Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Not my thing
Nice hip-hop, always here for some hip-hop. Nice sampling in there as well.
Gear: Meze 109 PRO Artwork: 🟧🏙️🚆 Production: 🧈😊👌 Music: 🌆🕶️😌 Rating: ✴️✴️✴️✴️/5
I like Gang Starr heard this one in entirely. It's not quite to the levels of their later stuff, but very impressive for the era. I particularly like Check the Technique
I say it every time I hear old school rap, but it sounds so anachronistic. It's almost sweet, you know? Gang Starr is definitely seen as one of the OGs of the old school, especially in conscious rap circles. This album does a great job in telling stories, and the beats are catchy. Sadly, this was a bit before my time, and I think you probably need a heaping dose of nostalgia to elevate this higher than 3 stars.
solid, unremarkable early 90s hip-hop
Absolute masterpiece. Step In The Arena, Just To Get A Rep and Who’s Gonna Take The Weight are absolute classics 5/5
Багато хто вважає #hiphop доволі примітивною музикою де головними цінностями виступають дівчата та гроші. Проте дует Guru та DJ Premier вважали зовсім інакше та намагались передати сутність цього жанру повертаючись до його «коренів». Тому вони вирішили робити доволі «мінімалістичний» хіп-хоп де головним був «мікрофон» та вінілові програвачі для створення скретчів. Щодо текстів, то хоч куплети від Guru і сповнені, характерного для хіп-хопу, «пафосу» - спрямовані вони, здебільшого, на розкриття «болючого вуличного життя». Особливо порадувала наявність джазових семплів. І як я дізнався, DJ Premier був одним із перших хіп-хоп продюсерів, що почав додавати джаз у свою музику. Звісно, зараз всі перераховані речі вже не дивують і часто є стандартними інгредієнтами гарної та «розумної» сучасної #rap музики. Проте, я б не сказав, що альбом зістарився погано, та зараз його не цікаво слухати. Коли безліч сучасних реперів випускають жахливі “overproduced” трекі, що сповнені автотюном та «ніякими» аранжуваннями - подібний олдскульний хіп-хоп відчувається просто як «бальзам на душу». Загалом, альбом мені сподобався - проте йому, все ж, далеко до інших шедеврів 90-х.
Thought this album was solid, top to bottom. Check the technique is an amazing song. The album definitely could have benefited from some features, just to give it a little more variety.
The production is so crisp. There's a reason Premier is one of the best and most sought after producers in the game. This is just top notch jazzy boom nap. Guru is also a great rapper. He manages to carry the album's vocals by himself and drops fire bars after bars. The 91-93 run in hip hop history has some of my absolute favorites.
This shit rules. To be truly great you need both amazing beats/production and a master rhymer/writer and Gang Starr has both. Quintessential OG NYC / east coast hip hop. Hard to Earn and Moment of Truth might technically be “better,” albums, and consequently more widely recognized/lauded, but Step in the Arena is more pure and could be my favorite of theirs. Check The Technique wasn’t a single but was a flag planted in the evolution of diss technology. While others may have been effectively executing more surface-level diss work at the time dueling with swords, Guru was out there with an anti aircraft turret. There are plenty of classic slights thrown at haters here, but the nuance with which Guru dares others to explore why his technical prowess simply leaves them in the dust is next-level. I imagine if the Kendrick vs. Drake beef was happening in the nineties Drake would have been most sad about being denounced by Guru, not as a function of his fame but because his music is cool in a way that isn’t forced and seems mythical to Drake. There are a few minor places where I personally think they could have used a tad bit more tightening in the edit but not enough to make me rate this less than a 5. Some of the roughness makes it endearing and lends to the nostalgia value of listening in 2025.
I get a lot of heat for not giving hip hop a chance, so I gave this one two spins. The first time I listened really carefully. The second, I used it as background music while I rode a Peloton in our exercise room. I think that’s the listening experience Gang Starr had in mind when they made the album. Sadly, I got nothing from it. Just a guy talking between two-second clips of actual songs that are supposed to make this palatable, presumably to people who don’t know the real songs. Only upside is their sample of The Meters reminded me to toss them on next. After that my evening got real funky.
