just smoke out and get deep with him. I’m from a small town in Kansas and it was his words, and many other MCs, that expanded my horizons, bringing forth introspection which led to my ultimate questioning of our society and its atrocities. Of course the beats from Premier increased the effectiveness of his words, but it’s still the words that mattered to me the most.
I don’t care about the beef between Guru and Preemo and I assume that Preemo doesn’t either right now. I’m sure he’s just as hurt, but then again, I don’t know him and I don’t care to. It’s never been about their celebrity status. It was the fact that their fans expanded their thoughts and for guys like me it led to further reading on subjects of gentrification, racism, imperialism, capitalism, socialism, etc. Hip-Hop, and Guru as my favorite, were the catalysts to this.
Further his causes. Forget about the beef. Got to be the Illest … if you haven’t read “A People’s History of the United States,” go do so and expand your mind. Get inspired by the wrongs of this world that so inspired Guru and Premier, and fans like myself.
“Now that we’re gettin somewhere you know we got to give back for the youth is the future, no doubt that’s right and exact; Squeeze the juice out, of all the suckers with power, and poor some back out, so as to water the flowers; this world is ours; that’s why the demons are leery; it’s our inheritance; this is my Robin Hood Theory.”
One love, One Heart, One Blood
“Up in the sky? Up in the sky!… I self lord and master”
RIP Guru.
I am really confused. This talk this and talk that about “ex-DJ”. Did ever Guru in person write this? Can someone clear it out for me, Resto em Paz Vila i Fred Rest in Peace
R.I.P Guru.
You and Premier made some of the best tracks hip-hop has ever heard.
Still loving your work RIGHT WHERE I STAND…
Eureka
Gaborone, Botswana
*** The letter sounds fishy though ***
Primo keep your head up there is always someone trying to pull a scam when there is a dollar to be made. We remember Guru from Gangstarr and thank you both for some of the best music to ever grace the earth, that aint got a thing to do with solar. I do really doubt the authenticity of any of that letter bs, I find it hard to believe that Guru would spend his final words waisted using solars name 7 times and only his own sons once.. Gangstarr lives on through Primo simple as that.. solar I wouldnt be suprised if you where writing your own post even on here claiming to be someone else dissing Primo just to get rep. That letter should have went out from family or a lawyer and been about the music and us but it came to us scandously, and sounded all wrong. Keep the records spinning Primo. We know the truth
RIP Guru
Condolences to his family and dj premier the n°1!!
chief
*Feelin’Music-Traffic Ent.*
R.I.P. GURU.
we lost a pionier
R.I.P.
R.I.P. Gifted Unlimited.
Primo, in life we have our differences, but death equlizes everyone and we all have to take stock. These are not the words of one of Hip Hops greatest and most unique lyricists. Don’t let the haters spoil what must be a time of hear felt grief for you and your family as much as it is for Gurus.
Mach’s gut, Guru, Du wirst mir fehlen nach so vielen gemeinsamen Jahren!
Goodbye Guru, I will miss you after so many years! Condolescense to his family and friends.
I think I was about 14 when I first heard “Step in the Arena”. I still know the exact place when and where. It changed my life completely and to this day this remains an album I can listen to every hour of every day.
Thank You
Rest in Peace
RIP Guru.
You will be remembered.
Best wishes from Sweden.
PS.
Solar & MC Solaar, the french MC, are not one and the same. Just thought I’d point that out since I saw Solaar’s been getting some flak.
Rip Guru.
Guru, I wanna thank u for all the inspiration you have brought to us over the last two decades. You had a incredible journey, your name and to the fullest your music will never die, and never be forgotten!!!
Thanks GURU!
may your body REST IN PEACE and your SOUL be on the nicest place we can imagine.
I dont know what goes on between Primo and you, but people have their reasons and I think you two are still brothers in hearts.
Condolescense to his family and friends.
Rest in Peace… Thanks for your timeless music!
With love from Groningen (Holland)
The thing that strikes me as most suspicious about the letter is the airtime it gives to Jazzmatazz 4:
“I am most proud of my leadership and pioneering efforts on Jazzmatazz 4 for reinvigorating the Hip-Hop/Jazz genre in a time when music quality has reached an all time low. Solar and I have toured in places that I have never been before with GangStarr or Jazzmatatazz and we gained a reputation for being the best on the planet at Hip-Hop/Jazz, as well as the biggest and most influential Hip-Hop/Jazz record with Jazzmatazz 4 of the decade to now. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time. And we as a team were not afraid to push the envelope. To me this is what true artists do! As men of honor we stood tall in the face of small mindedness, greed, and ignorance. As we fought for music and integrity at the cost of not earning millions and for this I will always be happy and proud, and would like to thank the million fans who have seen us perform over the years from all over the world. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time and is my most creative and experimental to date. I hope that our music will receive the attention it deserves as it is some of the best work I have done and represents some of the best years of my life”
Seriously? On your deathbed you’d think to go into detail about one of your less successful albums?
