| Guru | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Birth name |
Keith Edward Elam |
|
Also known as |
MC Keithy E, Baldhead Slick |
|
Born |
July 17, 1961 |
|
Died |
April 19, 2010 (aged 48) |
|
Genres |
|
|
Occupation(s) |
Rapper, record producer, actor |
|
Years active |
1986-2010 |
|
Labels |
Cooltempo/Chrysalis (1992-1996) |
|
Associated acts |
Bahamadia, DJ Premier, Gang Starr, Gang Starr Foundation, Group Home, Jeru the Damaja, Krumbsnatcha, M.O.P. |
Keith Edward Elam (17 July 1961 - 19 April 2010), better known by his stage name Guru, was an American rapper, record producer and actor from Boston, Massachusetts. He was a member of the hip hop duo Gang Starr alongside DJ Premier. The name Guru is a backronym that stands for Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal, which is a reference to the teachings of the Nation of Gods and Earths.
In addition to his career with Gang Starr, Elam released a number of solo albums - most notably his experimental fusion of live jazz music and hip hop in a series of albums titled Jazzmatazz. Guru utilized positive and braggadocious lyrics performed in a monotonous tone.
Gang Starr went through a falling out after the release of their 2003 album The Ownerz, and both members ceased to work with each other. On 28 February 2010, Elam went into cardiac arrest and fell into a coma following surgery. He died on 19 April 2010 from cancer. His family claimed that Elam's new partner Solar prevented them from seeing Guru before his death, and Solar was later exposed as having forged a deathbed statement and generally mistreated Guru as his assistant.
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
- 1993: Jazzmatazz Volume 1
- 1995: Jazzmatazz Volume II: The New Reality
- 2000: Guru's Jazzmatazz: Streetsoul
- 2001: Baldhead Slick & da Click
- 2005: Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures
- 2007: Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 4: The HipHop Jazz Messenger: Back to the Future
- 2008: The Best of Guru's Jazzmatazz
- 2009: Guru 8.0: Lost & Found
With Gang Starr[]
- 1989: No More Mr. Nice Guy
- 1991: Step in the Arena
- 1992: Daily Operation
- 1994: Hard to Earn
- 1998: Moment of Truth
- 2003: The Ownerz
- 2019: One of the Best Yet