Guru Albums (7)
'Guru 8.0: Lost and Found'
Release Date 3/24/2009
Tracks 34
Label 7 Grand
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'Jazzmatazz, Vol. 4: The Hip Hop Jazz Messenger: Back to the Future'
Release Date 6/4/2007
Tracks 36
Label V2
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What The Critics Say
Although Guru's been putting out new editions in his Jazzmatazz series for almost 15 years now, none of the releases has gotten quite the same amount of acclaim as 1993's Vol. 1, which was one of the first examples, and certainly the best, of how actual live jazz could be used and mixed with hip-hop. He collected a wide selection of players and vocalists and ended up with what has been one of the most respected rap albums ever, with a trans-genre appeal that's been hard to match. Vol. 4 continues in this direction, though more often than not the jazzy horn breaks and piano grooves are replaced with more contemporary sounding beats. This isn't to say that the production's not good here (it's done entirely by a very skillful Solar), but it ventures into more straightforward hip-hop territory than most of the other volumes did. "Kissed the World," a witty anti-Bush track, uses a poppy piano line and synth strings, while "Stand Up (Somethings'll Never Change)" features Damien Marley and mixes Afro drum rhythms with Marley's reggae call. "Follow the Signs" is more guitar-based than any other song, and "Connection" has a smooth R&B feel. Guru, of course, holds his own on the mic, and though his lyrics do tend to veer towards the typical braggadocio, he has enough history behind him, as well as some pretty good lines ("I serve a rapper like an ace from Agassi,") he spits on "Infinite," which features Blackalicious' Gift of Gab and is one of the best tracks on the entire album as he employs insightful social commentary to back these statements up. Jazzmatazz is the MC's baby, and at this point is funded by him and his company, 7 Grand Records, but he doesn't let this take him overboard. He's clearly dedicated to it, yes, but he's experienced and talented enough to keep it from being a project of indulgence, using outside help (besides Gab and Marley, Common and David Sanborn, among others, also show up here) to keep the ideas and sounds interesting to all those -- listeners included -- involved, and making, ultimately, for a successful accomplishment. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide
'Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures'
Release Date 5/10/2005
Tracks 19
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What The Critics Say
For the seventh chapter in the book of Guru, Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures, the former Gang Starr mastermind strips away from the cocktail and smoke settings of Jazzmatazz and returns to the pastures that made him one of hip-hop's most revered and skilled MCs: the pavement of New York City. Nearly a 20-song homage to the Big Apple, Guru nods in the direction of the city's future, having such established and up-and-coming MCs as Jean Grae, Talib Kweli, and Styles P make guest appearances. Surprisingly, the album is produced in its entirety by Solar, a bold move considering Guru's finest moments often occurred when DJ Premier was behind the mixing disc and drum machine. Having a consistent producer throughout also leads to a bit of monotony in arrangement, leaving Street Scriptures with a dragging feeling toward the conclusion. This could have been trimmed down to a 14-song release, which would have increased the impact of the album on the whole. And while Guru still rhymes better than most, he does have his off moments from time to time, and thankfully there's more than one guest appearance to help songs move along to their conclusion. Not his strongest outing, but certainly an improvement over Baldhead Slick & da Click and the last Jazzmatazz record. ~ Rob Theakston, All Music Guide
'Baldhead Slick & da Click'
Release Date 9/25/2001
Tracks 19
Label Illkid
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'Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3: Streetsoul'
Release Date 9/26/2000
Tracks 16
Label Virgin
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What The Critics Say