I’m suprised Solar didn’t include a paypal link.
RIP Guru
R.I.P. Guru. The solar system will never outshine a Gang Starr.
Descansa en paz, GURU.
Siempre te recordaremos como uno de los mas grandes.
Respeto a Premier
My thoughts are with DJ PREMIER… One half of Gang Starr, Guru’s right arm..
What is that BS about the “ex DJ”?!!
No way Guru wrote that, sounds like a crazy legal battle at a really sad time. Premier – Hold your head high! Just like Gang Starr always has, to rise above the level of the majority.
you all dont know the reason premiere and guru fell out so its ignorant to make assumptions about solars statement. he and guru were obviously very close and it seems like a heartfelt letter. people neglect the fact solar and guru made some absolutely incredible music together!!! most people only acknowledge Gangstarr but solar and guru made music that is way ahead of its time!! RIP Guru you are mos def one of the illest and realest artists to ever bless the world with amazing music!! you will live forever as a true MC that didnt sell out to the Beast!! one love forever fam you are a true hero in my book
also guru repeatedly stated in interviews that he and premiere we never really that close!! go do some research before you start making ignorant statements about people you dont even know
Big Guru Rest in Peace from Romania !! The letter doesnt make sense…since when a man who’s in coma or very bad condition have time to write letters and stuff! Solar fucked up really bad bout to hire an assassin or smthing !
Up in the sky? Up in the sky.
The moon and the planets are there.
And new hopes for knowledge and peace are there.
And therefore as we set sail we ask God’s blessing
Warrior spiritual — above the clouds – 🙁 Rip Keith Elam
First and foremost…R.I.P. Guru. Hip Hop lost truly one of the best MCs to ever tough the mic and will never be the same.
As for the letter…I had very weird feeling whilst reading it. Of course we can only speculate about if Guru really wrote it or not. The truth is that it is more than unsual to believe that Guru (from the personality he was) would, at his deathbed, write such letter. Not only the glorification of Solar (who in my eyes is mediocre producer – if not way below average) but also I cannot simply believe the words regarding Preemo. Nonetheless…what a loss!
“Guru never came out of a coma”: Harry Elam Jr., Guru’s brother.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/21/arts/music/21guru.html
Solar is LYING. Straight up lying. Tweet this. Spread it.
I have no words to express right now what i feel… One i know is that he still inspires and motivates me when I’m doing my art and stuff. The best MC ever lived in the hearts and minds of many.
Rest In Peace!
am in tears i have always loved guru, res in peace dude will miss u big
man wat kind of savage animal steals money from a friend that died.and gos all out his way to write fake letters and say his family cant see him and other bazzare actions.i kno hiphop doesnt like snitching but i think the cops need to look into this,its sick and twisted
solars is being a nitemare
We all must meet our moment of truth. All gangstarr fan must listen to this track again listen to what guru says, and lets pray remembering the days of our youth.
R.I.P. Gangstarr
I think that nigga Solar needs to stop all this BS. I know he ain’t shit without the G.U.R.U and he’s probably heading for poverty but that ain’t no way to handle bizniz.
I know Guru and Primo split some 7yrs ago and I don’t think Guru would be capable of disrespecting Primo like that. Yoh Primo, pls say something, this so called The supa producer (who has never even produced a single hit)is tryna make you look bad…
Peace, Ngoako, Johannesburg, SA
Thank you Guru for all your love, inspiration and the last 25 Years with real Hip-Hop. We will miss and never forget you. Rest in Peace!
And to DJ Premier. Keep ya head up! Everybody get’s his moment of truth.
Thanks for all!
Respects from Germany
the world has lost an icon:(
premo keep ya head up, gang starr has made some .of the best hip hop tracks ever!!
r.i.p. Guru from the Netherlands, the world will miss you:(
damn, i heard it 10minutes ago 🙁
still got tears in my eyes..
R.I.P. guru, your music will live forever!
First thing first, RIP GURU.
Primo, you gotta keep your head up, everybody knows who Guru’s true friends were(Jeru, Primo, Patrick”statik selekta”) and much more excepted this bloodclaat dick rider named Solar.
We got your back bregeen
no se si podras entender esto o siquiera lo leeras, desde que soy un puto enano y escucho musica es de lo poco que he esccuchado siempre desde siempre, a vosotros, me he enterado hoy de la noticia, y se me han saltado hasta las lagrimas coño…
siempre recordaremos a guru, a gangstarr, el grupo más grande, y, por supuesto, a ti premier, el mejor de los mejores
en cuanto a lo que dice la carta, ni caso a lo que dice de premier, no me lo creo ni de coña, solo esperamos grandes tributos doonde tiene que estar premier, ya que no hay guru sin dj premier, 2 de los grandes, estoy seguro de que premier la liara como el solo sabe hacerlo y no hara caso a lo puesto en esta puta carta,
GURU, SIEMPRE TE RECORDAREMOS
arriba gangstarr, guru, premier y el hip hop
Guru wrote the letter you fuckheads. Get your fuckin shit straight hater ass bitches, honor the mans final words.