Inoffensive to have on in the background while making dinner, but given the choice (on what feels similar) give me 3 Feet High and Rising
This is far from my wheelhouse so i applaud the 1001 list for getting me to branch out. Sadly, I didn’t find this album to be particularly inspiring. Guru doesn’t ever seem to be very interested in what he’s doing. Sounds very one-note through the whole thing. And Premier’s beats don’t ever evolve into anything. The sample just repeats over and over until the song lazily fades out (I counted 12 of the 18 songs had fade outs — the worst way to end a song) I was happy to hear the “Up On Cripple Creek” guitar part in “Beyond Comprehension” but then realized I’d rather just be listening to The Band. But the biggest sin has to be the annoying high-pitched ghostly squeal during the verses of “Who’s Gonna Take the Weight?”
Premier is consistently great. His beats are about as good as it gets. Love the jazz rap sound, and Premier and Q-Tip did it best. Guru has a great voice and a great flow, but he’s usually stuck in 90s battle-rap mode (and was across all of Gang Starr’s catalog). His best tracks are when he breaks out of that and tells a story or *gasp* a love story.
Enjoyable. But i felt it lacked cohesivness and meandered a llittle. Lacked the slickness and lyrical prowess of some of its contemporaries.
Fresh sounds. Gotta return to this one
I like old school rap as much as the next guy but I just don’t see what’s special about Gangstar or even this album in particular. The beats were as expected the rhymes and flow predictable. If this was the first of its type or a throwback to this sound I could perhaps see the relevance however it is from the time period it sounds like, and that’s not a good thing. There are others I would rather listen to when I want to listen to old school rap.
Kind of forgot how great this album is. I am a big fan and have all their CDs but haven’t revisited this one in years. DJ Premier is of course the god of 90’s hiphop beats but I definitely used to underrate Guru. He is a great and unique lyricist.
I like it when it is jazzy. I especially enjoyed the laid back vibe of Lovesick. Sometimes you are just down in the dumps.
Step in the mid
Here’s another artist that still hits playlists decades later. Good stuff here.
I expected the worst based on the name, but what a great old school hip hop record! Textbook example of how to use scratching to create a specific atmosphere.
Cool beats, great scratching and an impeccable flow is really the cornerstone of every good East Coast hip hop album. Gang Starr tick off every box.
I enjoyed this album a fair bit, it's one of the best hip-hop albums I've heard on this list so far. It's cool and witty, a very enjoyable listen.
The lyrics at times were thought provoking, and I thought the beats were well done, but the 4/4 rap on beat thing just sounds soo damned dated now. You can tell this album is an early 90s hip hop album, and I think that 30+ years later that style just doesn't resonate with me.
I understand the appeal to those who enjoy this kind of music, but this style of hip hop isn't for me. That old school "thug" rap just doesn't do it for me. It reminds me of that De La Soul album, and honestly I thought that was better because it was more original than this. I couldn't tell you a song that stood out throughout this whole album.
It was okay but I'm not a big fan of the genre so it didn't really move me.
Solid old hip hop album here
Luck of the draw that I missed this cassette in the '90s, I would have memorized this album hard. There were even enough clean lyrics I could have sung them around my mom. I kept listening to Gang Starr after this and enjoyed their later stuff even more but this album does slap.
Good rythm and clean Lyrica worth digging into. A surprisingly good rap album
Great chill album with a bit of that acid jazz sample style from that era that I like.
Meh. D d d d d don't believe the hype...
Solid
This is a really easy album to listen to. Flows together seamlessly with seamless flows. Some lines can be a little janky, but overall, more good than bad. Solid range. Samples are used interestingly, but not distractingly. Production is satisfying. I really enjoyed this. Solid. 4/5
I really loved the beats on this, the flows weren’t anything special, but I can respect what it was at the time in regards to a more socially conscious sound in hip hop.
Vibey
I was not expecting to see a Gang Starr album on here. What a sight for sore eyes. Weird that they picked this over their much more acclaimed album 'Moment of Truth'. This album is a weirdly intoxicating combination of A Tribe Called Quest and Rakim in the best way. Although some of the beats show their age by way of repetitiveness, the smooth vocals of Guru really do mellow things out. The main gripe with this album is its length. If you take a break after "Take a Rest" (haha) it seems to make this album pace well, but I would dread having to slog through all this one go. Enjoyable album, but I really do thing this was a big miss by including this instead of Moment of Truth, which is where they really made a name for themselves.
