BIOGRAPHY
Gang Starr paired rapper Keith "Guru" Elam of Boston with producer Christopher "DJ Premier" Martin of Houston, the two joining forces in 1989 after Guru had originally formed the group in 1985 with a different DJ. Together they released a string of albums that set the standard for streetwise, socially conscious East Coast hip-hop, including Step in the Arena (1991) and Daily Operation (1992), widely regarded as genre classics. After Hard to Earn (1994), the pair increasingly pursued solo work, reuniting for Moment of Truth (1998), their highest-charting album, and The Ownerz (2003) before splitting in 2006. Guru died in 2010; Premier later released One of the Best Yet (2019), built around unreleased Guru verses.