[[  April 26, 2010  ]]

What's Upper? 

Guru "Keith Elam" of Gang Starr has unfortunately passed on April 19th due to cancer. According to Solar, Guru was fighting with the sickness for over a year and after many special treatments under the supervision of medical specialists failed, the legendary rapper succumbed to the disease. Guru always tried to keep the diagnosis in private but in early 2010 he had to admit himself to hospital due to serious effects caused by the disease. Guru founded Gang Starr in 1987, and built a sizable following in the early 1990s, along with The Legendary DJ Premier releasing classic  albums such as Step in the Arena (1991) and Daily Operation (1992).

In 1993, he released his first solo album, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1. The album featured collaborations with Donald Byrd, N'Dea Davenport & Roy Ayers, while his second LP, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality, featured Ramsey Lewis, Branford Marsalis & Jamiroquai.

His "first proper solo album", in his own words, was Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures (2005), released with the help of producer and new backup MC Solar (who is not to be confused with MC Solaar from France). The album reached #1 on the college Hip-Hop charts, & managed to sell relatively well for an independent release.

Guru's latest project is the fourth installment in the Jazzmatazz series, entirely produced by Solar. It was released in early June 2007. May 19, 2008 Guru and Solar released Guru 8.0:
On February 28 2010 Guru suffered a cardiac arrest and, following surgery days later, fell into a coma. He woke from the coma but died on April 19, 2010 after a long battle with cancer.
 

GURU's FINAL LETTER

In the letter, seen below, the rapper explains his illness, expresses gratitude to supporters and offers some parting words for DJ Premiere.

"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.

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.

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."

OFFICIAL FAMILY STATEMENT

The Elam family wishes to thank the fans of our son/brother/father uncle/nephew/cousin Keith aka GURU for the outpouring of love, concern and support. 

Our hearts are broken by the loss of someone we loved so much. GURU was devoted to his young son, who will most keenly feel his absence.

 GURU suffered from multiple myeloma for over a year. Accrued complications from this illness led to respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. As a result, GURU was in a coma from mid February until his death and never regained consciousness. Early on the morning of April 19^th, he became hypertensive due to low blood pressure. He again went into cardiac arrest and slipped away from us.

 GURU died far too young but he was, and we are, proud of all his many legendary musical contributions.

 The family is not aware of any foundations established by GURU. We know and understand that countless fans want to express their condolences and love and, to that end, we are planning a memorial event in the near future that will be all-inclusive. Please look for further details from the family as they become available.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM DJ PREMIER

IT WAS A SAD DAY FOR ME TO GET CONFIRMATION ON THE DEATH OF A MAN WHO I WILL CONTINUE TO CALL MY BROTHER, KEITH ELAM, BETTER KNOWN AS GURU OF THE LEGENDARY GANG STARR.

FROM 1988-2004, WE EXPERIENCED SO MUCH SUCCESS TOGETHER THAT WE WERE ABLE TO EXPAND OUR BUSINESSES INDEPENDENTLY AND GIVE EACH OTHER WHAT GURU CALLED “CREATIVE SPACE”, BEFORE PLANNING TO REUNITE FOR OUR 7TH LP WHEN THE TIME WAS RIGHT. TRAGICALLY, WE WILL NEVER REACH THAT DAY.

I’VE BEEN ASKED TO COMMENT ON A LETTER SPEAKING ILL OF ME WHICH WAS SUPPOSEDLY WRITTEN BY GURU IN HIS DYING DAYS. ALL I WILL SAY ABOUT IT IS THAT OUR TIME TOGETHER WAS BEAUTIFUL, WE BUILT A HIP HOP LEGACY TOGETHER, AND NO ONE CAN RE-WRITE HISTORY OR TAKE AWAY MY LOVE FOR HIM. ONE THING I WOULD NEVER DO IS PLAY AROUND WITH THE TRUTH ABOUT HIS LIFE.