Really cool laid back style, it kinda hindered my listening on both go arounds because I just let it sorta roll in the background and while I could appreciate that there were plenty of different elements scattered through the album, it was all a bit of a long 40-50 minute haze
Gang Starr is a fantastic and unique sound in the 90’s hip hop scene even compared to oddities like ATCQ. It’s a shame they’re so less well known in the mainstream compared to the much more successful pedophiles of the NY scene like Gay-Z and Diddly. Jazz rap is the grooviest of subgenres and is fantastically underrated. Please pour one out for my man Dave Mirra for introducing me to Gang Starr via the medium of extremely compressed PS2 BMX game soundtracks.
Definitely not background music and I'm too dumb to appreciate some of what's going on 8/10 Fav tracks - Execution of a Chump, Check the Technique, Take a rest, As I read my S-A
Damn looks like these MF's HATED each other. "Guru appeared to have fallen out with DJ Premier seven years prior to his death and did "not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name, likeness, events, tributes, etc." The song Lovesick is pretty funny "Bitch i'm with the fellas, why are you bringing up old shit?" Look overall I thought the album was fine, It gives me east coast, smart rap, kinda vibes. Guess what i mean is the beats were a hard O K but the content of the rap had alot more going on and is clearly the focus. Like I can put Juicy by Biggie and bump along to it, this album doesn't have song like that but I am listening a bit more to the raps themselves. Now all that said, this album is front loaded, really drops off after half-way. Gonna give this one a 3 outta 5.
Good production, decent lyrics, great vocals. This album was a pleasant surprise. I'm not a big fan of hip hop as I've established in previous reviews and I haven't been particularly impressed with early hip hop, thinking that it generally doesn't hold up some thirty years later. I don't think the same is true here, Guru's production, mixing and sampling here sounds old school but has a unique flair that makes it very fun to listen to especially on Just To Get A Rep (probably the best example of what I'm talking about, and as a microcosm is a good example of what makes this a great album). Some filler on here and album bloat holds this back from being truly great but this is a very pleasant surprise for me! Highlights: Step In The Arena, Beyond Comprehension, Street Ministry, Just To Get A Rep
No es un mal album, en absoluto.
Nice production but the lyrics weren’t doing much for me. Feels dated.
Too smooth
Good stuff. Needs editing, but smooth lyrics.
As with Solange, this isn’t my kind of music. But it’s well done good beats good lyrics.
Solid fucking album
Never heard of this but really enjoyed it
This sounds pretty pedestrian
Better than expected
Entirely listenable to. I'm not sure if that's the aim of hip-hop, but there you go. I enjoyed it. I'd listen to it again.
Awesome……..
one of the mount rushmore groups in hip hop imo ... i think these guys are just timeless and sooo cool... I unfortunately have had the pleasure of having listened to all their later albums so this ends up feeling like a precursor to me... not only would they go onto make some of the best hip hop albums of all time but Moment Of Truth is just one of the best albums of all time period... anyways i should stop hating and just say that the production is really clean and guru's vocals kick ass ... these guys are just the absolute best
It was good but no songs got added to my playlist
Idk I haven’t been this enthusiastic about turntablism/scratching, or even paid much heed to it, since DJ Shadow and the Avalanches (both years ago on the generator at this point). Unlike the Heroes of Hiphopricy, I’ve heard a little about Gang Starr, but this is still the first time I’ve seriously listened to them. Cool stuff 😎
Enjoyed it, but IMO not quite up to the same level as some other 90’s hip hop. Great flow, but needed a little more to make it interesting to me.
I enjoyed this less than expected. I'm familiar with Guru from Jazzmatazz and was expecting this to show more jazz influenced, but it's a pretty straight hip-hop beats. It was alright, but I was hoping for more. I just wanted a bit more fusion from the album.
Some cool beats and solid rhymes.
It's good, but half an hour of this would have been enough. Favorite song: execution of a chump
Good old school rap
Tracks are somewhat indistinguishable from each other, although album does go hard. What Jake said 😎😎😎
I was prepared to give it a 2.5, then looked at the songs and noticed I was only on track 7/18. I do appreciate it as a piece of rap history and at times it was refreshing and chill. Some of the lyrics were wack, but in a hype way. I don't really like how 'static' old rap is.
