Step In The Arena

I feel like this dragged a little. Technically they had great rhymes and beats, but I feel like they were missing a little something. A solid listen, however.

… I guess? I didn’t dislike it, but what am I missing here?

Not my bag

Pretty great little old school contest rap album.

Pretty instantly this felt like one of those albums either you never heard of or you know everything about. The flow and rhyme here is great. This feels decently foundational for a lot of people to come after.

I have been a fan of DJ Premier's sound for a long time, just so good at that boom bap bounce. I enjoy the way Guru hits the syllables. The deliberate way the lyrics are delivered stimulate my synapses even if Im not fully processing the whole time. This is so close to a 5 for me. Guru's strengths are also his weakness on this album. His calm monotone flow, although hypnotic, hold the album back from stepping up to another level. That being said Check the Technique, is a great track. I really enjoy this, but through the lens of a great album, maybe there is a version that is a little shorter and tighter that would have done better. I might even regret not giving this a 5.

generic early hiphop

No. 384/1001 Name Tag NR Step In The Arena 4/5 Form Of Intellect 4/5 Execution Of A Chump 3/5 Who's Gonna Take The Weight? 3/5 Beyond Comprehension 3/5 Check The Technique 4/5 Lovesick 4/5 Here Today, Gone Tomorrow 3/5 Game Plan NR Take A Rest 3/5 What You Want This Time 4/5 Street Ministry 3/5 Just To Get A Rap 3/5 Say Your Prayers 3/5 As I Read My S-A 4/5 Precisely The Right Rhymes 3/5 The Meaning Of The Name 3/5 Average: 3,38 Not a lot of hip-hop records from the late 80s & early 90s have aged that well. So I was quite positively surprised by this.

If it had just been the MC this would have been meh, but DJ Premier is delightful. I love the turntable work. It's a bit preachy in places but at least it manages to not curse every other word. It's full of the exact same tropes ("I'm better than you", "all the women want me", etc) as "Ready to Die" but from a "good boy" angle. That's just the scaffolding of the genre, I guess. All that said, it is pretty enjoyable. Another high 3.

Good fucking rap

A seminal album, hadn't heard them before but their influence on hip-hop and rap music is monumental. The album flew by in a flurry of jazz backed hard hitting lyrics, samples of classics, and future classics all neatly wrapped!

Kind of one-note.

Old Skool cool - a bit one-note but enjoyable.

No particularly strong feelings. Thought it was pretty meta when they sampled The Sugar Hill Gang. This epitomizes why I had a hard time getting into rap in the early days — the repetitive samples, the monotone delivery of the rap, it doesn't stay interesting for long. A couple of tunes, sure. But about 30% in, I was ready for something else.

I knew the name Gang Starr but I knew nothing about them. Guru was one of the first hip-hop artists I ever bought. And I know DJ Premier from PRhyme. So I was excited for this one. And it's solid if a bit dated maybe? I feel like both guys did better stuff later on. Still, it's cool.

I guess I'm a '90s rap fan. This project has expanded my mind. 3.5

I really liked this one, bouncy, amazing beats, strong old school rapping. Obviously art forms evolve over time, but this was a really interesting early 90's east coast rap. It's like seeing a cadillac from the 60s. There's a reason it got wiped out by the Prius and F150 and all other sorts of newer cars, but it has a charm and soul to it. Obviously not in the heights of Life After Death or even Enter the Wu-Tang that east coast hip hop would reach, but a great foundational album with solid beats.

Boring, repetative. Surprised its not earlier than 1990 really.

10/03/2026 After all the good hip hop albums that I've now listened to because of this generator... I was expecting more. This was just bang average. Spotify listeners: 3.2 million

This was like listening to NWA-lite.

Average gangsta rap

Flojo, pero no inescuchable. Muy monótono y aburrido

There's nothing overly showy about these songs and that's the whole point - solid raps, simple beats, quick wordplay. It won't get you hosting British Bakeoff 30 years down the line, but it'll do.

Classic old school hip-hop...

Really clean and confident beats. I think this preceded some of the latest jazz influenced beats, which take it up a notch. Still really good through. Conscious and intellectual lyrics, the delivery could do with a bit more range, but still a great example of a golden age in hip hop

Same damn fine 90s rap

this is such a baller pick for the list Would I listen again: yes Deserves to be on this list: yes 4.1

Good rapping, even better beats, great album. Higher side of 4

I knew Lovesick from this album but not anything else. The beats are solid and the lyrics have a real substance to them. It's a fun album

Not bad, but not noteworthy either.

🎧On par with some of the best rap I’ve heard from this era. I can hate on Dimery for not having any Eric B. & Rakim on the list, but I gotta give him credit for introducing me to this excellent album.

Day784 - early nineties hip-hop is the best hip-hop. step in the arena and here today gone tomorrow are classics

Appreciate the lyrical prowess, but as far as listening enjoyment it was boring and repetitive. Understand the importance it has in hiphop history and that it influenced better music down the road. But thats just the thing, it influenced better music..

Once again, here to state that I don't like rap. That being said, I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed this record. I couldn't tell you exactly what it is, but something works

Monotont. Sikkert rap-teknisk stort, men....

3-4? Als Hiphop noch besser war

I have never even heard the name of this group nor any songs by them. So this will all be new to me. This is my 5th hip hop album and I liked more songs on this one album than the other 4 rap albums combined (only 3 songs total on those). But - I still only ended up liking 5 out of 18 songs on this. Maybe rap is growing on me or this one is actually better (thinking the latter)? Songs liked: "Execution of a Chump", "Beyond Comprehension", "Lovesick", "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow", "What You Want This Time?". Just noticed most of these are some of the least streamed songs on this album, except for Lovesick. It seems my rap tastes don't match up with the masses at all - haha. Some of the songs have a fun vibe and they are not the usual misogynistic crap I've heard on other rap albums. Liked songs on Spotify: 5/18 Rating: 2/5

Fav tracks: execution of a chump, step in the arena, precisely the right rhymes The productions sounded super cool in this album and the lyrics were creative! The flow sounds like it set the standard for peak 90s rap.