Premier should honor him too, regardless of what, obviously they had their differences but it doesn’t matter. This is just a sad sad time, RIP to the Legendary GURU, founder of GANGSTARR.
Guru and Premier did amazing things, some of the greatest music of all time, they will always be remembered for that.
GURU lives on through his amazing work…
That final statement was sad to read, it’s evident that letter has been majorly tampered with… Well in my opinion completely false! The man behind the music I grew up listening to would have never have wrote that letter… The history of his lyrical content prove it so? But who really knows whats the truth? In regard to the shadow which dwells around Solar, I’m sure the truth will become more apparent with time! Keep your head up PRE!!!
RIP GURU
The Illest Brother…Guru was much too much.
RIP to a True Legend, Guru – Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal.
THANK YOU A MISS YOU BIG GURU
R.I.P FROM SLOVAKIA
Guru you will definitely be missed. Have to say I’m shocked at the letter and I’d question its legitimacy too. Regardless, Gang Starr has given me allot of good memories and music growing up and I want to say thank you. RIP Guru! Your legacy won’t be remembered in vain.
GURU – Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal
These words are a tribute to Guru from Gangstarr from myself.
Gifted
Only a few have this
So it should not be waisted or given away
Used well so I reminisce
Alongside others from back in the day
Truly talented to this day
and the next
X to the next
with the talent of malcom x
With words that leave us all lifted
Only can be done by someone who is truly gifted
Unlimited
A fraction of which demonstrated longevity
Inevitably
We benefited annually
With hits as slick as rick
Shit thick
Competition would shit bricks
When they here the monotone voice in the mix.
Consistant relevent issue after issue
Addressed Guru we will all miss you
You are from a few
Of the real for real
Back then your words of steel
And still ill something we all can feel
For ever
Rhymes
Are flourescent with nature
Hear the beat maker cuts with precision
Premo combined with your voice to make us listen
Giving us all preminitions
the ultimate illustration
through music translation
compiled from studio to the street
These are the word I Manifest
When I heard the writer of the code of the street
Died, I digress
Who concatenated words and execute them with perfect timing
The ingredients that constitute perfect rhyming
Universal
Put all together and consolidate
U and i versus the world
said quickly it is universal
I am from the old school so on this set rehersal
Take it personnal
And pay homage to another
True brother
Who dispersed knowledge like no other
Guru rest in peace.
Bless
From Redskinz
Wolverhampton Heads i.e. Me (RedSkinz), Brennand, Epsy, Sucker B, Adrian, Rich Unique)
Nottingham Heads i.e. Joe Buddah, Kittison, Paul S, Kevin, Billy, Stephen Delabanc (RIP), David
West Midlands, UK, Jamaica (Oh yeah the rest of the world).
r.i.p guru best regards to his friends & relatives.
gang starr was the first rap act i saw live ever.
headz up he’ll live in our memories and on your turntables.
The news is shocking and very sad. i must send my love to all the real after walking away from music for good last year. Guru and Premier deserve better then this strange send off that the letter suggest. A huge part of our youth just died on monday and pretty much is the last blow in the demise of sound and culture that had a static electric charge before it turned dull , country , and plastic. I dont realy know if gang starr members realize that the music gave us guidence and morals to alot of us that grew up in the system and with out fathers . Thank you for everything GURU AND PREMIER ! Thanks 4 great memories. I truly hope the legacy of the classics are not forgotten and peace resolves the issue. I dont miss music at all since i left and i dont care about new little kid artist or the way music turned into a gossip magazine. BUT IF GANGSTARR MADE 1 LAST ALBUM … I WOULD COME OUT TO PROMOTE THAT AND DROP 1 MORE MIXTAPE ! looks like it wont happen now and i am sad for that. Guru deserves a great tribute and so does gang starr.Peace Dj JEMANI.
Sorry, i dont believe on this letter.
…X-DJ…
I preffer to ignore it…
and keep listening my prefferd gangstarr joints…
Repose en paix ! Respect l’artiste
Djamal
The worst thing is that solar is making people mas as fuck over a shitty letter instead of letting them take it in thar guru is dead..
Tragic, terrible news… first Dilla, then Baatin, now Guru… we losing some of our greatest legends. Got the privilege to see him live once, his work with Premier is beyond words and measure, we all owe them so much it brings me to tears… mierda!
