im spending this week deep in the GS discography to get my body mind and soul correct for friday. i think a lot of yall probly feel like i feel, and we got something really special coming to us. I'm nervous and excited and sad and joyous and thankful and anxious. so before we get the last new Gang Starr record of our lives, lets talk about your absolute favorite Gang Starr song. And I mean, just list it if you want, but if you can - speak on it yall. Let's lift up this amazing collection of tracks before we add one final chapter to this canon.
4. "Per Album:" In response to Reply # 0 Mon Oct-28-19 02:24 PM by fontgangsta
NMMNG - Here's The Proof really before they found their sound, but if i gotta pick something from this record, this is probly it. Either this or Gotch U.
SITA - Check The Technique The contrast between how lush the chorus is and how sparse and hard the beat is on the verse is epic.
DO - The Illest Brother man this shit SWANGS and Guru is just in the pocket. Razor close runner up goes to Much Too Much - i like the beat a little better but Guru doesn't flow on it quite as nice.
H2E - Mass Appeal This doesn't really need any explanation whatsoever
MOT - Work This was the hardest one to pick obvi. Work just has crazy energy and always puts a smile on my face. I might have gone BI vs Friendship, but Im staying pure with this list, no features....but gattdamn that track is so fucking tough.
TO - Zonin' This song is so chill. Its just got the vibe. "I ain't tall, but i can show y'all what a problem is" ooooooo
HONORABLE MENTION NON-ALBUM - The Squeeze is pretty flawless.
NMMNG - DJ Premier in Deep Concentration. Honorable mention to the title track and Manifest, but I need the remix/retouched versions of both over the album versions.
SITA - Who's Gonna Take The Weight. Honorable mention to Credit is Due, which I played for MONTHS before DO dropped. I believe I heard the instrumental first on the back of Check the Technique and was blown away, but couldn't find the actual song until I got the Love Sick CMS (I was all cassette at those days, so no 12" mixes).
DO - 2 Deep. Honorable mention to 92 Interlude (which has been my ring tone ever since my Nextel days and always will be) and The Illest Brother
HTE - Mass Appeal, and it ain't even close
MOT - This one is almost impossible to choose. Tie between Moment of Truth and In Memory Of, mainly because of how my life was when the album dropped. Those got me through some serious life sh*t. Honorable mention to What I'm Here For and Next Time (which is one of my favorite Premier joints low key)
TO - Zonin'
<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up... __________________________
Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect. Game: Like Gladys Knight. Jay: Aretha Franklin. Game: Word, I like her too. Jay: Nigga...
18. "Premier's best ever is soooooo hard, no matter how you categorize it" In response to Reply # 13
I end up having to look at his Gang Starr production, his Gang Starr Foundation production, and his outside Works of Mart production, and it's damn near impossible to pick a best from any category.
Like... as much as I love next Time (and I LOVE that track), it's not beating Mass Appeal, or even In Memory Of. Pick anything off that Living Proof album. I'd say, Suspended in Time or Up Against The Wall (getaway car mix) are killers in an album full of killers.
Come Clean? How many fights has that started when the beat drops?
Take any track he did for MOP, Bumpy Knuckles,KRS... and that's before Biggis Jay or Nas.
You can't pick. That said, gun to my head, if I had to choose, I'll die with Mass Appeal
<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up... __________________________
Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect. Game: Like Gladys Knight. Jay: Aretha Franklin. Game: Word, I like her too. Jay: Nigga...
20. "Yep Next Time is def in my top 3-5 as well." In response to Reply # 19
And I agree with you re: liking a ton of songs more than Mass Appeal et al. I mean I *love* Mass Appeal and totally understand its, well, mass appeal ... but personally I prefer several other beats/songs to that one in the GS catalogue.
22. "I can see Next Time in Top 10. Top 5 even" In response to Reply # 20
And yes, MAss Appeal sounds like a cop out answer (sadly), but the song is just about perfect. Plus, I met and bonded with my P-N-C of 20+ years listening to that single (I've told that story a few times) so it has a lot of meaning.
<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up... __________________________
Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect. Game: Like Gladys Knight. Jay: Aretha Franklin. Game: Word, I like her too. Jay: Nigga...
23. "Oh yea I was not shaming you at all !" In response to Reply # 22
>And yes, MAss Appeal sounds like a cop out answer (sadly), >but the song is just about perfect. Plus, I met and bonded >with my P-N-C of 20+ years listening to that single (I've told >that story a few times) so it has a lot of meaning.
It *is* a perfect song and deserves all the accolades, so it is definitely not a cop out answer. My bad if I implied otherwise.
