Gang Starr

   Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier.

   The group was founded in Boston, MA in 1986 by Guru (then known as Keithy E. The Guru) and DJ 1,2 B-Down (also known as Mike Dee) with various producers, such as Donald D, J.V. Johnson or DJ Mark the 45 King helping out

   In 1987 and 1988, Gang Starr released three 12" vinyl singles on the Wild Pitch label.

   In 1989, the group split and the only member willing to continue under the name Gang Starr was Guru. He soon got in touch with DJ Premier who sent him a beat tape which Guru liked. He invited DJ Premier to join Gang Starr and in that same year they released their first single "Words I Manifest" along with the album "No More Mr. Nice Guy" (1989). 

   Gang Starr set new standards for East Coast rap with a pair of early-'90s touchstones, Step in the Arena (1991) and Daily Operation (1992), whose appeal has only grown over the decades. Beginning with these classic releases, both listeners and critics heaped mounds of praise upon Guru and DJ Premier -- the former because of his socially conscious lyrics and no-nonsense stance, the latter because of his DJ-style beat-making and jazzy sound. Following Step in the Arena and Daily Operation, Premier became one of New York's most demanded producers, crafting hits for the city's finest MCs, including the Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Jay-Z, and KRS-One.

   Guru likewise collaborated with plenty of well-known artists -- Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd, N'Dea Davenport -- on his solo debut, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 (1993), and its series of follow-ups. Following Hard to Earn (1994) -- the duo's fourth Gang Starr collaboration overall -- Guru and Premier began focusing primarily on their solo projects, reuniting infrequently -- too infrequently, many fans felt -- for albums such as Moment of Truth (1998) and The Ownerz (2003). During this period of solo activity, Gang Starr became increasingly recognized as a touchstone, one that critics and hip-hop purists frequently cited as a standard-bearer for streetwise, socially conscious East Coast rap.

  

  February 2010, Guru suffered a heart attack, went into a coma, and died on April 19, 2010. Solar, a long-time collaborator of the artist, said Guru chose not to go public with the diagnosis of myeloma that was made in 2009.

Discography:

    No More Mr. Nice Guy (1989)

    Step In the Arena (1991)

    Daily Operation (1992)

    Hard to Earn (1994)

    Moment of Truth (1998)

    Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr (1999)

    The Ownerz (2003)

    Mass Appeal: the Best of Gang Starr (2006)

 

A Tribe Called Quest

    The most intelligent, artistic rap group during the 1990s, A Tribe Called Quest was formed in Queens, New York City in 1988. The group is comprised of Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 1991. Q-Tip and Phife had grown up together in Queens, and met Muhammad in high school. Soon after, the group began performing live and recording on a local label.

    A Tribe Called Quest debuted in 1989 and released their debut album one year later. They made their studio debut in 1990 with People's Instinctive Travels and Paths of Rhythm. Though this album was critically acclaimed and lead to a strong fan following, their next album, The Low End Theory (released on September 24, 1991). Album was quite simply the most consistent and flowing hip-hop album ever recorded. The two MCs, known for their engaging, and free-wheeling lyrical styles, began to focus on a range of social issues, from date rape ("The Infamous Date Rape") to consumerism ("Skypager"). The songs were noticeably shorter, more abrupt, and bass-heavy. Guests on the album included Leaders of the New School (which included Busta Rhymes), Brand Nubian, and Vinia Mojica. Their innovative sampling, layering, and structuring of jazz records led many critics to label their style as jazz rap - a term which Q-Tip disapproved of, as although he felt it described groups such as Stetsasonic quite well, it misinterpreted Tribe themselves, who (aside from the song "Jazz (We've Got)") did not base most of their songs around the topic of jazz.

    Their third album Midnight Marauders, released on November 9, 1993. Lyrically, the album benefited from an even more confident duo in Phife Dawg and Q-Tip, whose nimble verbal interplay is utilized to its fullest on songs like "Electric Relaxation" and "Oh My God". Opening song "Steve Biko (Stir It Up)" - which includes the lines "You know that I'm the rebel, throwin' out the wicked like God did the Devil" - is named after the slain South African human rights activist and political revolutionary Steve Biko.

    Beats, Rhymes and Life (1996), the group's fourth album, was recorded during the turbulent East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry, which engulfed many rappers from both coasts and even some from in between. The group saw it fit to address these issues, a decision based partly on principle, but also probably based on the fact that, despite being from the East, they were well respected on both coasts.

    The Love Movement (1999), is group’s 5th album. While touring in support of 1998's The Love Movement, the group announced their impending breakup.

The group first reunited on November 13, 2004, headlining the Rock the Bells concert held in the Angels Stadium parking lot in Anaheim, California. This was the night that Ol' Dirty Bastard died, and as such the group opened up with a 10-minute tribute set to the Wu-Tang Clan and continued a 2-hour highly energetic show. In 2006, the group reunited and performed several sold-out concerts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Group Members: Q-Tip (1988–1998, 2006–present)

Phife Dawg (1988–1998, 2006–present)

Ali Shaheed Muhammad (1988–1998, 2006–present)

Jarobi White (1988–1990, 2006–present)

The Pharcyde

    Alternative rap quartet from South Central Los Angeles, the Pharcyde was formed by MCs/producers Tre "Slimkid" Hardson, Derrick "Fatlip" Stewart, Imani Wilcox, and Romye "Booty Brown" Robinson. Hardson, Wilcox, and Robinson were all dancers and choreographers who met on the L.A. underground club circuit in the late '80s, worked together for a while, and served a stint as dancers on In Living Color. Around this time, Imani and Slimkid3 were in a group called "As Is" and later a group called the "Play Brothers",  whilst Bootie Brown was a backup dancer for Fatlip (Fatlip being the last member to join the group) .

   The Pharcyde recorded their first demo in 1991 . Demo contained the songs “Ya Mama”, “Officer” and  “Passin’ Me By”. They hired a manager, Paul Stewart, who had worked for Cypress Hill, De La Soul, and House of Pain. Under the tutelage of Reggie Andrews, a local high-school music teacher, the group learned about the music industry and the process of recording an album. They landed a deal with Delicious Vinyl in 1991, and a year later released their eccentric debut album, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde, ( Released September 1992 ), Produced by J-Swift. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1996. Their second single "Passin' Me By" became a minor Billboard hit, peaking at #52 on the Hot 100. The song is now usually considered a golden-era staple and is the group's most well known song.

    Problems between the group and producer J-Swift began during the recording of the debut, with infighting and "personality conflicts". After the Bizarre Ride album was released, the group began touring with A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul, culminating with an appearance at the Lollapalooza show in 1994. In 1995, the group released its second album, Labcabincalifornia, which was calmer than their first but no less warped. Hit, "Runnin'", peaking at #55 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

    The group was largely missing from the hip hop scene between 1997 and 1999. After a five-year break which saw little action except for the debut of Stewart as a solo rapper (his single "What's Up Fatlip" became an underground hit), the Pharcyde returned in late 2000 with their third album, Plain Rap. Soon after the release, member Slimkid3 left the group to pursue a solo career.

    With only two members remaining, Bootie Brown and Imani continued with the group name and released Humboldt Beginnings in 2004. The album received even less attention critically and commercially than their last effort. This album introduced Schmooche Cat and Spaceboy Boogie X as new members and Spaceboy Boogie X as producer to the group. The album was released on the group's own independent record label, Chapter One Entertainment.