"The DJ's name is Premier, and I'm the Guru..." This is intricate, smart and tightly produced hip hop. From the immaculate flow of Guru to Premier's subtle, funky beats, it's a great early 90s rap record. No interludes and a runtime well under an hour? I'm tempted to add a point just for that. Best tracks: Step In The Arena, Check The Technique, Take A Rest, Just To Get A Rep
Moment of Truth is better, but still pretty great. 3.5/5
The best kind of rap. Great beats thoughtful rhymes. Guru and primo are an all-time pairing.
I totally missed this in my time. I've heard the name but never looked deeper, and that's my mistake. I like this a lot, and with more listens I think I might love it. Gang Starr and De La Soul were just not in my world in the 90s.
Not bad, but not really my cup of tea
Pretty fun direction
this probably went so hard 40 years ago
Dj Premier the goat and can’t discredit this album at all, but there have been a few better albums in the 90s. Many on this list too. Still I had fun 🙏
Me gusta la cadencia lenta que tiene y la forma de rapear, pero tampoco es que me vuelve loco, es muy largo.
Not one of my favourites. Okay record.
First listen. Actually first time listening to any Gang Starr record. It was good though. I was only familiar with DJ Premier from before so it was nice to get to know about Guru. Listened to Moment Of Truth as well today actually. Dont know if it will be on this list? Guess I'l figure out.
#411. Pretty good old school hip hop. Some of his rhymes were kind of cheesy, but it works though. I do like the kind of spoken word kind or rapping like that, but it does sound positively old-timey these days. 3/5: nothing wrong here really Song added to playlist: Take a Rest I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Step in the Arena by Gang Starr, released in 1991, is a cornerstone of golden-age hip-hop. A seamless blend of DJ Premier's innovative, jazz-infused production and Guru's laid-back yet socially conscious lyricism, the album set a benchmark for the genre. It was one of the earliest records to exemplify the marriage of jazz samples with intricate beats, a hallmark of East Coast hip-hop's evolution. Influences: The album draws heavily from jazz and funk records, with Premier sampling artists like Donald Byrd and Art Blakey. The lyrical focus reflects the social consciousness inspired by earlier hip-hop pioneers like Rakim and Public Enemy. Artists influenced: "Step in the Arena" left a lasting mark on the hip-hop world, inspiring East Coast legends like Nas and The Notorious B.I.G., as well as groups like Wu-Tang Clan. Its production style became a template for boom bap, influencing producers such as Pete Rock, J Dilla, and 9th Wonder. Its impact extends beyond hip-hop, resonating with contemporary jazz-hop and alternative hip-hop movements. Overall, Step in the Arena is widely celebrated for its role in shaping the sound and ethos of 1990s hip-hop.
3/5. Just so chill. Like there is hype on some songs but overall I'm just laxing and bobbing my head up and down. I don't know if I really got all the lyrics, the songs very easily flow into each other with one or two weird sounds in each song to slightly tell them apart. After 50 minutes of this, I just kind of felt lost and distracted. It wasn't bad, from what I remember I liked it. Just can't say it was all too interesting the whole time. Best Song: Step In The Arena, Just To Get A Rep, Who's Gonna Take The Weight?
This is not really my genre, but I appreciated it nonetheless. Flows and rhymes were a little stilted in places but really clever and smooth in others. The beats were consistently good and varied, which kept the album fun to listen to and not repetitive. Four stars.
Enjoyable old school rap.
This is definitely more of a lyric album which is tough for me since I listen while I work. The lyrics flow pretty well but in kind of a slow way? The beats are just slightly boring to me. Overall it seems pretty decent. I'm sure it would be better if I had time to give the lyrics more attention.
This was a cool album. Had some groovy beats, fun bass lines, and cool samples. The lyrics and rhymes were also enjoyable. I wasn't really blown away by this. It was chill and fun, but didn't really capture my attention in the same way that other albums do. I feel like this is one of those *foundational* records that paved the way for other artists. Especially with the smart lyrics and chill beats.
Horrible. Uneven sound so blasts on occasion. Simply dangerous for hearing (which might be a blessing.) guns and civil disobedience in the videos + gangsta shit. I’m not the target audience for this nonsense.
Clean old-school hiphop as far as I'm concerned, liked the flows 7/10
Классика ист-коста. Чувствуется зарождение классического ганста-рэпа. Биты и речетатив - топ! стиль!
Not my kind of music
Legendarisk mc/producer duo, fiks lyrik, boom beats, grundsten for meget andet
The wikipedia page said this was (at some point) named the greatest rap album of all time. I was skeptical, but after hearing it I'd be willing to say that it's ONE OF the greatest HIP HOP albums of all time. Very well executed. Clearly influential on the genre.