Inconsistent I think. Some strong tracks, some odd ones. Overall I enjoyed it. Check The Technique was class.

Det var noget af det bedre rap vi har haft. Det var tilbagelænet og ikke et usselt forsøg på at se sej ud over for sine venner.

Jazzy hip hop med et cool laidback flow. I like it

Better than average 1991 sound. More of a mellow flow than their peers at the time.

Really fun first few songs I was about to write it off but then it kind of clicked

2 - TERRIBLE

This is amongst the best rap albums of all time. Not as flashy as many other rappers but more focussed on lyrical and poetic abilities. If you're into rap, you should listen to this.

Not my usual listening fare, but it was good for what it is

Excellent album. Between Guru’s flow and Premier’s beats, it doesn’t get much better

Not usually my thing but a really solid album.

Really good.

God these old school hip hop albums are just so effortlessly cool and listenable. I don't know if I've found one that I haven't liked yet tbh. 7/20

Gangster with a decent rythem. but let's just agree to stick to our own turf.

3.1

I liked this. Good background beat with some sound variation

fun.

I like the overall sound! I looked at some of the lyrics and am impressed by the poetry. I feel like this is an album where you can discover something new with each listen.

All a bit samey

Fine.

Anything DJ Premier touches tends to be pretty golden. Guru is one that splits me. Days where I love his smooth mellow monotone, but sometimes I want a voice with greater range and energy. Guru's power is his lyricism and velvet delivery and backed by Preemo it's always strong. This one teeters on the edge between a 4 and a 5. I might just tap in between the stars in a blurry-eyed early morning review tomorrow and see what comes of it.

Gang Starr kommen aus den USA und nahmen Step In The Arena als ihr zweites Studioalbum 1990/91 in mehreren New-York-Studios auf – darunter Calliope Productions in Manhattan sowie Firehouse und Such-A-Sound in Brooklyn. Der Musikstil ist East-Coast-Hip-Hop mit Boom-Bap- und Jazz-Rap-Einflüssen. Auf dem Album finden sich Titel, die in der Geschichte des Genres auffällig wurden, etwa „Step In The Arena“, „Who's Gonna Take The Weight?“ und „Just To Get A Rep“. Die Produktion übernahmen DJ Premier und Guru selbst, wobei sich Premiers Beatgestaltung und Gurus ruhiger Vortragsstil zu einem präzisen Klangbild verbinden. Step In The Arena zeigt eine Phase, in der sich der Duo-Sound zu einer prägnanten, auf lyrischer Dichte und samplegeprägten Beats basierenden Form des Hip-Hop herausbildete. Die abschließende Bewertung des Albums liegt in der Bedeutung für den Hip-Hop-Kontext: es dokumentiert eine konsistente künstlerische Ausrichtung ohne übertriebene Effekte und bietet klare Einblicke in das Zusammenspiel von MC und Producer.

Early hip hop like this tends to not age well, but I still found this to be pretty enjoyable. I'd say the beats have held up better than the bars. When I was a kid I somehow went from MC Hammer to NWA, but I think something like this would have been a better middle ground.

I love the grooves here. Somehow reminds me of Tribe Called Quest with the horns/jazz backing. There are lots of clever slant rhymes, even basic things like "[superficial] [and I wish you] (would give it a rest)" -- it's not a strict rhyme but same number of syllables, same cadence, "sh" in the same spot -- it works. I'd call it a high 3.

Gang Starr was one of those bands I knew existed, but hadn't actually listened to. I think, given their name and when they were active, I just presumed they were gangsta rap in the style of NWA. But (without knocking gangsta rap) this was a pleasant surprise.

Super solid pretty much front to back. Mostly spare samples and instrumentation topped by timeless rhymes - with the occasional big swing (like the 'California Soul' sample on "Check the Technique.") Feel like this should be up there with Low End Theory and The Score in terms of early to mid 90s hip hop classics - should definitely be better known.

Awesome album but not there best for me, Guru & Premier -> legend!

Killer early 90s hip hop. Every song slaps. Great beats, incredible flow. A total winner.

2/10/26. New discovery for me, enjoyed on the first listen! Tight flow and cool beats/samples. I need to check out more of their work to expand on my 90s hip hop!

Not sure if this is a case of Stockholm syndrome, but two hip hop albums in two days, and I’m finding them … OK? I know that I’m probably only catching a fraction of the clever rhymes and wordplay here, but the music is satisfyingly funky and I can let it wash over me. Probably not one I’d go back to and listen again, but I didn’t actively hate it which is probably progress of a sort.

Not that I should really compare albums to each other, but I'm much more impressed with Step in the Arena than with Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle. While it doesn't have the catchy g-funk beats that I love on Doggystyle, it has much more thoughtful and meaningful lyrics, that actually evoke thought and bring issues to light rather than create more of them. And don't take the absence of g-funk sampling as a dig at this album, because it has very great sampling of its own. "Lovesick" and "Check the Technique" stood out the most to me on this album, I liked both of them, but especially "Lovesick", with its awesome sampling. Favorite Song: "Lovesick"

Some great, straightforward, simplistic but enjoyable rap here

Jazz-beats, cool samples, and (mostly) good rhymes (a notable exception: “I can excel real well like a gazelle”). The themes seem to be about getting respect, but also about working together to lift up your brother.

