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Never overly prolific nor overly popular, Gang Starr nonetheless became and remain one of hip-hop's most admired acts ever, the duo's legacy nothing short of legendary in terms of influence. DJ Premier and Guru, the duo's respective producer/DJ and lyricist/MC, set standards for early-'90s hip-hop with their two touchstone releases: Step in the Arena (1991) and Daily Operation (1992). Beginning with these releases, both listeners and critics heaped mounds of praise upon Premier and Guru -- the former because of his DJ-style beat-making and jazzy sound, the latter because of his socially conscious lyrics and no-nonsense stance. Following these two undisputed classics, Premier became one of New York's most demanded producers and crafted hits for the city's finest MCs: the Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Jay-Z, KRS-One, and more. Guru likewise collaborated with plenty of famous artists -- Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd, N'Dea Davenport, and more -- on his solo debut, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1. After this point, however, Gang Starr became somewhat of a side project for Premier and Guru, who both forged on with their respective solo careers. More albums came -- each impressive, beginning with the tough Hard to Earn album in 1994 -- yet Gang Starr had already attained their summit of popularity and acclaim in the early '90s and, as a result, continually battled their own growing legacy, as fans heralded every successive album as a comeback. |
