Gang Starr

Following a four year layoff after Hard to Earn, there were questions as to whether Gang Starr could remain relevant in an ever-shifting rap landscape. All doubts were erased in the first minute of "You Know My Steez." Over Premier's trademark hard n' juicy drums, Guru relates, "I travel through the darkness, carrying my torch." The "darkness," of course, is the current state of African American affairs, which Guru further explores in "Robbin Hood Theory" and the excellent "Above the Clouds." Other standouts include the bumpy street vignette "Work" and the incarceration narrative "JFK 2 LAX."

Gang Starr might not have gold and platinum plaques on the wall, but they have gold and
platinum respect, and in hip-hop, respect is everything. On their fifth salvo, Moment of
Truth, Guru and DJ Premier continue their crusade for hip-hop's Holy Grail: realness. Like
on 1994's rock-solid Hard to Earn, the ever-consistent duo updates its sound on Moment of
Truth in a quest for mass appeal, but on their own terms. Even obvious radio ant... More >