Truly timeless hip-hop

Good classic rap album

For hip-hop, this is pretty much spot on. It's just not for me.

Really enjoyed the use of classic soul/jazz samples, some of the rapping was very stilted and stuck to a classic rhyming couplet pattern which I know is very of the time, but feels a bit formulaic and predictable over the course of a whole album. Glad I listened to it though

Great album

Ended up liking this one quite a bit. I'm not a huge rap/hip hop fan, but this album had a style that I liked. The flows were good, and it somehow sounded both like early 90s rap and something timeless. My biggest issue with it was that it was long, both in runtime (50+ minutes) and track number (18 total). That made it a bit tedious for me, especially as it got toward the end. I probably would have minded that less if I was more a fan of the genre. Still, I thought it was pretty good. Overall: 3.5/5

Good old school hip hop. Nothing Stock out to me in particular, but I dug it. Phat beats and dope rhymes. Or maybe it’s dope beats and phat rhymes. Either way, I can see going back to this one.

Good but nothing memorable.

niezbyt czesta sytuacja zeby pojawilo sie cos lubianego i znanego, drugi krazek duetu guru i dj premier z 90/91 zalezy od tego ktore wydanie, a krazek niby drugi to jednak otwiera ich dyskografie dla szerszego odbiorcy, bo pierwszy krazek jest praktycznie niewykrywalny w presach czy nawet na strimingach, no i jakosciowo tez odstaje od poziomu znanego juz z step in the arena, ktory jest dobrym openingiem kariery duetu, ktory tak bardzo wplynal na brzmienie rapu na wschodnim wybrzezu, chociaz step in the arena jeszcze nie jest az tak hardkorowy w swoim brzmieniu, to slychac juz tutaj poczatki uniklanego stylu skreczowania premiera i ulicznie inteligentnej nawijki guru, nie brakuje tu takze bragowania, czy historyjek zyciowych, nie zabraklo nawet problemow milosnych, wiec pelny pakiet kontentowy, wiec o ile calosc slucha sie dobrze jak przystalo na gang starra, to poza tytulowym step in the arena i just to get a rep, nie kojarze z tytulow wiecej trakow, z tego odsluchu dodam na plejke jeszcze lovesicka i whos gonna take the weight, szkoda ze to jedyny albumik duetu na liscie, bo wybor zdecydowanie niesprawiedliwy, bo kolejne pozycje tylko podnosza jakosc i kultowosc juz tutaj klasycznych tekstow, ktore wielokrotnie byly samplowane czy parafrazowane, no i znany i lubiany album akurat na pozycje numer 666, jakby numerologia nawet chciala byc zabawna

Really loved the vibe on this album! Great beats from DJ Premier

Aldrig varit min genre tyvärr, säkert bra gjort oas!

Good samples, good flow, good lyrics. Just overall pretty good, although not my usual choice for regular listening.

For reasons that probably have everything to do with me being a white dude, I never really connected with rap music in any meaningful way. Yeah, I was exposed to a lot of it via friends because at the time if you were into skateboarding you kind of had to be into either hip hop or punk and I gravitated towards the latter. Which is a roundabout way of saying that up until now I was only familiar with Gang Starr from knowing other rappers DJ Premier worked with, like Jeru the Damaja, and I never explored very deeply in these directions. For me, DJ Premier’s production is the real highlight here. Though my teenaged interest in punk music quickly waned, it was a way into listening to things that were outside the mainstream, and DJ Premier’s sampling, his cut and paste techniques in forming beats, seem almost verging on experimental music in a way that I don’t hear in other rap music production. Maybe it’s just how I’m hearing it today, I don’t know. I like it though. Guru is a very good MC, I don’t really have the vocabulary to explain why. Good album though, among my favourites of the rap records I’ve heard on here so far.

Favorite track(s): Execution of a Chump (No More Mr. Nice Guy Pt. 2), Check the Technique

Rating: 8/10 Short Review: Some really memorable bars and great beats, just overall very well-rounded record. A couple of things didn't age particularly well, but that just kind of how it goes with older albums.

For a rap album, I really enjoyed this, lots of funky rhythm in all the songs

Very nice I would listen again

3/5 I didn’t think I would really like this album but it surprised me! Enjoyed the vibe but got a bit repetitive

8/10 Guru could've hit harder, DJ Premo slaps hard

3 Stars (8/15)

Yet another boring Hip-Hop album - why are there so many Hip-Hop and Rap albums in this list?

10/5, no notes.

Good stuff, MF Doom relative in some ways? Sounds like him a bit. I enjoyed!

Mediocre album. Big fan of DJ Premier but this album didn't do much for me.

Very clear delivery of lines, I can understand everything without needing to read the lyrics. Of course Rap has moved way past this, but it is almost 30 years old! 4/5

3⭐️/5 01.21.2022

Amazing throughout! An absolute essential. The beats, the rhymes, and the sound aesthetic are in perfect from on this LP Top Track: Who's Gonna Take The Weight?

6

Some of the bars are cool, but mostly this just feels like another dated hip hop album.

No.

I think I’m learning I like hip hop more than I thought I did.

About as goofy as the artist name would suggest. 1.5/5.0: Bad

good lyrics and beats but nothing really stands out on here.

