Gang Starr's Guru In Coma After Heart Attack

[miaedu]

Rapper Guru, who rose to fame with pioneering group Gang Starr and later released a series of successful solo albums under the "Jazzmatazz" banner, is in a coma after suffering a heart attack and will undergo surgery today (Mar. 1), according to a Sirius radio interview with his former partner in Gang Starr, DJ Premier.

Guru, whose real name is Keith Elam, has kept a low profile of late. The 43-year-old artist released a solo album, "Lost and Found," in May 2009, which ended a two-year break following his fourth Jazzmatazz album, "The Hip-Hop Jazz Messenger: Back to the Future."

Gang Starr never officially broke up but hasn't been active in more than five years. Its last album was 2003's "Ownerz"

http://www.billboard.com/#/news/gan...er-heart-attack-1004071684.story?tag=newstop2

 

[jizzeater]

Heart attack at 43? That's surprising, seeing how he looked to be in decent shape. He was a thinner guy from what I remember of their videos.

I hope the surgery is a success and he recovers.

 

[Drebin]

That is horrible news. He's a living legend! His voice is so nice, rough and sexy. I love his Jazzmatazz records. It's projects like Jazzmatazz that exposes Jazz to a wider audience and spur them to look up old Jazz records for their listening pleasure.

I to hope he's able to make a full recovery and continue to share his craft with the world.

 

[jizzeater]

^He wasn't that thin(i remember the video he did with Angie Stone a few years back

I was thinking back to the 80s or early 90s when Gang Starr was big ("Just To Get a Rep" video, specifically). Usually it's the big, heavy guys that have heart problems early in life.

 

[miaedu]

DJ Premier Says Guru Is Recovering From Surgery

Following reports that Gang Starr's Guru had gone into a coma after suffering a heart attack, his former partner, DJ Premier, has tweeted that the rapper underwent a successful surgery and recovering, although he is still under a medically-induced coma.

"Good news: #guru surgery was successful, keep sending him love," Premier posted earlier today. Later he posted this tweet: "#Guru still in a med induced coma, he's breathing with machine help. And please reporters, don't copy without care. #Pray."

Among other tweets were fun facts about Guru, like "Till this day #Guru rhymed over 160 DJ Premier produced tracks in his life, more will come," and announcements like a collaborative effort between Guru and DJ Scratch in the works. "Wish List: DJ Premier Meets DJ Scratch Album. Wait.. That album is really gonna happen," DJ Scratch posted on DJ Premier's page.

 

[Sha-Rok]

Lemonade was a popular drink and it still is.

 

[willsboy84]

Sad news, indeed. R.I.P. man.

 

[jizzeater]

Damn.

R.I.P. Guru.

 

[miaedu]

Fans and Friends Remember Guru, Question DJ Solar

Following the death of rapper Guru -- born Keith Elam -- after a year- long battle with cancer, fans, friends and family have taken to twitter and other social networks to mourn their loss, as a controversy over an alleged letter written by the late hip hop star rages on.

Snoop Dogg wrote, "420 gonna be in honor of the big homie Guru ... respect the foundation ... Light one up for the legend," while Nicki Minaj wrote "A hip-hop legend. RIP." Busta Rhymes wrote, "DEATH IS SO PERMANENT THAT IT MAKES U MISS THE ONES U LOVE SO MUCH QUICKER..R.I.P GURU!" Rappers N.O.R.E. and Imam Thug paid tribute to Guru with a freestyle over the Gang Starr song "Mass Appeal" and DJ Mister Cee performed a tribute mix on New York radio station Hot 97.

Guru's death was first announced via a statement from friend and producer Solar. The statement included a letter supposedly written by Guru and solicited donations to a foundation allegedly set up in the late rapper's memory.

In the weeks prior to his death, members of the Elam family accused Solar of preventing them from visiting Guru in the hospital. Today, Guru's family released a statement of their own saying that Guru had been in a coma since February and never regained consciousness, implying that the letter was forged.
"GURU suffered from multiple myeloma for over a year," it reads. "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 19th, 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."

Frequent Gang Starr collaborator Bumpy Knuckles voiced his concern, writing via Twitter, "MEDIA: INSTEAD OF POSTING THE FAKE LETTER, ASK #FUCKSOLAR FOR THE AUTOPSY! I WANNA SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO GURU!" ?uestlove of the Roots wrote, "not trying to bring negativity into the situation. but i do NOT believe he wrote that letter. 1) he was in a coma. 2) HE WAS IN A COMA!"

In response to the skepticism, Solar told MTV, "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."

 

[miaedu]

Remembering Guru, One Year After His Death

One year ago (Apr. 19), Keith Elam, better known as the rapper Guru, lost his battle with cancer at the age of 43. As one half of East Coast duo Gang Starr, Guru spearheaded an influential hip-hop sound that combined effortless rapping with elements of jazz and funk.

In addition to his work with Gang Starr, which split in 2003, Guru worked with producer Solar released a series of "Jazzmatazz" albums that featured collaborations with Roy Ayers and Kool Keith. Although Guru and his Gang Starr partner DJ Premier did not reconcile before the MC's death, Gang Starr will long be remembered for singles like "Mass Appeal," "Moment of Truth" and "Above the Clouds."

NYC hip-hop fans looking to celebrate Guru's legacy should check out "Revive Da Live Big Band Tribute to Guru and the Jazzmatazz Legacy," a tribute concert sponsored by Revive Music Group that will take place at New York's Le Poisson Rouge on Thursday (Apr. 21). The event will feature special guests and collaborators of Guru, and the Elam family will be in attendance,

http://www.billboard.com/#/column/t...uru-one-year-after-his-death-1005144032.story

 

[miaedu]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9lNbNGbo24&feature=player_embedded[/ame]

 

[miaedu]

Listen to DJ Premier's 'R.I.P. Keith 'Guru' Elam 1-Year Anniversary Tribute' mix

Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of the death of Guru, the rapper for the legendary duo Gang Starr. Over the last 365, the Boston-bred, Brooklyn-based MC has been alternately lionized and overlooked -- similar to the treatment he received during his lifetime.

Most glaring were snubs at the Grammy Awards and BET Awards, both of which failed to honor his life during tribute sections. (The BET Hip-Hop Awards later partially remedied the transgression.) But for the hard-core crowd that he always cultivated, Keith Elam's legacy still looms large. His recondite rhymes and bald-head aggression dominated radio decks from "Jazz Thing" until the final Gang Starr record. And in the last year, we've had the ability to reevaluate exactly how singular his contribution to music was.

At the risk of reiterating last year's tribute to the all-time great, no one defined the sound of mid-'90s New York like Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal. He was able to fuse the pro-black militancy of Public Enemy and X-Clan into a measured but potent fury. He exchanged stridency for a sage calm, famously monotone but always commanding. Whereas Public Enemy had the Bomb Squad to sound the alarm, Guru and Primo never lost their cool, swagged out before the phrase existed, able to spin both stick-up sagas and homages to their jazz predecessors.

In honor of the anniversary of his passing, his partner, DJ Premier, took over the decks at New York's Hot 97 to spin two hours of classics. For those who missed Guru's glory years, it's an ideal introduction. For those still mourning a fallen legend, it's another opportunity to reminisce on how great he was.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/

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