From the same era as Tribe and De La Soul but doesn’t quite reach the same highs. Some nice beats and lyrical prowess throughout but brought down by a long runtime. I enjoyed it but did start to check times and how many songs were left a little over halfway through. 6/10
Sweet beats even if the rapping is a little primitive, extremely good time though and I'm curious to see where they go from here
I didn't hate it but it just fell flat for me and was instantly forgettable.
I don't think this has aged very well - it has been surpassed multiple times, even by close contemporaries (Big L etc)
Step In The Area is a very mature album, it has lot of sounds that are of the 80s but lyrically and the tone of the vocals is different, more mature. But there isn’t anything spectacular on it. Just very solid 6.4/10
DJ Premier's got the chill, funky beats. Guru's got the smooth flow... And yeah. That's about the size of it — or at least as much as I can see. I'unno, it was just a really nice album to come to and put on after a long day out and about. It might be my favorite East coast album I've heard so far, and it didn't even hafta do much. I'm perfectly happy giving this thing a 4. I'm sure on a worse day I woulda harder on this album for not being engaging, but yeah. Not bad from an MC I'd never heard of before.
Absolutely immaculate beats plus some pretty good raps make this a killer combo of a hip hop album. Solid 5 Stars.
I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5. I just thought that was a damn good album; it’s definitely split into halves (Tracks 2-9 & Tracks 11-18), but it comes together as a pretty complete package. The biggest split in terms of the production here is how the instrumentals take more of a backseat to the lyricism in the first half, and how they find more of a balance in the second half. There’s some stellar beats here, and some stellar lyricism, and when this album finds that balance, it rolls really, really smoothly. The only reason I’m at a 4.5 instead of a flat 5 is because I do think this album suffers from what I’m describing as “Harvard rap”. I’m sure that’s not the most concise way to put it, but a lot of this album touches on how braggadocious Guru can be about his verbose vocabulary, finding the perfect rhyme, and disparaging the lack of “intellectualism” in rap music. They would fucking hate today’s rap, I’ll tell you that much, but for 1991, this does feel a little too early to criticize the genre as a whole, unless there were some really fucking dogshit rappers getting radio airplay in 1990 just because hiphop was the new hot thing. Really, the issue isn’t the criticisms, but it’s how often they get touched on in this album – there’s just a few too many tracks that involve him bragging about his wordplay and his skill, and it sort of bogs down the album, even for as much as I liked them. Regardless of that, DJ Premier is on fire for a lot of these beats, and too much of this album is too damn good to let a slight oversaturation ruin the whole thing. For as much as he bragged, Guru does back it up pretty damn well; there’s some great flow and lyricism throughout this album – the entirety of “Take A Rest” stands out as one of the prime examples to me, but there’s some gems thrown about here. This is a pretty cohesive album from front to back, and it’s worth paying attention to every line. Ultimately, this is a super dense album, but a breezy and captivating 50 minutes. It’s a really good listen that gets sort of bogged down in its own “intellectualism” at times, but not enough to ruin the overall package. It’s a 4.5 that easily gets bumped up to a 5, and it kinda makes me wonder how this got lost in the 90s rap canon; I guess all the other heavy hitters of the era have drowned this out over the years. It’s a damn good thing it’s on this list, then.
sulaa kun voi ! ja voi voi sanon minä! yhtä sulava ainakin... astu areenaan, näytä mihin pystyt!! jeejee heh... kuunneltavaa kamaa, jokainen biisi on kinnostava! mietin mitä hittsiä? sitten selvitän asian.. tutkin.. aha joo... hmm ok... niin.. niin tosiaan... jaa toki toki... no ohoh... huhhuh siinäpä vasta melkoinen.. ai... aijjaha... ainiin... niinkövai... sillälailla.. nonnija... aivan... ai.. no ei sitä.. sitten seuraava biisi ja yhtä hukassa taas, melkoinen kokemus.. homopornoveljekset... uskomattomat pläjäykset ja mälläykset.. kerrassaan loistavaa työtä (Hidden rowing technique tricks - bridging the gap at the catch) execution of a chump
This was really good early-90s hip-hop. I thought it was excellent. Rating: 5
Smooth and classic rap sound
More good baselines here
Enjoyable.