At points this sounds incredible and at others it’s a boring slog. I think the rapper’s voice is the main issue. It’s monotonous and not particularly engaging

I like Gang Starr. And this album serves as a good introduction to them, even if it isn't as good as "Hard to Earn." This is a "classic" in that it helped inform what came next, but I wouldn't call it a Mt. Rushmore hip-hop record. Still, a great listen. 7/10

Very good, particularly form of intellect

Step In The Arena is a rather great hip-hop album. I'm not familiar with this group per se but i am definitely familiar with one of it's members, DJ Premier, primarily because he produced for some other albums on this list. And just like he does a great job on those albums, he does a great job here too with some rather catchy samples even if some of them are a bit hollow. The rapping is also cool with both Premier and Guru doing a pretty good job even if some of these lyrics are a bit dumb and cheesy. It does make sense as this was a hip-hop album from the early 90s and has all the cheesiness you would expect from that. I liked this one a bit more than i thought i would have. Best Song: Check The Technique Worst Song: Game Plan

thats a decent hip hop

Lyrical miracle spiritual backpack rap that sounds like an inner-city substitute teacher trying to win over a classroom with a rhyming dictionary. No doubt influential to the history of hip hop, but the genre progressed so quickly that this is ancient history

Beats didn't do much for me, kind of simple and boring to me. Lyrics and flow were good and clear. Decent narrative.

I mean I get what these guys are trying to do, but it's falling far short of A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, De La Soul, 3rd Bass, and other east coast hip hop groups. I'm just not getting there. they have some grooves, but I still struggle to find why I needed to hear this before I die. Seems to happen a lot with albums on this list. 2.45 / 5 stars

This feels way ahead of its time. Clean jazz samples, flowing lines. A standout hip hop album that contrasts a lot of the gangsta stuff

Good enough Rap album. May listen again, not gasta listenable, clever.

3.5 stars. Early 90's gangster rap. Impressive for its time even if it doesn't hold up super well decades-on. Standout is "Check The Technique", with it's "California Soul" sampling.

I have a soft spot for late 80s/early 90s hip-hop I think. Pretty good overall

Adding jazz to hiphop doesn’t make either of them better. Not the best rapping either.

ripetitivo, boring

yess

++*: Lovesick ++: Step in the Arena, Beyond Comprehension, Check the Technique, What You Want This Time?, Street Ministry, Just to Get a Rep, As I Read My S-A, Precisely the Right Rhymes, The Meaning of the Name +: Name Tag (Premier & the Guru), Form of Intellect, Who's Gonna Take the Weight?, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, Game Plan, Take a Rest, Say Your Prayers +-: Execution of a Chump ( No More Mr. Nice Guy Pt. 2) 7,7/10

Рэп- это музыка, которая быстрее всех стареет. Этот релиз один из таких

1/3/26. 7/10

One of the best hip hop albums of the 90’s

If I was really into this? I’d be a happy for the length. It’s a bit too long for me. Not loving it though

i love 90s rap

Lethal

Great album, looped it and didnt notice it was still playing so listened to it 1.5 times. Old school rap focused on meaning and wordplay, with a goal of clearly conveying a story and message. Its a gerne so i understand if not everyone loves it, but i do. Something we dont hear to often anymore in current hiphop, a lot slower and less boppy than current artists which gives it a good shakeup for me. East coast hiphop always has had a certain style and flair which is clearly portraited in this album without being to overtly bad. Glad to have listened to this.

I like hip hop, but I can be very picky. Older hip hop doesn't really interest me often. The beats are simple and repetitive and many lyrics simple. This album is a little better than I am used to, but still the album doesn't really impress me. It's good, with nice flow, lyrics and somewhat funky beats, but it's just too simple for my tastes. It doesn't help that the album lidts a whopping 18 tracks. I would immediately believe you if you told me this album isn't their greatest work, because it just isn't it for me.

Fucking loved the album. Wouldn't be able to tell you much beyond since I'm no hip-hop listener, but the flow felt great. Amazing backing tracks which gave of a nice mellow beat. The lyrics felt authentic and powerful.

I recognize a lot of these songs used in samples for newer songs. I can see the influence and the lyricism is much better than the other rap from this era. It is high brow rap, but as others have said, it lacks feeling and comes off as dry.

I had a fun time listening to this!

Sometimes named the best hip-hop album of all time. Do I agree? Not overall, but I don't like one artist for any genre. It's built by so many names. I notice a lot of the negative reviews for this album are from non hip-hop fans. Alas, I respect it. They're not one of the artists that made me fall for hip-hop, but you can hear the influence.

Very cool

Wholesome gangsta rap

classic

Everything I've ever heard from Gang Starr is, at worst, better than average. This album was no exception. Excellent flows over dope production. Favorite track: Step in the Arena

Okay, rap and hip-hop are not my genre, but I’m genuinely trying to learn. I gave this album 4 listens before rating. There is clearly fantastic production on display in “Step Into the Arena”. Also on display some fun beats and rhythms, that even managed to get my middle-aged, white head a boppin’. That is what I’m supposed to be focusing on in terms of instrumentation, I think? I also appreciated the fact that the lyrics were not over-the-top misogynistic or otherwise written for shock value. To me, that shit always comes across as fake overly theatrical bullshit. The lyrics came across as much more intelligent and mature, for me this is a good thing but other obviously feel otherwise. It is probably my inexperienced ears, but a small gripe is that the music, not necessarily the rapping, seemed a little repetitive. Overall, this was among the better traditional hip-hop albums from the list so far. I still don’t totally get it, l enjoyed listening to it, but I didn’t gravitate toward it. I’ll keep trying.

3.5

God save us f4om this rubbish

I'm not too big on early hip hop with some exceptions. This album was pretty good; definitely feels like its part of a transition between late 80s "goofier" hip hop and early, basic rap, and the more violent gangster rap that emerged throughout the 90s. Some really good flow on the album.

i can see how this was impactful. i think as an album it wasn't for me as much but having the individual songs on a playlist when i'm in the mood for it would work for me.