 I WILL CELEBRATE GURU’S LIFE… I WILL HONOR HIS MEMORY… I WILL GRIEVE WITH THE ELAM FAMILY OVER HIS UNTIMELY DEATH… I WILL REMEMBER THE GANG STARR FOUNDATION AND ALL OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS OF GANG STARR WHO CAME BEFORE ME – WE ALL KNOW EACH OTHER… MOSTLY, I WILL CHERISH EVERYTHING WE CREATED TOGETHER AS GANG STARR, FOREVER. I’M GONNA MISS HEARING HIS SIGNATURE MONOTONE VOICE WHEN HE WALKS IN THE ROOM, BUT THE SONGS WILL ALWAYS BRING IT BACK TO ME….HIS RHYME FLOWS WERE INSANE, AND I WILL NEVER REMOVE HIM FROM MY HEART AND SOUL…….REST IN PEACE TO THE MAN WHO FELT “SATISFACTION FROM THE STREET CROWD REACTION” … I LOVE YOU GOO……. DJ PREMIER

SOLAR'S OFFICIAL STATEMENT

 “I mean, it’s ridiculous,” he said. “Guru knew this time would come. The great artist he is, us being intelligent people, we knew there was going to have to be a statement relating to this. Unfortunately, there are those who have the wicked agenda, and just can’t accept that Guru and I have handled this thing as men and not children, and this is how men of honor handle their business. He arranged his press release. I’m the repository of Guru’s life story. I recorded his life story for book and for movies. We’re not foolish. He was diagnosed with cancer well over a year ago. It’s been operations and so forth. It would be ridiculous for him to not be prepared"...

DJ Frresh formerly of Portland's KPSU & now reppin' his hometown of Chicago has good news! Frresh is back on the radio & this time it's on the internet. You can peep Frresh out on www.YouHottRadio.com everyday from 6pm-8pm (est) & replays of his show at 1am - 3am (est). The "FRESH CONNECTION" is BACK!...

Public Enemy have begun preparations for their new album, which is set to include special guest performances by Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave), Rise Against and Z-Trip. The band also announces its plan to enter the studio sooner than expected, as they establish a new fan funding goal via SellaBand.com in order to speed up the recording process. Public Enemy are the first major act to utilize the fan funding concept, reflecting their dedication to seeking out alternatives to the major label system and the traditional record company structure particularly through the use of technology. PE were one of the first to release an album on an artist-owned label, to release an album in MP3 format, to collaborate directly with fans via the Internet, and co-founder Chuck D is a heralded pioneer in digital music and ownership rights. “This project, as it sits, is a success and is one of the largest budgets ever raised by fan funding,” says Chuck D. “We have learned that the fan funding model is still not fully developed and, as a result, a $250,000 fund raising effort, while possible, will take too long to accomplish.” The group decided to realign their fund raising target to $75,000, determining that the figure is one that the existing SellaBand model, as well as the current economic climate, can better support. The group had originally sought a higher budget in order to record an album to allow for guest collaborators on every song and acknowledge that being the first to explore a new model such as this would require adaptation along the way. As of today, PE has amassed 75% of the revised goal, and will close funding as soon as it reaches 100%. “This is our history and will always be our legacy as pioneers in the music business and we are unapologetic for our unyielding advocacy for models that promote artist control and self sufficiency,” Chuck D adds. “We will continue to be bold and fearless and try new things that test old models.” For further information and details on the investment platforms, please go to Public Enemy’s profile page on www.SellaBand.com ...

DJBabe Presents: The Newz Vol.1 No.1

Wattupdoe Folks ot's me DJ Babe! That's Detroit slang for hello guys, unless you are from Atlanta who seems to grasp the concept as their rappers keep stealing the slang...

Anyway, for those that are familiar with the newsletters that I distributed a few years back, before blogging was trendy, when a blog was some green shit coming out of your nose.. well dammit I'm back.

Basically DJBabe Presents The Newz is a commentary of what and how I see the entertainment world through my eyes, the statements are not the way it should be, just the way I'm doing it.

There are times when the language will be foul, abusive.. but since my demo are adults and bad ass teenagers, just deal with it. Anyone who chooses to not indulge in my thoughts can either delete this message, or unsubscribe. Although if you do that, I'm sending you a Trojan virus so deep all your computer will able to access are nude photos of Charles Barkley. So.. what's in the newz today?

Easter! Yay.. How about we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr who passed away 42 years ago, although we have a come a long way.. we still have a ways to go. It doesn't help when I see these bama ass negros paint their raggedy ass cars with McDonalds & Pepsi logos all over their cars. That's truly a country thing, or as the homie Wilt says: Kuntry. Coon ass niggaz!

