“when it’s time to kick *ish from the heart”… Guru
In the UK working on this very cool project. Today began in normal routine, I ate my cereal, suited up for a run, showered, walked over to the studio, said what up to the lads going over last night’s take, powered up my laptop and wait for my cell phone to come alive. I get better phone reception in the studio. Then the words popped on my screen “Guru passed fyi”. Stunned, shocked, deeply saddened. I repeated the words loudly. A brief pause, silence and then laptops open up. I presume everyone is hitting google to get the word.
My memories of Guru precedes the monotone rhythmic rhymes. When my crew was in demo stage way back in the day, I use to see Guru on the “J” train. Late nights journeys from “Hotel Amazon”, “Union Square” and the like. We didn’t know each other then but became acquainted as New Yorkers do when you bump into one another, no words just the universal “what up” head nod. Not too long after that Gangstarr’s music dropped and so did Tribe. Head nods turned into pounds. It was later I found out he was from Boston, nahhhh He rolled like a Brooklyn boy & to me He always will be.
I had the opportunity to work with Guru on a Jon B remix. Conversations often get interesting when you’re the only one passing on the pass if you catch my drift. We kicked it a bit. I learned a lot about Guru then and even more as life moved forward in this industry. Through the years our run-ins changed venues from the “J” train to the dark corners of a club here and there throughout the world. While the beat banged in the background many conversations were had about music and life . He, like I had many deep layers.
This life of music invites all things imaginable, good things and cataclysmic things. When you’re “2 Steps Ahead” you can have both sides within your grasp. God willing the travelers road will lead to enlightenment and the lessons learned can be shared. Guru has left a trail for us to learn from. Even in his last days. I pray his journey is peaceful.
Hip-Hop is fairly young but we’re getting up there. In Guru’s passing I’m asking what are we leaving behind? Your culture is only as strong as what you leave behind for those after you to carry it forward. Hip-Hop means so much to me that I can not put it into words in one writing. I don’t think any of us can and that is why we write song after song after song. In looking at the present state of Hip-Hop I can see we have a lot of work to do. There are a few youngins that get it and they carry the torch well but for the most part they are only a few which means we have to come together and return to being a community of one. That’s a little Islam for you.
I’m deeply saddened and have to get back to work. I’m gonna take that Boston/Brooklyn spirit and push these lads hard today. May Keithy E. The Guru rest in peace. And May his legacy carry on.
Ali Shaheed Muhammad
http://alishaheed.com/blog/?p=758#comments 
Gang Starr, 1987-...an experimental fusion of Hip-Hop and Jazz