Abdolute gem. When rap mattered and was about reality snd social change outing inequality and injustice. Somehow they managed to fuck up the genre

A simple rap album with some interesting samples woven in. Didn't feel very special.

An interesting album - had a few good songs on it So far no albums with women ???

Competent, but not impressive. I'm only passingly familiar with hip-hop, but this sounds like a stepping-stone album that maybe laid the groundworker for future masterpieces, but is not a masterpiece itself. It reminded me a bit of Wu-Tang and Tribe Called quests. But this came out in '91, whereas 'Midnight Marauder' and 'Enter the 36 Chambers' both came out in '93. So it may have been a strong influence on some of the greatest hip hop of the 90's (or all time). But was nowhere close to perfecting what it was doing the way those other artists and albums were.

Not my go to genre, but thought it was decent - enjoyed it

DJ's Guru and Premier are clearly students of Eric B & Rakim as the two rap intellectual and emotional lyrics over light, breezy, and jazzy beats and samples. Gang Starr are technically brilliant, but the album feels a little two one-note for me. If you're a fan of late 80's/early 90's hip hop for the culture, then you'll love this.

I wasn’t in the mood for hip hop this morning. I’ve had a lot of rap on this list recently, and frankly, I’m over it. What I forgot, however, is the basic equation- the older rap is, the better it is. This was pretty ok. The vibe was right, the flow was cool, and overall I went from coming in hyper critical to leaving with a head nod of approval. I’ll revisit this one day when I’m actually jonesing for old school hip hop.

(63/100)

Classic of the genre for a reason and some of their most known songs are here. Jazzy beats are a Gang Starr staple, mellow and relaxed sounds give you a very pleasant listening experience and Guru (RIP), forever underrated, is as smooth as he ever was. The album does kind of meander towards the end, but I won't hold it against it. This list should have featured one or two more of their albums, so if you liked this check out at least Moment of Truth as it is most likely their best work.

Sounds like 90s rap. Solid flow, good beats.

good

While A Tribe Called Quest did this better, this is pretty solid. The early 90’s definitely was the golden age of hip hop.

Hurray, hip-hop without incessant swearing and even some background tunes.

Smooth as butter and some great sharp lyrics.

Hip hop que realmente no me llegó mucho 4/10

This album's chief sin is filler: it's 18 tracks long and some of them feel very unnecessary. When you cut a bit of fat, however, there's plenty of absolute bangers left to enjoy, huge beats overdubbed with funky, jazzy samples and smart, emotive raps.

It’s listenable rap for me, which is saying something. Good beats & groovy enough. The Meaning of the Name is my favorite tune on it. I do love their tune It’s Getting Hectic w/ the Brand New Heavies.

This is a typical 1990s Hip Hop album. Really, I can't add anything else to that. Favorite Track: "Step In The Arena".

ohh a jeru the damaja connection. That was a pleasant surprise as was this. Was not familiar with guru, dj premier or their game and i must apologise. Real tight production.

R.I.P. Guru. Debut album of two hip hop icons. Masterful production by Premo. Lyrical flow matches the beats perfectly. Creative voice cuts in scratches.

I am torn on this one. So it's gets a 3, right in the middle

1.5 - ok at best

Fire.

Extremely generic 90s era rap.

this was a bit of a hard slog to get through, you’ve heard one song you’ve heard them all

nah

This was so great I immediately went back and listened to their other albums after.

I didn't get the hype it was just OK

Still not my genre

3.3 2x catch up Marta and airport 12/1

fantastisk NYC produktion, bra text. man kan verkligen höra new york DNA genom hela albumet

Rätt bra, chill 90-tals hip-hop! Gillade det mer än jag trodde, bra vibe och bra texter!

"The DJ's name is Premier, and I'm the Guru" With Gang Starr's sophomore release, the duo ups the ante of their debut with a solid collection of tracks. Each beat that DJ Premier produced for this record is superbly mellow and understated, which is beautifully juxtaposed by the focused lyricism of "The Guru," Keith Elam. His rapping is rather complex for the time, employing internal rhyme schemes that could easily be written off as Guru just showing off, but he manages to come off as a smooth and refined MC. While this project is not as polished as their later works, and a few of the tracks can be seen as dated by today's standards, Step in the Arena still stands as a solid hip-hop record that I would recommend to anyone looking to get into the genre. Standout Tracks: Step in the Arena, Execution of a Chump, Check the Technique, Love Sick, Just to Get a Rep Score: B

Another rap album 😩. Look, all I'm going to say it was mildly more melodic than Nas and Ice Cube. Not as much pretending to be hard and taking about shooting people but still mighty silly. I'll give it a genuine 1 star whilst the other two were a 0.

it was fun! i had fun!

This album was listenable. 50+ minutes was a bit too long for me. Like the jazz albums these songs all kind of ran together. I didn’t hate it and am not the one to judge this album due to my lack of reference in the rap genre. I did like “The Meaning of The Name” and the title track.

Never gave Gang Starr enough attention before this. Immaculate samples (as expected by premier, even this early in his career) and Guru, while not immune to 90s corniness sometimes has such a well paced smooth flow. Loved this one

typical-feeling early 90s hip hop. well done but not really grabbing me.

Simple funk and soul samples and no overproducing. That's, ladies and gentleman, it's some real dope rap. Not perfect, but really good.

Perfectly OK 80s-90s hiphop. I have a hard time seeing myself going back her, but I enjoyed it well enough

Stone cold classic old school hip hop, but doesn't have any true standout tracks. Hella consistent, though.

*Shrug* Playthrough was fine, but there was nothing drawing me in for a second pass.

