NO WAY GURU'S DEAD!!!!!!!!!!

The word legend is used too often, but no-one's gonna dispute me using it here, man. An absolute legend.

http://www.nme.com/news/gang-starr/50743

no doubt. Guru and Primo are responsible for some of hip hop's all time classics. take it personal, mass appeal, dwyck, all for the cash, words i manifest, ex girl to the next girl, take two and pass (had to mention that one since today's 4/20) and of course just to get a rep, from which UD borrowed the line "they got their eye on the gold chain." the list goes on and on. daily operation is one of my favorite rap albums ever. RIP Guru, gifted unlimited rhymes universal.

Gutted. Been a massive fan since Step In The Arena. RIP Guru.

I love Gang Starr, (I'm pretty sure I put them in my Top 5 groups in that other thread), its a sad day too see Guru go.

BUT

There is something seriously wrong with the whole set up, read this statement Guru issued when he knew he was going to die. I'm sorry but he comes across as an asshole:

http://www.yoraps.com/news1.php?subaction=showfull&id=1271747661&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&

"My loyal best friend, partner and brother, Solar, has been at my side through it all and has been made my health proxy by myself on all matters relating to myself. He has been with me by my side on my many hospital stays, operations, doctors visits and stayed with me at my home and cared for me when I could not care for myself. Solar and his family is my family and I love them dearly and I expect my family, friends, and fans to respect that, regardless to anybody's feelings on the matter. It is my wish that counts. This being said I am survived by the love of my life, my sun KC, who I trust will be looked after by Solar and his family as their own. Any awards or tributes should be accepted, organized approved by Solar on behalf myself and my son until he is of age to except on his own."

"I do not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name likeness, events tributes etc. connected in anyway to my situation including any use of my name or circumstance for any reason and I have instructed my lawyers to enforce this. I had nothing to do with him in life for over 7 years and want nothing to do with him in death. Solar has my life story and is well informed on my family situation, as well as the real reason for separating from my ex-DJ."

So apparently he has left everything in charge to Solar, and before his death there was a youtube video from his nephew saying that Solar was actually stopping his family from seeing him in hospital.

DJ Premier has responded to the letter:

http://www.djpremierblog.com/2010/03/11/the-man-who-calls-himself-a-superproducer/

Pretty much saying Solar has manipulated Guru and tried to make him cut ties with Family and past friends for his own benefit.

There's no way in the world Guru wrote that letter.

PRESS RELEASE FROM GURUS FAMILY

The Elam family wishes to thank the fans of our son/brother/father uncle/nephew/cousin Keith aka GURU for the outpouring of love, concern and support.

Our hearts are broken by the loss of someone we loved so much. GURU was devoted to his young son, who will most keenly feel his absence.

GURU suffered from multiple myeloma for over a year. Accrued complications from this illness led to respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. As a result, GURU was in a coma from mid February until his death and never regained consciousness. Early on the morning of April 19th, he became hypertensive due to low blood pressure. He again went into cardiac arrest and slipped away from us.

GURU died far too young but he was, and we are, proud of all his many legendary musical contributions.

The family is not aware of any foundations established by GURU. We know and understand that countless fans want to express their condolences and love and, to that end, we are planning a memorial event in the near future that will be all-inclusive. Please look for further details from the family as they become available.

from The Elam Family

What I take from that is that Solar must have set up that foundation and that their going to organise a memorial event and Premo will be more than welcome.

There's something way messed up about that Solar dude. I reckon it will all come out soon. I always knew Guru had mad skills, but writing a letter from a coma is one hell of a feat.

Premier's official statement:

IT WAS A SAD DAY FOR ME TO GET CONFIRMATION ON THE DEATH OF A MAN WHO I WILL CONTINUE TO CALL MY BROTHER, KEITH ELAM, BETTER KNOWN AS GURU OF THE LEGENDARY GANG STARR.

FROM 1988-2004, WE EXPERIENCED SO MUCH SUCCESS TOGETHER THAT WE WERE ABLE TO EXPAND OUR BUSINESSES INDEPENDENTLY AND GIVE EACH OTHER WHAT GURU CALLED “CREATIVE SPACE”, BEFORE PLANNING TO REUNITE FOR OUR 7TH LP WHEN THE TIME WAS RIGHT. TRAGICALLY, WE WILL NEVER REACH THAT DAY.

I’VE BEEN ASKED TO COMMENT ON A LETTER SPEAKING ILL OF ME WHICH WAS SUPPOSEDLY WRITTEN BY GURU IN HIS DYING DAYS. ALL I WILL SAY ABOUT IT IS THAT OUR TIME TOGETHER WAS BEAUTIFUL, WE BUILT A HIP HOP LEGACY TOGETHER, AND NO ONE CAN RE-WRITE HISTORY OR TAKE AWAY MY LOVE FOR HIM. ONE THING I WOULD NEVER DO IS PLAY AROUND WITH THE TRUTH ABOUT HIS LIFE.

I WILL CELEBRATE GURU’S LIFE… I WILL HONOR HIS MEMORY… I WILL GRIEVE WITH THE ELAM FAMILY OVER HIS UNTIMELY DEATH… I WILL REMEMBER THE GANG STARR FOUNDATION AND ALL OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS OF GANG STARR WHO CAME BEFORE ME – WE ALL KNOW EACH OTHER… MOSTLY, I WILL CHERISH EVERYTHING WE CREATED TOGETHER AS GANG STARR, FOREVER. I’M GONNA MISS HEARING HIS SIGNATURE MONOTONE VOICE WHEN HE WALKS IN THE ROOM, BUT THE SONGS WILL ALWAYS BRING IT BACK TO ME….HIS RHYME FLOWS WERE INSANE, AND I WILL NEVER REMOVE HIM FROM MY HEART AND SOUL…….REST IN PEACE TO THE MAN WHO FELT “SATISFACTION FROM THE STREET CROWD REACTION” … I LOVE YOU GOO…….DJ PREMIER

The Boy Pidge wrote:There's something way messed up about that Solar dude. I reckon it will all come out soon. I always knew Guru had mad skills, but writing a letter from a coma is one hell of a feat.

Co-sign, although I don't have enough of an idea to comment properly about the situation something definitely isn't right with this Solar bloke, I hope he get's frozen out by the community, for what he's done to Guru's family.

T

You see the statement from Brownman, Guru's live horn player? Signs off with:

"Rest in peace bald-headed slick. Many of us know the truth behind your demise, and regardless of the evil surrounding you in your final days & the attempts to re-write history we’re all now witnessing – your legacy remains. History will remember… and so will I."

Man alive...

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/interviews/id.1535/title.tasha-denham-just-to-get-a-rep

I'm starting to feel weird about this now. I don't want to treat a man's life and death like a soap opera, but it's all so wierd (and I'm such a big fan of Guru's work) that I can't help wanting to find out more.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2010/apr/27/dj-premier-gang-starr-guru

http://www.birthplacemag.com/2010/04/guru-letter-charity-questions/

http://www.mtv.com/videos/news/507724/solar-adresses-intimacy-rumors-with-guru.jhtml#id=1637567

This is a really nice interview with Premier:
http://www.vibe.com/content/dj-premier-opens-about-gurus-death-solar-gang-starr-reunion-more

Also Guru's Sister:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1637932/20100427/gangstarr.jhtml