Very smooth, I’m a big fan of the continuous flow and lyricism
Not my usual genre, but I have to respect the talent. Enjoyed the beats and flow.
Musically interesting and creative! :)
This was pretty damn listenable.
Yeah - it went down pretty easy. Decent rapping and some fun samples make for a pleasant ride. No more, no less.
This album was definitely better than I had anticipated as a non hip hop fan. A lot of the songs started to kinda blend together tho. I think the beats were creative. The vocals didn't really interest me too much Liked songs: Just to Get a Rep, As I Read My S-A
liked songs: Check the Technique High point: all of Check the Technique Low point: \"Forget it, I think she heard my voice already / You can let her in but I'm tryna cook spaghetti\" (from What You Want This Time?) For the most part, there are some good songs with quality lyricism on display. Probably right around 2.75-3 for me.
Rap is not typically my jam but I really like this album!
Some classic 90s hip hop that centers on a mastery of lyrics, minimal sampling and straight up technique. No filler. 3.5/5
The more older jazz rap I listen to, the more I love the jazz rap of the last couple decade or so. Albums such as To Pimp A Butterfly or Modal Soul really seem to understand what makes jazz so great, and doesn't take away from that genre for the sake of simple beats and an easy song structure. However, that, in turn, makes albums like The Low End Theory, and our album today, Step In The Arena, feel hollow and cheap, in my opinion. I am not denying the jazz is there, because it is, but it all feels so plain, and with flows and bars that feel like I could make them whilst parodying hip hop, it just doesn't have much in the way of something interesting. I'm glad acts like Gang Starr were around to add more layers to the rap game than gangsta rap or boom bap, but when returning to these earlier albums it can feel a tad goofy, and it really disappoints.
Favourite songs: Take a Rest, "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" Least favourite songs: Beyond Comprehension 3/5
The flow in this album is great especially for early rap. Another win from the list!
This is an album that I knew and wished more people knew about, so I was happy to see this on the list. It’s a touchstone and influence on some of my favorite artists, and I’m happy to give it five stars.
Massively important and influential. Rap has come a long way in terms of flow, so I can see how people might bounce of it. In terms of production, though, the big beats and funky lines really carry this album.
It's good. Never heard of these guys, but I understand that they're a big deal. Some vaguely jazzy rap with a bunch of turntable scratching is always a fun time.
While hip hop isn’t usually my genre, I really appreciate this album. This duo brought a unique smoothness to the scene, with Guru's vocal cadence and their clever use of samples. It's a standout example of golden age hip hop. Step in the Arena, Form of Intellect and Beyond Comprehension are brilliant tracks. A few duds like Lovesick holds it back from being 5 stars.
Most of the tracks sound the same. A few have some good samples. Mostly it’s just dated sounding rap. Check the Technique was the highlight for me.
Felt dated. I don't hear this style of rapping any more.
I didn't get it. Not a genre I particularly like, and with that, maybe there's a historical reason for this being on the list, but I didn't get what that would be.
Lyrics are good on several songs, but the total was a bit too boring for me.
This hit the spot when I was looking for some old school hip hop. Exactly what I'd hoped for.
Really liked this one. Good beats, good flow. It’s very early 90s hip hop, but still feels fresh. On par with Arrested Development and Digable Planets. Precursor to trip hop, lounge and mushroom jazz. 4/5
Not particularly a hip-hop fan but some of this was alright. A bit too long though as I started to get bored towards the end.
tracks 1-3: wow that’s a cool sound tracks 2-6: ok, still the same sound Tracks 7-10: can I get some variety? Tracks 11-15: please change something 😭 Tracks 16-18: I am dead inside
I was surprised. I actually liked this album. Not my normal lane, for sure, but I’d come back to this.
Somebody steals a bit of music and repeats it. Somebody talks over it. Rinse & repeat. I think I'll go and watch the grass grow as it's easy more exciting.
It seems well produced.
Pleasantly surprised at this one, very chilled and catchy.
After being exposed to a lot of slick and shiny hip-hop recently, I was so happy to listen to something this warm and earnest. Music is meant to be about people and this album is obviously very personal even if it’s about two guys tryin to be cool. It’s well made and it’s sounds great. Some of the rhymes read kinda clunky today (Execution of a… chump? Wow. Don’t go too hard on him) but I enjoyed it all. I would never have listened to it outside of this project and I’m glad I did. I just feel so much affection for it.