Give Keith Elam credit for knowing how to surround himself with great talent. It's a fact that has guided his career from the early days of Gang Starr -- the group he formed with one of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time, DJ Premier -- to his solo Jazzmatazz albums, recorded with a host of jazz legends including Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, and Branford Marsalis. This third volume in Guru's Jazzmatazz series came not only after a five-year break, but at a time when the notion of jazz-rap was almost as antiquated as the '70s jazz-funk sound it helped resurrect back in the late '80s. Guru undoubtedly realized this, so instead of focusing strictly on jazz this time out, he made Streetsoul more of a roots album. With all the great contemporary R&B talent on display, though, any jazz-rap fans still left could hardly be annoyed with Guru's shift in focus from jazz to soul. A trinity of late-'90s soul divas -- Macy Gray, Erykah Badu, and Kelis -- each have features, and the swing-to-urban production behind Badu's contribution frames her vocal excellently. DJ Premier also shows up, contributing his usual excellent trackmaster skills to "Hustlin' Daze," with vocals by Donell Jones. Fellow rapcentrics the Roots make an appearance on the fight-for-your-right anthem "Lift Your Fist," and Guru inserts two pioneer tracks, Herbie Hancock's "Timeless" and Isaac Hayes' "Night Vision" near the end. Unfortunately, the one caveat to Streetsoul -- Guru's rapping talent hasn't improved at all -- is practically unavoidable considering he pops up for a verse or two smack-dab in the middle of almost every track here. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality'
Release Date 1/1/1995
Tracks 20
Label Cool Tempo
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What The Critics Say
The follow-up to the heavily acclaimed Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1. This album might not have quite as much jazz-rap power as the first volume did, but it's still quite good. Some of the big guns of jazz found their way into the album, including Branford Marsalis (who, of course, had already experimented with urban beats a bit with his Buckshot Lefonque project), Freddie Hubbard, Ramsey Lewis, and Kenny Garrett. Underground rapper Kool Keith (at this point still a member of the Ultramagnetics) also makes an appearance. Dancehall reggae princess Patra is included on a track, as are Chaka Khan and Me'Shell N'Degeocello; Jamiroquai helps out in another. In some ways, the personnel on this album may be slightly superior to the first outing, but the music also seems a tiny bit blander. Still, what makes the Jazzmatazz albums special is the live synthesis of jazz and rap. With Guru's vocals over the top of live jazz performers (as opposed the usual samples), interplay is facilitated between the two, and thus a whole new dimension is added to the fusion. For someone interested in jazz-rap in general, the first album is a higher priority (as would be Us3's albums, with extensive Blue Note sampling), but this album is still high on the list. ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Though it can reasonably be argued that rap grew almost directly out of funk and its particular beat, there are a lot of overlaps with jazz, particularly the bop and post-bop eras: the uninhibited expression, the depiction of urban life, just to name two. Jazz samples have also had a large role in hip-hop, but the idea of rapping over actual live jazz wasn't truly fully realized until Gang Starr MC Guru created and released the first in his Jazzmatazz series in 1993, with guest musicians who included saxophonist Branford Marsalis (who had previously collaborated with DJ Premier and Guru for the track "Jazz Thing" on the Mo' Better Blues soundtrack), trumpeter Donald Byrd, vibraphonist Roy Ayers, guitarist Ronny Jordan, and keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith, as well as vocalist N'Dea Davenport (also of the acid jazz group the Brand New Heavies) and French rapper MC Solaar. While Guru's rhymes can occasionally be a little weak ("Think they won't harm you? Well they might/And that ain't right, but every day is like a fight" are the lines he chooses to describe kids on the subway in Brooklyn in "Transit Ride"), he delves into a variety of subject matter, from the problems of inner-city life to his own verbal prowess to self-improvement without ever sounding too repetitive, and his well-practiced flow fits well with the overall smooth, sultry, and intelligent feel of the album. From Jordan's solo on "No Time to Play" to Ayers' vibes expertise on "Take a Look (At Yourself)" to MC Solaar's quick and syllabic rhymes on "Le Bien, le Mal," Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 (and what turned out to be the best of the series) is a rap album for jazz fans and a jazz album for rap fans, skillful and smart, clean when it needs to be and gritty when that's more effective, helping to legitimize hip-hop to those who doubted it, and making for an altogether important release. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide
