Hip-Hop pioneer Guru of Gang Starr...

...passed away on Monday at the age of 43 after battling cancer. This is a non-post as I've already met the quota of 1 hip-hop song per month, but I thought I'd spread the word.

I contend that the 1991 release Step Into the Arena is one of the great rap albums of all time. In the age of NWA-dominated (I will kill you and screw your girl and take your drugs) rap, Gang Starr (despite the name) was lyrically very clever, usually having something of substance, rather than substance-abuse, to say.

Recommended listening for the uninitiated: Check the Technique