Gotta give him the respect he deserves, a serious tribute should be arranged… also involving Preemo of course, not Solar
Maximo respeto y amor loco desde México, descanse en paz
“Do you wanna mess with this? Gangstarr, ONE OF THE BEST YET”
GIFTED UNLIMITED RHYMES UNIVERSAL…It’s a sad day but your unique voice will live on forever through Primo & all of your fans & family,R.I.P. my brother
RIP Guru
You always had and still have much love from the UK.
yo preeeeemoooooooooooo
where u @??????????????
i want to hear your from you what you think about that, please.
keep ya head up
guru rip
Rest in peace Guru, the legend of hip-hop culture.
Respect Primo, the legend of hip-hop alive, you still have lots of things to do.
Me and family won’t ever judge about any letters and their purposes.
Your music will always be the best inspiration for us.
Much luv from Russian Federation.
Much respect do to GURU. It definitely was : “MOSTLY THA VOice” That got me up to Gangstarr. This is my most favorite group of all time. DJ Premier is who inspired me to DJ and GURU made me love HIP HOP even more. I can’t imagine GURU writing a that letter. I hope Solar gets a industry beat down IF and only IF he fabricated that letter. I’ve Been a TRUE fan of GANGSTARR since day one and GURU will definitely be missed. Keep the vibe going Premo. Another HIP HOP legend that will never be forgotten.
The more you read through that letter the more fake it sounds. For lack of creating drama in this time of reflection, I’ll simply say that someone’s running a scam and the real victim at this time is Guru, his son, his family and Preemo. It takes a real cold blooded snake to take advantage of someone terminally ill and then take it a step further and discredit a mans legacy.
It’s a blessing every one sees through this clown, …..”he did it just to get a rep”.
Rip Guru,
…Through the realist eyes, I’ve seened the realist and the illest die…
RIP Guru
You’re above the clouds now homie.
RIP Guru! one of the most underated rap artist of alltime!!
i totally agree with you Rashid, mann this be the bullshit he was talking about in his tracks – lots of fake peeps out there who be wanting your money and when u dead they are first to claim “dat nigga said i should take care of his riches n his family” – lots of bullshit right there. man dat letter aint bankable… its fake all the way to the bank
R.I.P Guru, we loved yah n will always do dawg…
Good bye genius…
te recordaremos desde chile como cuando viniste…suerte en la otra vida
THE HIP HOP WORLD WILL BE FOREVER INDEBTED TO YOU GURU, YOU ARE TRULY REMARKABLE. AS TO THE VALIDITY OF THE LETTER, ONLY GOD KNOWS. I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU, SHINE ON STAR.
Come on, MOST people on their deathbed make ammends not carry on the biterness, this letter is VERY suspect. Solar seems to be getting in postion for a law suit to grab that lott!!!! COME ON MAN!!!!!!!!!
We used to live in the same building R.I.P. G.U.R.U.
Stop Ongoing Lies About Royalness -OR(-SOLAR)
I wanted to say goodbye to the only friend I never got to meet. Your music changed my life and your message saved my life. When I took a bullet your music made it feel better. God bless you and your family!
Thanks for all the inspiration!
Rest in peace!
/ P-tech
FIRST OFF GURU INSPIRED ME TO PICK UP THE PEN AND PAD AND MIC AND DO SOMETHING POSITIVE IN MY LIFE.WORDS CANT EXPRESS THE PAIN AND LOSS OF HIM!He WILL ALLWAYS BE WITH US IN ARE HEARTS AND IN THE MUSIC HE LEFT!MY DAD HAS MULTIPLE MYELOMA ITS A HORRIBLE CANCER OF THE BLOOD AND BONE!I HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO SEE MY DAD FIGHT THIS CANCER AND AT ONE POINT THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO DIE!FOR THE FAMILY I WILL PRAY AND I WILL KEEP HIM IN MY HEART FOREVER!R.I.P. KIETH ELAM AKA GURU
Back in 2000 I went to a hip-hop concert in a small venue in Chicago. Opening for Common was Guru, which back then seemed weird to me, who had less fame baggage than Guru. Of course, this was Chicago, Common´s territory.
After Guru wowed the crowd, Common came on stage, and Guru left the stage. I was on the second level of theatre watching the show, and, as I went to get a drink by the empty bar behind, there was Guru, chilling alone, having a drink. Holy crap, right? I darted over, introduced myself, got an autograph, and, since no one else was around, asked him if he had a website and whether I could work on it. Back then he didn´t, but said it was in the plans, and someone was going to do already. I gave him my business card just in case.
After a brief uncomfortable pause, for me at least, I thought, “might as well asking him something smart, to differentiate myself from the regular fan questions”.
So I asked him what his creative process was.
He responded “life”.
Unsatisfied with that answer, I rewrote my question: “Ok, but how do you go about coming up with lyrics? Do you listen to Premier´s beats then write over them, or do you write then try to sync it over the beats? And do you figure 12 topics you want to touch on and then write, or do you just write a bunch? What´s your inspiration?”
