Guru, of the legendary Gang Starr, drops his first 12-inch in an attempt to impress nonbelievers, and possibly prove that he is a dope MC, with or without Premier’s production. Speaking of production, the producers lined up to lay down tracks on the album are of hip-hop’s finest, including Pete Rock, Alchemist, and of course, DJ Premier. Alchemist was just so nice enough to lay down an instrumental for Guru; an instrumental that samples Gang Starr’s “You Know My Steez” from Moment of
Truth. Ignoring the twice-used sample, the beat is rather dope, but when you listen, it’s like it’s missing something.
After a minute or two you’ll come to realize that it’s missing an M.O.P.- or Canibus-like voice to rock it. Never before has Guru seemed so passive on a track before until this one. From production to lyrics, the a-side spirals downward. After hearing lines like “…for the cash, I’ll take you out and your whole staff/ have you lookin’ funny as hell, but I won’t laugh,” you lose a little interest in the song, and pray for a guest appearance to step in and take over, but when do dreams come true in hip-hop? The b-side sports an incredibly hot beat by none other than DJ Premier’s BROTHER, also known as Biggest Gord, and it looks like piano-heavy instrumentals run in the family. Lyricism and rhyming in general on this joint are at a higher peak with guest appearances by Timbo King, Killah Priest, and Black Jesus. Nothing groundbreaking here, lyrically, but it’s most definitely enjoyable, an overall good song. The Mickey Mouse chorus-chanting at the end could be dropped, but the hook in between the verses is decent. The a-side proves that Alchemist is surely slipping as a producer; from selling the same beat twice to using pre-used samples for the same artist that the original was used for.
Biggest Gord is dope, though. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the CD jackets of releases to come.
Reviewed By RhymeLife.Com for HipHopHotSpot.Com