The rap was great, and I can see how this is influential. Sadly this just didn’t hold up over the years falling into the dated category. I was happy to listen, but I won’t need a repeat on this anytime soon.

Never ever even heard of these guys. But some sweet scratching on the decks.

Boring

Excited for this, they're propped up pretty high and I've never really listened to them at all. The lyrics on this are so good and so fun. So many lines where you get to go "OOOOUUUUU" when you hear it. Production is solid. The songs get a little sleepy and samey but if you're locked into the production and lyrics this thing is a treat. I'm between a high 3 and a low 4.

Not my thing at all but I'll give it a 3

This is nice--retro beats, clever rhymes, one dude's from Boston. No complaints.

Not my thing

Hip hop banger

Enjoyable to listen to, not anything I'd revisit though.

Pretty awesome early 90's hip hop album. I wasn't aware of the cultural importance but I can gather from reading reviews its prominent. I enjoyed the production and beats the most. Gang starr's flow is definitely iconic and the wordplay was quite groovy. Nothing beats a good 90s duo.

I really want to like this… but many of the rhymes feel forced, making them sound awkward and/or weak.

If someone could dunk from a 3-point line, would it count as a 3-pointer?.. Oh fuck, this album's americanized me brb gotta buy a napalm thrower for self-defense This shit is so shit I'd bring it with me to school every day just in case there's a shooting so that I can throw it in the shooters bag to get the media to blame everything on it

I hate east coast rap. All they cared about was the rhythm of their deliveries and not about the beat

This was pretty bland. It slipped by largely unnoticed.

Never heard this album before but it felt like I had

8/10

Amaze balls!

Early 90s hip-hop from Guru and DJ Premier, one of raps greatest duos. A very solid debut, and a great building block for future releases, most remarkably 1998's Moment of Truth. I'd give this a solid 7.6, rounded up

Classic 90s hip hop with some really good lyricism.

Nice album!

Predictable

Enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Accessible rap.

Had never heard of this band or album. What a find. Foot tapping beats and excellent lyrics that go from serious to funny in a heartbeat. Nothing not to like.

I'm not crazy about hip hop, but this is solid. I like the jazzy elements. Lovesick has a cool beat. Favorite songs: Just to Get a Rep, Say Your Prayers, Lovesick.

Found myself enjoying this one at first, but then as it went on it did feel a bit repetitive/flat. Think the style of delivery contributes to that. Still not bad overall.

Now we’re talking! It’s about time this list got some teeth! Excellent album and I wish there was more like this on the list.

Dj Premier is een legende en Guru is zeker geen matige rapper, maar dit album is net wat te oud voor me. Ik verveel me er een klein beetje bij en dat is niet goed natuurlijk. Dit raakt geen enkele snaar bij me. Doe mij maar 'Moment Of Truth', hun album uit 1998. Ik hou het op een 2 vandaag. Ik kan er niet meer van maken.

talking to matt while listening to this one, might come back later, too mny songs to get to already

Finally a hip hop album, and a classic at that. Here's hoping Moment of Truth makes the list as well. RIP Guru

I was hesitant to start with, but this was really good, impressive and on point.

I only knew of Gang Starr from ttheir one song with Prince (which was a great track). Love this early 90s hip hop sound. And its.. easy? Nit as angry as Pubmic Enemy and certainly not as aggressive as NWA. Just a great groove. Love the sample of The Band on Beyond Comprehension!

While not something I'd normally listen to, I liked this.

it was obviously aged but i still enjoyed listening to it 8/10

Decent old school rap albeit the sound is a tad dated.

Turns out I enjoy the 90s rap sound more than I thought I did, that being said nothing majorly stand out on this

Great album

I like the vibe on this chill

usually love hiphop albums but this one didn't really do it for me. i could appreciate certain tracks and that it was a hugely influential album 30 years ago but i thought it started to get slightly repetitive for a 50-minute running. i didn't hate it at all, it's just not something i'll be rushing back to.

Boring, generic rap. Was optimistic. 2

No thanks

It's aight, all the best songs are not really on this one Will I listen to again: 29%

Genius old school wins out here. One's more or less fully down with any record that samples Bacharach and Dark Shadows theme and obscure jazz. And shows if emcee's got the skills, the records don't need no frills (wait, that rhymes).

Great album, will revisit

Strong hip hop stuff. We liked it.

Used to love a bit of Jazzmatazz back in the day. I love their more laid back style. and that’s a good thing. Some nice samples and chill vibes. Decent interesting lyrics too. Definitely my kind of hip hop. 3.5

Kinda sounds like every other 90s hip hop album :/

3/5

Best Song: Lovesick. Perfectly laidback, relaxed. Chill as hell. Worst Song: Game Plan. Don't know if this even counts as a track, but it's just 70 seconds of wasted space on the album. Overall: Pretty decent. It feels dated in a neutral way. Definitely "of an era", but fun enough that I could imagine coming back to it.

AAAAAAAAHHlmost perfect

I was expecting garbage but it was some fun early 90’s hip hop. Spouse said “sounds like going to a fraternity party in 1991”

Another classic example of "right artist, wrong album". In this case it should have been Gang Starr's 1998 album "Moment of Truth". Regardless, this is a solid hip hop album. Makes me wanna listen to more Gang Starr since this is only the second album of their's that I've listened to from start to finish. Good stuff. Favorite track: Execution Of A Chump

Another "Greatest hip hop album of all time"? Big question sign for me! Nonetheless a well produced and quite listenable hip hop album. favourite: "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" 2,5

Classic hip-hop album. Somewhere between a 3 and a 4.

Cool hiphop record!

