Wednesday, April 21, 2010

R.I.P. GURU


Rest in Peace to the Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal - love goes out to the family & close friends of the Boston-bread/Brooklyn-raised rap icon Keith Elam aka GURU of the Legendary Gangstarr foundation.

I remember purchasing their 2nd LP 'Step in the Arena' on cassette tape with my own loot at the age of 10, and doing the Bart-Man all the way out of Sam the Record Man's like I had just copped the realness. and I did. Shit was REAL. I remember that album changing the way I thought about music, it so did - it was '91 and I had NEVER heard shit like it. Rap had become my shit since first hearing Larry Smith with Whodini in the mid 80's - and I know that dates me - but Prem & Guru quickly became my shit with that record, and every Gangstarr record that followed, they never disappointed. Peace to Brand Nubian in '91 too, great year, started penning my own raps that year overtop Prem & Guru.

Shouts to my Ma for sorta putting me on to Gangstarr inadvertently, she new the biz, well. And shouts to my Pop for checking them Live with me at an outdoor music festival in like '95/'96 I think.

This is a loss we should not let fade.
GANGSTARR FOREVER.

R.I.P. GURU
1966 - 2010

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Who are you feeling right now?

This is Swamp Donkey of the mighty Notes to Self, I'm chilling with my man Bronze, my man Rosh and my man Dope you know he's dope...

I was just thinking to myself, aloud, I wonder who people are feeling right now? There's a lot of new rappers coming up and I want to know who has caught your ear. Who're you bumping this month, this week, today even.

Drop a comment let me know.


Side note - Notes is working on some cool shit right now. More news on that soon.