Now as to Easter, I'm not gonna turn this newsletter into a religious debate but shout out to everybody who drank Ciroc last night and got up to go to church in their brightest suit they could find, only to hit the strip club tonight. Shout out to the preacher who came up on enough funds on Easter to buy a new helicopter. Shout out to the old ladies that found an excuse to wear those big ass parachute hats in public. Shout out to all of the gay dudes who came out the closet today at the family dinner. Easter!

So the Dallas police department decides to send Erykah Badu a $500 citation for strutting that fat ass all in public. There was a complaint issued by some idiot passer-by who obviously didn't say anything at the time but figures hey.. I can get in the media spotlight by doing this. Erykah Badu came up with a brilliant plan to sell units this week, stay in the media glare, gain new fans, get her message across and in the end.. help us understand why dudes who get a piece of that start to wear baby T-shirts, green pants and smoke on bamboo sticks. Hell.. after witnessing that video I totally get what those guys went through, now let me go snatch up my baby nephews shirts so I can be Badu-ized like them other dudes.

The 2nd season of Tiny & Toya starts soon on BET... LOL.. Enough said. When will the networks understand that if they want an award winning reality show, they better holla at me! Also, I got beef with Chili from TLC. I applied to be on her show as she is looking for love, and I didn't get picked. Now... I didn't have to actually win the contest, I just wanted to kick it in Atlanta, stay in a fly crib, get some free Ed Hardy gear like on Flavor Of Love and drink madd FREE liquor. Damn Chili... you played me.

Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too grossed about $30 million over the weekend. That's a lot of money for a movie that's gonna get a lot of women beat up.. I'm just saying, women.. leave that golf club scene in the movie. That shit ain't gonna work everywhere, I'm not Tiger Woods. just saying... "Kayne Shrug". I'm just glad Madea wasn't in this movie, that's one ugly ass woman.. and one very unfunny ugly ass woman. I hear Wendy Williams is Madeas' stunt double. OK, I'm wrong for that..

For those who are unaware, I have dropped several DVDs with the latest music videos to put in ya ride, play in the clubs or have the local bootleg guy sell my shit all over the city (yea nigga I saw you). The latest is the Cook-Up Vol.5, features new videos from Ludacris, Lloyd Banks, Erykah Badonk-a-donk, Lil Jon, Usher & more. Trust me, I'm getting it in with the DVD mixtapes, get at ya boy!

You can catch me every Tuesday 6pm-8pm on www.svmixradio.com with the homies on the Drama Queen Show (I'm the only dude for the dudes' perspective with the Drama Queens) & look for me in Orlando, FL May 7-10 for the Core DJ Retreat. Christina & Mercedes make sure you have bail money cuz I may just wild out!...

Here is an excellent article giving props to Ricky Leigh.He is the man who started the DJ CONF CALLs & gave Mixshow DJ's their recognition.Ricky passed his legacy to me at HITS Magazine back in 1997 so I could do the same with College Radio DJ's.13 years later my RAP ATTACK DJ's have kept that legacy alive. THANK YOU RICKY (R.I.P.):  http://newsroom.mtv.com/tag/ricky-mensh/ ...

Attention RapAttack Fam from Kevin Sakoda: "For the last couple years I've been working closely with a company called Fileblaze (www.fileblaze.net). We offer a fast and flexible solution you can use to manage and send out music, video, and any other large digital files. In addition, Fileblaze also allows you to view/listen to your files right within your browser - over 40 file formats are encoded automatically as soon as you upload, so you can listen to music, watch video, as well as view documents (MS Word/Excel/Powerpoint, pdf, etc.) instantly without having to download anything.

If you get the chance, please log on to Fileblaze.net and check it out for yourself. You can click "Register Now" in the upper right corner of the home page and start testing it out. If you like it, just hit me with an email and I can increase your account storage...just let me know: kevinsakoda@gmail.com...

Lupe Fiasco and B.o.B are on tour together on the “Steppin Lazer Tour” below are the tour dates.