Execution of a Chump Beyond Comprehension Check The Technique Here Today, Gone Tomorrow What You Want This Time? As I Read My S-A

I don’t know that it will be super memorable for me, but I appreciate hearing new hip hop I haven’t heard before. I’ll take it over another 50s psych rock Zappa experiment.

Jazzy boom bap beats with classic dj scratching, soul samples, and a laid back upbeat feel to them, especially when the upright bass parts hit. Tight wordy verses delivered in two similar precise high speed flows with distinct timbres/cadence. Conscious positive rap from the same time/place as the Native Tongues acts. No bad songs, but there's not a ton of variety to it, so the 50 minutes feels a bit long.

East coast hip hop is where it's at for me, and I can't believe I slept on this one. Preem's beats are crazy good on this. Guru's flow feels so limitless. Could be a 5 in time.

Pretty average early 90s hip hop record. Nothing special for me. Muddy production on the vocals. It was fine certainly nothing special for me. No intensity at all and certainly didn’t have an amazing groove vibe. Just felt uninspired.

Good album, very long.

I came into this with nothing except a slight distain for early 90's rap I came away with that opinion wholly unchanged but i did enjoy some of the samples.

Really great album. You can almost hear the start of the cross between the 80s style of hip hop and what would become peak 90s style. Great vocals and a sign of great things to come for Gang Starr. 8/10

Tough 3 vs 4. I would listen again but nice pre party groove mix. Almost chill beats with more to it

Yea man. Early 90s hip hop. It’s good.

Pretty good. I liked it. What else can I say?

I don't know much about early hip hop history but this was very enjoyable, especially since the MCs rap without flair and vocal acrobatics like modern rap. The samples are all classics, put on loop but never feel repetitive. There isn't a single weak track. I'd give this a 4 if there was a stand out track, but this really is a solid album by Gang Starr from the golden age of hip hop.

Decent hip hop album, good beats, solid rapping, but not the best rap album I’ve heard during this challenge

Chill beats, nice flow, little to say. Probably felt far more in its age.

I appreciate the lyricism and the influence here, but the slow rapping and old school beats are a little dull to my modern sensibilities.

Bra.

Ok, so a few of the rhymes feel a little old fashioned nowadays. But this rips

Ya se me están apilando los discos de hip-hop que individualmente se empiezan a diluir. Me llevo un like igual. Nota: 3.3

Two consecutive hip-hop albums... And it feels like it is trying to tire me to boredom or convince me to like it by repetition. Well, I'm going to reinforce my opinion. Once you've listened to one hip-hop album, you've heard it all (or, at least, a ninety percent of what you can expect of this genre). This album is repetitive, long and bland. Its length wouldn't be a problem if the music were interesting, but it's not the case. And (more of a critique to hip-hop than to this album as I don't think the lyrics of this album are good at all) I can't focus on the lyrics if the music isn't interesting for me. It's like having so much noise in the background and trying to focus on a conversation... It doesn't work. As this album, I didn't like it at all. But I knew it even before clicking play.

Now we’re talkjng

it was hard to listen, kinda tired from all the rap albums i've tried to listen. but, this one's lyrics are not bad at least he's not saying "nigga mf" every 5 secs 3 stars out of respect

Gang Starr are one of the best Hip Hop groups of all time. I love this era of Hip Hop, where seemingly anything was possible and there were tons of interesting ideas in every album. Gang Starr delivers great flow and some great backbeats as well. It has dark lyricism without falling in the yet to be established gangster rap tropes. I hadn't heard this album by them yet but I'll be sure to return to it. Neat that the song from GTA IV was on here as well.

Lyrics hit and miss, beats untouchable

Didn't dislike this album. Which is unusual for rap/hip hop. Always helps when they're not singing about puerile topics, guns, bitches and ho's, drugs, ma Benz' etc. Several tunes really were quite cool, nice use of samples, eg, 'California soul'. Wouldn't buy though.

ouderwetse rap. redelijk voor de stijl

Execution of a chump

One of the best MCs ever. RIP Guru

Gang Starr. Rap at its most primal form, and as killer as ever. Guru is one of the smartest to ever hold the mic, and he's got such a cool flow. DJ Premier never has a bad beat, but big ups for "Who's Gonna Take The Weight?", god damm whata beat. "Lovesick" might be my favorite thing Guru ever wrote

It's fine. Some of the rhymes are pretty good, others are clunky.

Very early 90s rap.

I assume this has a great historical significance, but it kinda fell flat to me. Some great beats, combining jazzy samples with a Public Enemy style collage approach. Flows and lyrics are nice in a late 80s storytelling fashion, but it felt like a stepping stone to better work in later years. Not offensive, but lacking any kind of hook. Listened through twice and can't remember a single track. A very high 2.

Maso

Hype

Le barre spingono, le basi deludenti. Dirò 1, se mi piacesse il genere forse 3?

Нулевая ценность. 1 из 10.

A lot of hip-hop from this era has lost its edge over time as it's been adopted and coopted by mainstream culture, but some works, like this one, stand out as timeless classics.

p659. 1991. 1.5 stars. Rap/hip-hop, so wrong audience. All the tracks sound the same. Bonus half point for not using the usual misogynist hateful language most 90s rappers use.

A very mediocre album overall. DJ Premier is fantastic, but I find this to be his most basic production…very simple loops. Guru isn’t a fantastic rapper as well. He lacks a lot of charisma you could get from many rappers in 1991 (Q-Tip, Busta, De La Soul) and there isn’t anything on this album that is iconic today.

