The new-look Glow Like This... the spot for all things Time Machine and Glow-in-the-Dark Records. Lots of music, video, and more... new, old, rare and not-so-rare... on the way!
Stoe here. This was the second TM video I had the privilege of doing, a whopping 6 years after the first one. It involved four or five shooting expeditions. Our boy Garrett held down camera work for a good amount of this video. It was a blast to shoot and cut up. We gaff taped my camera to the hood of Jay’s luxurious ‘93 Infiniti J30 and took a drive around Temple and Beverly. We dunked Comel in a North Hollywood pool. We shot the beach stuff at Point Dume. An LA-ass shoot for an LA-ass video. ah, yes.
There does not exist music that means more to me than the music that Gang Starr has created. My “on a deserted island” albums are “Daily Operation” and “Moment of Truth”. Add in “Hey Young World” by Slick Rick and I don’t need a damn thing else. The whole reason I DJ is because of Gang Starr. The reason I love hip-hop to the extent that I do is because of Gang Starr. The reason I make beats is because of Gang Starr. And the reason I have early signs of arthritis is because I wanted to scratch as well as Preem did on the “Take It Personal” hook.
I used to carry around the inside of the “Daily Operation” cassette in my wallet and read the lyrics whenever I could. My boys and I used to bring a boombox to everywhere and anywhere and blast the intro to “Step In The Arena”. We used to do the same and rewind the “‘92 Interlude” 100 f**king times in a row cuz it was too damn short and we just wanted it to go on forever.
If you grew up in Rhode Island you may or may not have seen Guru’s caricature stenciled all around the state. My boy Ant was responsible for the sketch. I have no idea who may have done the rest:
For my summer reading one year I read the Ted Williams autobiography. Below was the project i did in which I have Guru endorsing the book. My teacher asked me who the f**k Guru was and what did he have to do with Ted Williams? I said, well Guru is from Boston and Ted Williams played for the Red Sox! This poster was hanging up in the hallways for at least one year after I graduated.
When Gang Starr received their star on the Walk of Fame at Tower Records in Boston I had to go.
I waited in the freezing cold and rain for almost 3 hours. There was a line down the street and around the block, and I loved it all.
I met Guru and Premier and was shook. I gave Preem one of my mixtapes and shook Guru’s hand. Then they signed my “Daily Operation” album. Guru told me to “stay cool” and I have tried to do just that ever since.
“Moment of Truth” came out around that time, and i was going through some pretty serious issues. The title track spoke to me, and at the risk of getting too emo, that album really helped me pull through.
I grew up listening to WRIU 90.3 FM in Rhode Island. I still remember Stress playing “You Know My Steez” for the first time on his friday mixshow, backspinning the f**k out of it. I had my walkman headphones pressed up against my ears, straining to hear each note of that song. Preem’s new “choppy” style completely blew my mind. So when I finally got a chance to spin on WRIU in 1999, I wanted to share my love for who I thought was the best rap group ever. Scott the Freq gave me the opportunity to spin on his show and i did a Gang Starr set. I was shook and rattled, but i pulled it off:
Then I eventually got my own show, and when “The Ownerz” came out, I bought 2 copies of the CD, LP, and LP Instrumentals and did another, more extensive Gang Starr set:
We all have music that can take us to a place that was much easier. Whether it’s just selective memory or really just happened to be a simpler time, there is something powerful and uplifting about being able to get transported back to that time and/or place. Gang Starr does that for me, and will always do that for me.
I remember skipping class to go to Skippy White’s the day that “Hard To Earn” dropped so I could cop it. I got back to school riding shotgun in my boy Andy Murphy’s cherry red Jeep Cherokee; the sun was shining, and “Speak Your Clout” was blowing my freaking mind. When “FALA” came on I almost put my face through his window. I just didn’t think music could be that good.
So this is why, when i woke up this morning and heard that Guru had passed away, it hit me so hard. I didn’t know the man, so I can’t say that he changed my life, but he and Premier sure had a hell of an impact on my life for two dudes that just existed on tape, vinyl and CD. I know i’m not the only one that held out hope that Guru would wake up, get better, and get back up with Preem and make one last Gang Starr album. It is the realization that this cannot ever happen that has left me with such an empty feeling. So is life, though: unfair, shockingly sad, stressful, and relentlessly scary. Luckily for me though, I have a sh*t ton of Gang Starr music to take me back to a place that is none of those things; where all I have to worry about is not putting my fist through a wall because Preem’s drums knock so hard or Guru’s voice just sounds, well, perfect.
Thank you for everything Guru, and I hope your soul is at peace, wherever you are.
Preem, take care of yourself, we need you here!
-Matt Katz aka DJ Mekalek
Edit:
I just got one more mix sent to me that I did circa 2005. My boy Ned, who’s also a Gang Starr fanatic, was basically handing me records and i was cutting/blending with a quickness. It’s from CD, so everybody who’s afraid of the tape quality of the others can enjoy the lack of grime. Plus, the tracks are separated. Considering the lack of preparation, it’s pretty damn good.