Tuesday 4/27 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX - (w/B.o.B)

Thursday 4/29 - Ogden Theatre - Denver, CO - (w/B.o.B)

Saturday 5/01 - House of Blues (Las Vegas) - Las Vegas, NV - (w/B.o.B)

Sunday 5/02 - House of Blues (Sunset) - Los Angeles, CA - (w/B.o.B)

Wednesday 5/05 - Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA - (w/B.o.B)

Friday 5/07- Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA - (w/B.o.B)

Saturday 5/08 - Roseland Theater - Portland, OR - (w/B.o.B)

Rap Attack takes a "WHAT'S UPPER" look this week with:

Shareef Abdullah (WRFL-KY): "4/20/10 will be a day I will never forget. I had the honor of interviewing Guru about a couple years on the Black Fist and although I considered him one of the few legends in hip hop who made music that transformed a generation, he approached the interview with such humility and gratitude like he was a new jack in the game and that proved to me that he was an authentic dude who didn't care about all the superficiality that usually comes with a career of his status. The music he made with Gang Starr and Jazzmatazz alone made him true giant, but his humble attitude and respect for people made him much more special. Salute to the one and only Guru may you forever live through"...

Chill Will (WCBN-MI): "What's up people? We've had some good shows the few Saturday's with Jem and B-Shel calling in and putting a stamp on there new singles, Earthquakes, and Girl You Da Bomb. If you haven't check for them do so. Also I hit up the Hip Hop at Good Night Gracie's and hit'em in the head with some classic Hip Hop. Then I checked out Lupe Fiasco and B.O.B who both did there thang. Then B.O.B came to Ann Arbor and did a private show with Michigan's own Mike Posner. One of the most slept on MC's around. If you haven't seen him live, do so. I'm out and I'll see everybody Sunday at the Crofoot in Pontiac with Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek. For more information about me DJ Chill Will go to www.myspace.com/djchillwill734 or www.twitter.com/chillwill734...

DJ Sage (CFRO-Vancouver, BC): "On this day, we are sad to have to comment on the passing of someone real legendary in the game, Guru. For years while part of and apart from Gang Starr, Guru ran game in the biz. He is hands down one of the most influential MCs of all time. The URP gives their deepest
condolences to Guru and his family.

We are aware of the final letter released by Solar and we are skeptical of its validity, but we are out here and hate to speculate. But we feel that there are some details that will inevitably come out and we are waiting to see it. For now we mourn the loss of a great artist and he will of course live forever in his music.
On a lighter note, a light green note, it’s 420 and what could possibly be a better place to celebrate this day, than in Vancity. So we are sure all you kush heads got it going on.

There is tons going on in here as well. We just had Son Real live in the studio (www.myspace.com/sonreal) and he has got a new mixtape droppin, so keep your ears peeled for that. Doing some big thangs!

We played a ton of Guru tracks tonight and we will drop a moment of silence. Check out our podcast of our show at www.urpradio.podomatic.com..

Kazzeo (KHDC-CA): "Well last week, true B-Boys & B-Girls worldwide mourned the loss of the legendary Malcolm Mclaren. And this week, we continue the mourning process with the loss of Guru. As is always the case, this was completely unexpected as most felt Guru was on the mend after his heart attack earlier this year. The knowledge of his cancer condition was never made public until after his passing and truly makes the last year of his life that much more tragic only compounded that much more due to the backlash, warranted or not, against his last partner Solar.

For close to 22 years or so, Guru as part of Gangstarr and through solo & side projects released authentic quality Hip Hop and never once alienated a fan along the way. He was always humble during the multiple interviews I did with him or during the few times I hung out with him at various events. He was as personable as anyone could ever hope to be and absolutely loved what he did. And he never once hesitated when called upon to make himself accessible for a radio need, drops / interviews etc.

The first time I heard of Gangstarr was my sophomore year in high school. At the time, I would visit the local record store and buy at least one 12 inch single a day. In doing so, the employee's at the store knew me pretty well. So whenever they would get some promotional singles that could not be sold, they would just give them to me. One day, I walked in and the girl working at the store handed me a couple of singles and said "here's some promo's for you". One of the singles was titled "Gusto / Knowledge / Movin' On" by a new artist named Gangstarr. The rest, obviously, is history.

