The Couch Sessions

Hip-hop legend Guru passed away on April 19, 2010 at the age of 43, after a long battle with cancer?. The Boston born, Brooklyn reppin' MC has been influential to the culture, and his collaborations with DJ Premier (aka Gang Starr) became one of the most potent combinations during the golden era of hip-hop.

A Boston MC and a Texas producer might be an unlikely combination, but the duo of Gang Starr eloquently painted a picture of the grimey New York streets. With Premier's East Coast boom-bap beats and Guru's plodding lyrics, their albums captured the harsh reality of street life back in the day.

After Gang Starr, Guru's solo career birthed the extraordinary Jazzmatazz series, which paired him with the likes of Donald Byrd, Roy Ayers, Jamiroquai, Chaka Khan, Dilla and more and invented the genre of jazz hop.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, and we hope that the legendary MC has found his peace.

And to Solar, nix the drama man. Please.

Gangstarr - Code of the Streets