25. "The scratch at the end..." In response to Reply # 13
I’m not overstating either...one of my favorite moments on any hip hop record ever. I’m glad to know others love Next Time as much as I do. Chills just thinking about that song.
21. "This is like choosing your favorite kid when all of your kids went to co..." In response to Reply # 0
This is like choosing your favorite kid when all of your kids went to college and married well.
I'd go Above the Clouds. That Oriental instrument sample blew me away and it has one of the best verses by Guru and Deck.
But they've got heat.
Next Time Royalty Discipline Moment of Truth JFK to LAX In Memory Of... Work You Know My Steez Mass Appeal Code of the Streets BYS Ex Girl to Next Girl Militia DWYCK Put Up or Shut Up Deadly Habitz Rite Where U Stand Jazz Thing Words I Manifest
Lyrically it’s Guru’s best album. I listened to it on the way in this morning in prep for the new record and Guru kills this album. I’m not sure why I didn’t love the Production when it came out (the lack of hi hats on certain joints threw me a bit) but listening now every track is HARD and there is a great flow to it sequencing wise.
The singles didn't really work for me at the time and I never listened to it. I was hungover from Moment of Truth and just wanted Moment of Truth II as new material. Hey what can I say, I was in my twenties and a bit spoiled by the late 90's.
But for whatever reason, I went back to it a few years ago and was amazed at how well-crafted it is. Especially the first half of the album. That run from Put Up or Shut Up to Deadly Habitz is tough.
34. "Yea you nailed it - tough to follow up MoT." In response to Reply # 33
>The singles didn't really work for me at the time and I never >listened to it. I was hungover from Moment of Truth and just >wanted Moment of Truth II as new material. Hey what can I say, >I was in my twenties and a bit spoiled by the late 90's. > >But for whatever reason, I went back to it a few years ago and >was amazed at how well-crafted it is. Especially the first >half of the album. That run from Put Up or Shut Up to Deadly >Habitz is tough.
I def felt the same MoT hangover you did. Also, personally by 2003 the prototypical Preemo beat had kinda worn on me a little bit. Not only was his sound watered down a bit at that point (I think we'd all agree that he'd hit a rut for a couple years there when his formula was basically the same each time out) but I had also listened to soooo much Preemo for so many years that I needed something new.
So while I really liked TO, I was also a little disappointed by it at the time and sorta knocked it. But upon revisiting it - both after Guru died and now as this new album approached - I have a newfound love and respect for it as well. It's way better than I gave it credit for in the moment.
46. "?uest was hard on it and said Primo fell off" In response to Reply # 26
because of the "lack of hi hats" but he was early with that, a few years later the emphasis came off the hi hat but nobody really credits him with that. He was wrong about Primo falling off though.
__________________________________________ CHOP-THESE-BITCHES!!!! ------------------------------------ Garhart Ivanhoe Poppwell Un-OK'd moderator for The Lesson and Make The Music (yes, I do's work up in here, and in your asscrease if you run foul of this
>BUT I havent seen anyone mention > >Soliloquy of Chaos
this might have been my FIRST favorite gang starr song. like when i became a big enough fan to even have a rotating "favorite" slot, this was def one of the first to occupy it good call
>BUT I havent seen anyone mention > >Soliloquy of Chaos > >Its def way up there for me. > >"Did you come to see my show or do the stupid nigga playoffs >killin you is killin me, its the soliloquy of Chaos" > >So fire >
True. And even though it had a familiar bass line.....coupling it with those strings.....Guru's voice and lyrics, made the shit perfect. The muffled sound of the bass coming through the speakers....whew!! 'Bout to throw the shit on right now.
Gang Starr's sound, production, songs.....what they brought to the game. So much to remember.
Glad this post was made. And the new album is very dope. Constant rotation.
49. "It definitely has one of my favorite Guru lines" In response to Reply # 39
Did you come to see the show or to the Stupid Nigga Playoffs?
<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up... __________________________
Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect. Game: Like Gladys Knight. Jay: Aretha Franklin. Game: Word, I like her too. Jay: Nigga...
43. "Gotta Get Over (Taking Loot) Large Professor remix" In response to Reply # 0
Aw man, I forgot that one! That was my shit!!!! So dark, so moody.....got me through many winters in high school. My theme music when taking the bus or the el trains.
Not on any album but still one of the best singles. Can't believe I forgot that one. Still got the cassette single somewhere and I believe it is the only version that is explicit. Tried listening online and the cuss words are taken out. Lessens the experience...just a little bit.
Now THAT, I can officially say, is one of my favorite Gang Starr tracks; even though it was done by Extra P. Still counts right?
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