Fast forward 4 years and I'm in Oakland at a club called "The Omni" watching Organized Konfusion & Gangstarr in concert. The crowd was packed with Hip Hop lovers and show was banana's! Gangstarr had a few special guests with them, as did Organized Konfusion. And when Primo started cutting on the wheels, oh boy!
Later on in the 90's, I was lucky enough to dj a show when the Jazzmataz tour came to town as well as being a spectator for the tour a couple years later. Both shows were great. Guru had not missed a step in transforming from one success to another. This was a true testament to his legendary status in Hip Hop.

Around 1996 I began having Guru on my radio show. Over the years I interviewed him for various projects maybe 3 or 4 times. The last time I had him on was July 30, 2008. He & Solar called in to talk about the album they were about to drop. It wasn't too long after that that Guru took time off for what would come to be later known as his cancer battle. A battle which he would eventually lose.

As the Hip Hop world reflects on his life, my greatest memory of Guru is the time I was invited to a "dj meet & greet" up in San Francisco in 1996. Guru was so happy to hang with the dj's. He took pics, signed albums, recorded drops, and was ready to do whatever else the dj's in attendance asked of him. To put it plain and simple, he "got it". He knew what it took to build the bridges that cement a long & respected career. He knew that you had to be there for those people who have been there for you and never take them for granted. Never feel you are above them. He never had the attitude of "I'm a star now". That's something that young artists many times don't have nowadays. And that's why you have so many one hit wonders. New kids really need to study the history and instead of looking at older artists who don't have platinum sales but still tour regularly as not broken down old men or women but as what they are. The artists who paved the way for them and truly connected with the fans and built an unbreakable bond with them. Something like that is worth more than any amount of money.Shout out to LA J & Mark O for both calling in to the show. GURU R.I.P. "...

Nate Abney (WKDU-Philly): "First off let me start by saying R.I.P. to Guru. A true emcee who always bought a positive message. Gangstarr is and always will be one of my favorite groups of all time like many others probably also. The Flyers are playing well so maybe I have another two weeks. The Phils have hit the injury bug. Thanks to everyone who continues to me with music, I appreciate it as always. I can't say enough. Penn Relays this week so I will be at Franklin Field if anyone is looking for me. Till next week folks"...

Anilast aka DJ Short-Wave (KSMT-CO): "Can we please have a moment of silence....................for all of Hip-Hop's fallen soldiers
Rest in peace Keith Elam, you will be missed!"...
 

D-Tragic (805HipHop.com): "Oh and just started the new show on air 91.9FM – KCSB Santa Barbara “WORD ON THE STREETS RADIO” Thursdays 4-6 Also First Friday of Month 8-10PM “WORD ON THE STREETS RADIO” www.KCSB.org...

Matt Chan (CJSF-Canada): "Hi all. As my you may or may not know I have relocated to Toronto. I will still be doing my radio show however it will now be pre-taped and I will still be doing my chart. Please send your emails/mp3's/promos/priorities to my new email address: matthew.chanbros@gmail.com  My contact number is (604) 306-6086 however I might be changing it to get a Toronto area code"
132 Chatham Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M4J-1K7
Canada
 

Kevin Sakoda (KSPC-CA): "Hope everyone's doing well. If you're not in the LA-area, you can catch the show live (via iTunes) every Saturday, 5-7PM (west-coast time): http://www.kspc.org/popup.html You can also find archived playlists and download links 24/7: http://blogs.myspace.com/kevsakoda   Enjoy!

Here is our address for 2010 to send material for review, etc (vinyl, dvd's & cd's)!

 RapAttackLives.com

4750 Kester Avenue, Ste. 11

Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

Attn: Nasty-Nes

FOR MP3's): nastynes818@gmail.com 

Attn MySpace heads! If you haven't joined our exclusive RAP ATTACK page on MySpace, log on NOW & join at: http://www.myspace.com/rapattacklives...

SHOUT OUT TIZIME: Happy Birthday this week to Nasty-Nes, DJ Sage (CFRO-Vancouver, BC), Steve Hodgson (CHSR-Canada) & Walt Liquor ALL celebrating this Tuesday, April 27... To OG, Wildman Steve reppin' the NYC celebrating this Wednesday, April 28...

PEACE, LOVE & HIP-HOP UNITY (God Bless & Isa Mahal),

Nasty-Nes

http://www.myspace.com/nastynes

http://www.myspace.com/rapattacklives 

(Pinoy Pride4Life / John 3:16)