I loved thiss. All of the flows and lyrics were cool. Each track felt really different from the last one which is awesome bc I’ve listened to some hip hop where all the flows are really similar. Theres honestly nothing I don’t like about this album. Fav song: title track, execution of a chump

This album was very enjoyable all the way through. I can hear the type of samples and general vibe in albums that came after. The lyrics are also clever and very enjoyable. Imo the flows started to get a little boring by the end. It probably didn’t need to be as long as it was but it was all still good. Standout Tracks: Step In The Arena, Who’s Gonna Take The Weight, As I Read My S-A 4/5 deserves to be on this list

I know I've heard samples from this. 4.

The lyrics and rapping I thought was very interesting, but the instrumentals sounded blah and all the same. Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

This is probably influential in some way but I didn’t think it was anything special. The beats were solid and I am a fan of turntablism. The raps were good, sometimes silly, mostly end rhymes. I think for the time it doesn’t stand up to Chuck D, Rakim, or even Ice Cube.

Classic.

Pretty smooth.

Pretty cool, lots of variety. I liked it. 7/10.

I love this album. I immediately recognized the rappers voice and flow. I've listened to guru in the past. I love the jazz rap vibes

This was dope. I've listened to gang star before, but never through one of their full albums. Love Gurus flow and the producing by DJ premiere is next level. The record scratch interludes were so funky, songs were filled with pure rythym and creative sampling. Their style reminded me a bit of tribe called Quest. 9/10

While I find most modern rap music unbearable, I sometimes do enjoy the older stuff. Step In the Arena has a nice, laidback sound that I like. Apparently, it has been called the best hip hop album of all time. I wouldn’t know, but will agree it’s a great album. 4/5

Going into this, I had never heard of the album or the group, but as a hip hop fan I was curious to see what it had to offer. This is a really strong record. The lyrics are sharp, funny, and surprisingly timeless—over 30 years later they still feel relevant. The rhymes flow effortlessly over beats that are catchy and well-produced, making this an easy and enjoyable listen. It’s definitely one I’ll come back to again. Favourite track: Who’s Gonna Take the Weight – brilliant lyrics matched with a killer beat. Least favourite track: Honestly, everything on here was worth a listen. Album artwork: A fairly standard hip hop cover, nothing groundbreaking but it fits.

открываю для себя то что мне нравится хип-хип/рэп (еще помню LL cool J)

It's interesting - like in alternative universe this would have been a hit. I have never heard of these guys at all, but enjoyed it quite a bit because it just captures the essence of 90's rap. 4/5

I had People’s Instinctive Travels by A Tribe Called Quest yesterday, and this feels like it could be the missing link between Native Tongues and the g-funk gangsta rap that was coming. I liked it a lot.

This album has been ballyhooed as the greatest in the hip-hop genre and I have to say it is one of the least annoying of the many foisted on me in this list - but I got bored very, very quickly.

I’m not by nature a hip-hop fan, but some of it is undeniably very good. I guess Gang Starr (which I confess to never hearing about previously) would land in that group. Maybe I just like that old school east coast style of Hip-Hop, or the sampling of classic 70s sounds, or the way he rhythms so smoothly and effortlessly without screaming at me. I don’t know, maybe it was all that, but w know I liked it.

Great hip-hop and nothing but pure hip-hop. Some really... 'interesting' lyrics (like, goofy) that bring down the overall production but otherwise a fun album. fav tracks: What You Want This Time

För mig är Gang Starr så som hiphop låter, blue printen för vad som är hiphop liksom. Det kanske säger nåt om när man verkligen hörde hiphop ordentligt för första gången, jag vet inte... Det betyder inte att det är den bästa hiphopen bara att här är facit. "Check the technique" är en ofrånkomlig banger, svåröverttäffad. Det finns en hel del andra bra spår också och såväl Guru's rap som Primiere's scratch och samplingar är fläckfria. Men det blir oxå lite segt långradigt med allt i stort sett samma tempo och vibe. Skulle mått bra av att kortas ned med några spår för att hålla intresset fokuserat. Samtidigt ligger en del på mig, jag borde ge några varv till för att verkligen komma in i den. Jazzen och funken är där så en stabil trea

Jag var definitivt inte på hiphop-tåget när det här släpptes. Men man är inte sämre än att man kan ändra sig. Det här är hiphop som hiphop ska låta, tycker jag idag. Men symptomatiskt för genren är också att det trycks in lite för många låtar på ett album. Så även här. Mot slutet av skivan början det kännas som man hört det förut.

Ett riktigt bra hop hop. Finns beats, snygga samplingar bra flow. Gang starr kunde sin sak redan från start.

Det låter ganska daterat. I många stycken som ett ledigare Public Enemy. Bitvis svängigt. Men om inte minnet sviker mig så blir Gang Starr betydligt bättre på senare skivor. Svag trea.

This came out in 91. I started really listening to hip-hop in 93, so I missed this. What a shame, as this is probably the best album I’ve heard from the genre. It’s a true representation of what the genre started out trying to be: ghetto poetry that tells a story. I think I heard one curse word and ZERO N-words, which was a pleasant surprise. I paused and rewound several times to go “did he just say that?!” Brilliant lyricism over fresh, clean beats. A fantastic album!

Ok. a good hip hop album. Chill and relaxed. some beats are actually quite good as motifs. In my opinion, if they can expand a bit more than just repeating the beats, it’d be much more diverse and fun to listen.

3.5 in my book. Great flows with some cool lyrics, just a bunch of good sounding songs. Not much pulled my attention back to check what track I was on though.

i think this album left a bit to be desired. i wasn't a huge fan of the beats, but i did really like Guru's rap style. it's not my favorite of the time period, but he does have good flow and his rhyme scheme i feel branches where hip hop was, and where it was heading. i heard a decent amount of internal rhymes and some wrap around rhymes around lines, which for the time probably pushed forward rap into the 90's flow style. not sure if i would go back a ton, but a fine album.