Obviously my question was hard to answer, mostly because I hadn’t formulated it that well. Here was another fan, interviewing for no media.
He responded: “Life”. Again.
Urgh… He wasn’t getting my questions! I gave up. He left, leaving me feeling like I had bored or bugged him, which is not the reaction you want to cause on someone you admire.
Five minutes later Guru jumps on stage with Common, where they start freestyling back and forth. After a minute or so Guru chants something along the lines of:
“I dont try to rap about the gun and the knife,
my lyrics come from what´s happening in my life.
Like I told Cristiano,
my creative process doesn’t need the piano”
I shat myself. No one else got what he was doing! It was him answering my question for the third time, showing a real life example of his process, and directed at me, in freestyle fashion.
Genius for his speed, great for his dedication to a mere fan.
come on, that letter to his fans is B.S.!
that is NOT Guru.
Listen to any track off of any record, Gangstar or otherwise and you will know, WITHOUT A DOUBT that Guru did NOT write that.
This sees clear through to the obvious forgery and fraud the letter is:
“I do not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name likeness, events tributes etc. connected in anyway to my situation including any use of my name or circumstance for any reason and I have instructed my lawyers to enforce this. I had nothing to do with him in life for over 7 years and want nothing to do with him in death. ”
fucking bullshit!
Guru had love in his heart. He spoke it and lived it.
For him to say such a thing as to NOT include Premiere…crap.
Be well, live good-
Erik
The statement from his family clearly states “As a result, GURU was in a coma from mid February until his death and never regained consciousness.”. How was he able to dictate what should be written and/or write the letter himself if he never regained consciousness. Fake letter…and I don’t even know all the history.
RIP Guru, may your legacy not be tarnished.
Solar should be investigated and charged with fraud! There is no way Guru wrote that letter. Did you hear his actual family saying they NEVER knew of any charity that Guru set up?? I will tell you where that “Charity” money goes, SOLAR’S Pockets.. He is a true disgrace!!
the ignorance of alot of the comments on here is sad. alot of you are tearing down Solar and only crediting and praising Premiere. Guru himself since 2005 has done nothing but say highly positive things about his best friend and partner Solar! and once again Guru said he and Premiere were never that close outside the studio!!! go read or watch some interviews of Guru and Solar together before you make ignorant statements. Solar and Guru have made remarkable music that most people care not to acknowledge. i feel alot of the negativity towards solar is childish and sad. Solar is a highly intelligent man and Guru had an enormous amount of respect and love for him. people hate the fact Guru didnt sell out thats why alot of sellout artists and DJ’s are trying to shit on Solar because he was a real loyal man to Guru and they chose not to sell out for money. Solar hold your head fam dont let all these haters and people with grimey agendas destroy your life. its crazy man Guru you will always be the illest and realest MC love always RIP
Solar is a soft a$$ BFAN
Letter breaks my heart and I HOPE it is fake. Guy is shady man. It’s called betrayal… money greed and lust cuz in this trife life there aint nobody you can trust.
My Ex DJ? how’ bout producer….come on has guru ever said Primo is just a DJ….Gangstarr is one of the illest and will be Primo and Guru For ever mad love I will post a flick of the production we are planning in Santa Fe New Mexico….mad love Primo keep your head up….
How about us noticing Solar in this Gangstarr video for “Skillz” peep him at 2:20 when Guru asks where the pistols at. He is wearing blue sweatpants opening his jacket to flash a weapon so i guess he was around them back then. Still that letter was uncalled for by Solar. Shame on n…. who try to run game on a brother. Shame on you, Solar aka BipolarDiseasedFreak.
I wont forget the time me and my boy ditch school in his new ride. He said “check this shit out, my cousin sent it to me” popped in the cd and that was the day I fell in love with HIP HOP..RIP GURU!
ps. That letter is fake as hell! WACK
Damn maaan itz sad! Real Hip Hop has lost a pioneer and one of its most creative and positive souls!
I met Guru twice after his concerts in Paris, both were a Jazzmatazz gig! What a concert and what a cool dude!!
By far my top tops in Hip Hop and by far trully inspiring!
RIP Guru – Gifted Unlimited Rimes Universal!
Paris, France & Myself will trully miss you!
