Gang Starr's Guru dead at age 43
The gifted hip-hop MC known as Guru --- an acronym for “Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal” --- died Monday at age 43.
A letter purportedly written by the rapper was released Monday by his current collaborator, the producer Solar: “I, Guru, am writing this letter to my fans, friends and loved ones around the world. I have had a long battle with cancer and have succumbed to the disease. I have suffered with this illness for over a year. I have exhausted all medical options. I have a non-profit organization called Each One Counts dedicated to carrying on my charitable work on behalf of abused and disadvantaged children from around the world and also to educate and research a cure for this terrible disease that took my life. I write this with tears in my eyes, not of sorrow but of joy for what a wonderful life I have enjoyed and how many great people I have had the pleasure of meeting.”Guru, born Keith Elam in 1966 in Boston, founded Gang Starr, one of the key groups during hip-hop’s “Golden Age” of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. With Texas-born Chris Martin, aka DJ Premier, Guru brought a laid-back cool and nimble menace that distinguished the duo from other classic East Coast combos such as Public Enemy and Run-DMC. Guru had moved to New York in 1983, then the epicenter of hip-hop, and with Premier created the signature Gang Starr track “Jazz Music,” which appeared on the duo’s 1989 debut album, “No More Mr. Nice Guy.”