G Bless’
“Now like an angel you’ve risen and you will stay in my heart, and yo, I wish you were still livin’
Word… this is in memory of…”
Rest In Peace GURU
RIP guru
“I’m Gifted, Unlimited, Rhymes, Universal / Mcs that ain’t equipped get flipped in my circle”
aaah shit GURU my niggah, yo shit will live forever in our ears, our heads…
our hearts
peace
P.S. Lets stop all this wack speculating about who said what bout who etc.. lets just exchange our favourite gangstarr/guru memories like Mc-T, manny, cristiano and others
This is the saddest news I have heard lately. I miss him so much already. I can’t stop crying, I should have been by his bedside, he never hurt me, he was always there to wipe my tears. God bless him
For all the people saying that Solar is a snake and a liar, please just chill back one time. This is a dude who loved Guru and looked after him when he was sick. He and Guru lived in their own little bubble for so long that dude no longer has the self awareness and social acumen to see that he looks and sounds crazy. Solar is hurting and confused and doing the best he can. Don’t demonize him and ride one him, even though it’s easy to and tempting to do so. Solar is simply a black man who, while being neither the coolest nor the smartest, was placed in an extremely difficult situation and is trying to do right by his best friend the best way he knows how to. Pray for him and support him the same way you would any black man who is struggling.
I agree with Joel, you guys need to chill out!
From what I have observed, Solar and Guru were extremely close. Solar was like family to Guru, you can’t deny this.
I think Guru simply wanted to distance himself from DJ Premier to be recognised not as half of Gangstarr but as the hip hop jazz pioneer.
He wanted his name to stand by itself, as someone who had revolutionalise the hip hop and the jazz. He was very proud of his Jazzmatazz albums.
You don’t know what relationship he had with Premier after their separation, and you don’t know the relationship he had with his family either, so you are speculating way too much.
Let’s just let time take care of things.
Guru said he had instructed lawyers to enforce some things. He has given the guard of his beloved son to Solar. That must mean something.
Solar did not have the genious of Guru, but he was his friend, and so for that, he deserves respect.
And I wanted to conclude this by saying how sad I am, Guru, that you have passed away. I remember seeing you at the Jazz Cafe in London, the 21st June 2007. It was madness, I had such a good time. By the end of the concert, we were just like amateurs rappers, shouting ‘that’s the real shit’!
I will miss your beautiful voice and incredible charisma, you were one of a kind Guru.
Repose en paix
Muriel
One Love – RIP
Rest in Power to my man Guru. I was blessed with the chance of meeting him at Tower Records for the Moment of Truth Lp release day in Boston in 1998 very humble and cool he was to me. I still have the drop from Dj Premier and Guru together giving me a shoutout for my mixtapes that was a great experience as he is one of my favorite Mc’s and in my opinion the best Mc to ever come out of my hometown. Mad props to Gangstarr for always coming through with the timeless classics from Words I Manifest to Skills in between and beyond. Guru and his music will be around forever and through his music we will celebrate his life. The records he has blessed us with I will never stop listening to as it is some of the purest Hip Hop that was ever created.
Hi, thank you very much. good job.
Magazin haberleri
Hey, after reading all those words in that letter it seems hard to believe that a brother like GURU would publicly state such harsh vibes towards Preemo, it just makes no sense. If he had his reasons, i am sure GURU would’ve taken care of that issue in a more formal and discreet way, like he did with his illness.
Eventually the truth will find its way, shine the light.
GURU, fuiste y siempre vas a ser una inspiracion de frescura, positivismo, escuela, ritmo, amor, paz, verdadero MC, profesor de la vida, maestro del arte de la calle, y pionero del hiphop jazz que fluye por mis venas desde que escuche tus rimas por primera vez mientras rodaba las calles de Chepe en los principios de los 90′. Muchos tratan, algunos se parecen, nadie te iguala.
Descanza en paz hermano – Chepesent, Costa Rica
reposez en paix Guru, vous allez nous manquer pas de gunshot mais un cancer a prit votre vie votre héritage est grand et continuera de vivre au delà de la mort, je vous aime Dieu vous bénisse et la vie continue peace.
je vois que mon soutien a Guru n’a pas été celui que je voulais, je suis de franque et ne parle très peut américain (anglais)reposez en paix Mr Guru, vous nous avez quitté pas comme beaucoup de rappeur par le gun mais par cette terrible maladie qui est le cancer, votre héritage est grand et continuera de vivre au delà de votre mort, je vous aime que Dieu vous bénisse et la vie continu peace.
I have a pic with me with GURU! And some dude O wait a minute, his name is solar! Before that night never heard of him before!!!! Exapt for the fact That I didn’t like him in tha beginning!!! I call it negative energy and ddddaaaaammmmnnnn I was right And now some skanless motherfuckers wanna take what’s mine (GURU)
But they can’t take the respect, that I’ve earned in my lifetime !!!!! DA TRUTH Love you Guru and to ya fam Big respect!
Un pezzo di storia. Rispetto.
let,s get ready gangstarr 4 life mareo money let,s get it bro.
Thank you, Guru. Your time on this earth as an innovative and influential MC will forever have its place in my life and hip-hop history. You deserve only the utmost respect. I think we all feel robbed in more ways than one. Those that are representing you have lost their way and have been plagued by the disease called GREED. A real tragedy. Your absence will always be felt.
R.I.P. Guru
One Love
Guru tu m’a donné l’amour pour le rap et voila que tu t’en va sans crier part, mon vieux tu vas nous manquer, toute mes condoléances a la famille et mon gars Solar, peut être au paradis je t’aime.
Repose en paix Guru.
Just wanted to say Rest in Peace to the God Guru…you influence me heavily in my yestar-years…..Thank you for your contribution the World of Music and The World in general…..losing you is like we are losing the best parts of This Culture we call Hip Hop…I will try to use the lessons you taught to continue to inspire youth to keep it 100% real in music and life….Once again thank for bring us DWYK GANGSTARR GURU JAZZMATAZZ and may your loved ones get through your return with Strength Unity and Love….Peace….NYTOWL solo artist Compton CA…..
LET ME ADD YOUR GONE BUT NOT 4GOTTIN SUN…..PEACE
I, like many of you, was lucky enough to have met him when he was down in New Orleans one year for the Gavins. He chilled with us after his concert, even came back to our house and hung poolside. He struck me not as a famous hip-hop star but rather as an intelligent, down to earth, poetic, gentle man. I often think back to that night and smile. I thank him for those smiles in memory and those that come now when I listen to his music. Getting divorced is a bitch but “Ex to the Next” makes it a little easier. Godspeed Guru. Until we meet again. One love, CK
if you look at the writing styles in Guru’s supposed statement and in Solar’s statement, they are rather similar. Did Guru commonly make spelling and grammatical errors (i.e using “except” instead of “accept”, run-on sentences, etc)? I think that will be a big clue in unraveling this.
Even if he is telling the truth and Guru did write that statement, when you truly love someone you don’t encourage them to cut all their ties with their family and ex-partners when they’re dying; you encourage them to set it aside and spend some time together before it’s over. Solar clearly encouraged him to do the opposite. And besides, people write things they normally wouldn’t when they are very sick. A true friend would have kept the first paragraph and tossed the rest to spare his good friend’s family from more grief. Solar is no friend to Guru.
My condolences to Guru’s family, both blood-related and not. This is such a loss.
R.I.P. G.U.R.U. One of Brooklyns Finest. Ryhmes will live 4 EVER “B”
Don’t know about that letter. What dying man has such harsh statements, did’nt know Solar stood for: S top O utlandish L ies A gainst R oyalty. Heard body was cremated, this is very strange biz, with this Solar clown. Someome needs to look into this stuff!!!!!
Peace Big Zo (718/704)
hokahey….peace to guru and the fam our blesings are with you we all lost a legendary icon in the hip hop world like many before he is lost but will never be forgotten….peace from the the mouthounds…
R.I.P. Guru
I am still in shock. What a loss. But then when you think about it, I feel very grateful he shared his outstanding talent and gift with us…he left us so much
as far as this controversial letter, lets not dignify it by paying attention to it
RIP Guru
Wake up people Solar wrote that letter to try and bank of of GURUS death. FUCK SOLAR, GANGSTARR FOR LIFE the real dream team (GURU/DJ PREMIER)Love you GURU one of the best to ever spit on a mic. You will never die in my speakers.
Luckily for your blog! In this wish you happy every day! Every good mood! Every good luck!
i luv the gangstarr hiphop/jazz music….yo ponia sus beats con my gang por mi colonia, les di a conocer a primo y guru…hemos perdido a un maestro de la lirica…hes not a rappers, hes a lirycist…rip
“born with a heart of gold, now mostly cold and scarred”- Guru (the Militia)
My heart is broken on your passing GURU, RIP.
Moment of Truth changed my life and is still as influential today as when the first day i got it.
Raj
AUSTRALIA
R.I.P Guru, Peace to the God!!! One Love!!!
I must agree, what the author is saying is true, I aslo came up with the same conclustion but im shure theres others who think otherwise.
Guru was one of the best.
I spent so much hours with his music in my life.
So i made an Guru Tribute Mix to honour him.
Free Download @
http://soundcloud.com/deine-mutter-records/dj-king-guru-tribute-mix
Shout Outs 2 Premo the best producer alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Solar SMOKE A COCK. ur beats are wack, ur a psycho. PREMIER ALL DAY EVERY DAY.
some1 put a hit out on that cock smoker
RIP Guru! 43, wtf that’s sad…
Keith Elam. Guru. I don’t know how this has been allowed to happen. No thing or person or time can change or deduct from the force that you, and Premo with Gang Starr created. And your word, truth,love and godly powers released by you and sent out on the waves of sound you know last forever. The cosmos is always and eternally hearing the music, the word and the meaning of it all, and all it has done can never be broken. Your soul and presence are too strong, there is no death, I know you know that. If its true God walked with us throughout history, a God incarnate on this earth at this time, you were, at the very least a huge aspect of him. You are. Love and Blessings to your family, forever being sent. And in our hearts and life, thoughts of you remain ever strong. What you achieved in your life will hold them safe and minds alike with faith. A meeting of the minds, holding all you helped create in existence, eternally. Thank you. Always you’ll remain in our hearts I know, a tragic loss for your family and fans but just the beginning of a new for you. And I’m sure all that love you will meet with you again in time. I guess you just got there before us, maybe the lords of karma thought you’d done enough here,or at least all you could do on this plane. Universal on all I know brother, maybe you’re needed for bigger things. Until then, bye for now. Thank you for the inspiration you have been and for all the times the music and your words have healed and helped me and many keep the faith. Peace.
Open dialog is paramount when dealing with all forms of illness.I am hoping to see more money going into research and governments doing their part. All my respect goes to those suffering, be it you personally or a loved one. My hope is for a major breakthrough in the near future to help all those in need.
DESCANSA EN PAZ GURU
That’s well known that cash makes us autonomous. But how to act if someone does not have money? The one way is to receive the http://lowest-rate-loans.com or just consolidation loan.
Rest in peace GURU. We pour a little liquor in Berlin!
As the do the many that have visited this before me, I understand the impact GURU has had on hip-hop and its fans alike. I myself had the honor of meeting Premier and Guru and their release party for their album THE OWNERZ. At this release party, while chillin and coversing with the 2 they both blessed me with Autographs ON the album…I know there are die hard GANGSTARR fans out there that would love to have that, so I figured I can do something to help 2 good causes. I am willing to SELL this autographed copy of the album and use the money to help diabetic children like my son as I am looking to do with the start of my own foundation. Feel free to contact me for more info on both.
Rest in peace GURU. We pour a little liquor in Berlin!
If it wasn’t for GURU, a lot of Hip-Hop and Rap artists would be nowhere to be found…
R.I.P, Guru!
Sincerely,
Thomas Anderson
Latest news can we enjoy a variety of ways, one of which is to read news sites, including your site.
Rest in peace GURU,
May God bless your soul,
You will be in our hearts forever
ITS A SAD DAY WHEN ONE OF HIP HOP MOST RESPECTED MC DIES….ONE LOVE…I SEEN THEN WHEN THEY PLAYED IN DUBLIN IRELAND IN 03 HAVE A SIGNED OWNERS POSTER THAT GURU AND PRIMO TAGED.ITS HARD TO BELEVE HES GONE…..ONE LOVE TO PRIMO
I was in a club last night and I heard his music, and I remembered how much he struggled with the disease. May God rest him in peace!
My condolences and best wishes, Guru.
Generally I do not post on blogs, – but I would like to say that this post really forced me to do so! really nice post.
I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I just wanted to throw you a big thanks – you and I’ll bookmark it and come back later
RIP Guru… we miss you
Such a shame when good people are taken from their family and freinds at an early age ,rest in peace guru
My condolences and best wishes, Guru.
Very often I go to see this internet site. It very greatly is pleasant to me.
Thanks the author
Reading Guru’s official statement brings a tear to my eye. God bless you on your journey Guru and send my regrets to all that you have left behind.
repose en paix guru( from france)
Wow!
He was REALLY UNIQUE.
I’m genuinely sorry to hear of his passing.
Thanks, GURU, for you and your memorable creativity!
LOVE & LIGHT!!
The world has lost one of the best MCs and Hip-Hop icons of all-time..Although this was a matter that Guru wanted private until he could beat it,tragically, this did not happen. The cancer took him, and the world has lost another great man and a true genius..RIP!
Rest in peace, you have left us your creativity , we will always remember you.
Gangstarr changed the game. I still remember when my man turned me on to Guru and Primo when he put that Gangstarr CASETTE TAPE in the box and said “check this out”. Guru’s flesh is gone but his lyrics live forever!
R.I.P.
Guru the best. We remember him for his work
The world has lost one of the best MCs and Hip-Hop icons of all-time..Although this was a matter that Guru wanted private until he could beat it,tragically, this did not happen.
R.I.P Guru. Still sad.
Such a shame when good people are taken from their family and freinds at an early age ,rest in peace guru.
The content of your essay is excellent, and it’s very expressed.
Very sad news. This is a terrible loss.
!ONE LOVE TO GURU …I MISS U BRUVA
I still remember when my man turned me on to Guru and Primo when he put that Gangstarr CASETTE TAPE in the box and said “check this out”. Guru’s flesh is gone but his lyrics live forever! http://www.prowordpress.net/
Rest in peace, you have left us your creativity , we will always remember you.
The world has lost one of the best MCs and Hip-Hop icons of all-time..Although this was a matter that Guru wanted private until he could beat it,tragically, this did not happen.
Guru was only 43? he had accomplished so much that I assumed he was older. Well not much more to say really, rip man. Your music will live on..
Now that Suge Knight has supposedly ‘fessed up about Tupac, it would be nice if that bitch Solar would admit to his lies too. :/