Not realy my taste.
Impeccable sampling, great rapping, just wish there were two or three less songs on here and a bit of tempo variance
Considering my natural aversion to hip hop so far, I am giving this one a higher rating because of how much I enjoyed it, and how well it encapsulates what people call the golden age of Hip Hop. You usually hear people saying how hip hop used to have more meaningful lyrics and better samples, and this is now my go-to example for it.
A hip hop album that isn't mumble rap, unfunny skits or trash beats. Colour me surprised
meh
Some nice beats, okay flow, but very mundane album. It was okay, but I'm glad it's over.
great, it's so good to hear some early rap stuff
The beats were cool, the raps weren’t amazing but had more unique style than their excessively corny peers of early rap. Giving this a 3 but I could see it becoming a 4 if I end up revisiting it again
I am old but I am also right when I say hip-hop/rap should return to clever understandable lyrics with a good beat behind it, like Gang Starr did on this album. That is all, please carry on. -hops off soap box-
Flows are VERY 80s but it's an enjoyable enough
1. name - 0 2. arena - 1.5 3. intellect - 1 4. chump - 1 5. uueight - 2 6. beyond - 1 7. technique - 1.5 8. lovezick - 1.5 9. tomorrouu - 1 10. game - 0 11. rezt - 1.5 12. time - 1 13. ztreeet - 0 14. rep - 1 15. prayerz - 1 16. read - 1.5 17. rhymez - 1 18. name - 1.5
While I do like some classic hip-hop, I was t gripped by this one.
Love the word play
Didn’t know about the cultural impact this album had. Overall an interesting listen.
I don't know why but I never got into this one at all .
Classic, Golden Era, New York City hip-hop. A chill album with a handful of standout cuts, as well as some strong production by the great DJ Premier. Gang Starr would go on to make a few projects that have aged much better than this one.
I haven't listened to enough rap to really appreciate or rank this within the larger universe of hip hop albums. This was definitely better than other classic hip hop albums on this project. Good beats amd production, solid word play and delivery.
3.6
Lots of golden age hip-hop on here and this is a great listen, if not containing their best ever track Jazz Thing. Like TTQuest their beats are relaxed, but here with a slightly fiercer and less playful rap style. But it's a very convincing listen.
4- Another 90's hip hop album that almost sounded like all the others. This had me more than others though and wasn't just waiting for the album to finish
3/5
I have never been a huge fan of hip hop music, I found this album to be long, boring and full of very generic beats with very 90s sounds, like record scratching throughout.
Really excellent boom bap example of hip hop! The lyrics are quick and intricate at times and the beats are coolness personified! Is it the greatest hip hop album of all time? No, it isn’t. Is it perfectly acceptable for what it is? Yes, indeed it is!
I'm not even into hip-hop that much but there are some classic hip-hop albums which are so good and this is one of them - I like the beats, the rhythms, it's fun.
Nope. Doesn’t speak to me
Not a huge fan on classic rap but this was better than most. 3.125
chill background hip hop
Ei virheitä... Ei virheitä..
Phenomenal album. The first jazz/hip hop fusion album. Was lucky to see Gang Starr in college before Guru passed. Gang Starr is really one of the best hip-hop duos of our time - and Guru -one of the most underrated rappers of all time - I stand by that. RIP Guru.
a real nice vibe.
Eh... I like reading the reviews so I get the context of the album and group but nothing stood out to me. Not good or bad.
Turns out I’m a sucker for this golden age of hip-hop stuff. I’ve enjoyed all of it, trice called quest, beastie boys, de la soul. The beats are just so damn good and they let them roll as instrumentals long enough to appreciate them. The flow and lyrical content is good enough here, but nothing show stopping. Nearly a 4 for me.
This concept album is clearly the Genesis that people had in mind when calling them an influence on Fish era Marillion - I was only familiar with their earlier albums and with late Phil Collins era. Enjoyed the music but the concept was kind of naff.
Better than most hiphop albums on this list. Which does not mean much
The production is absolutely incredible, but the rapping isn’t that same level of greatness (still pretty damn good though). A lot of the flows are very much dated 80’s flows, the bars aren’t always that great, but it’s honesty not that big of an issue. Idk if it’s also on this list and I just haven’t got it yet, but if you want to hear this duo at its full potential you should absolutely listen to Moment of Truth. Fav tracks: Step in the Arena, Execution of a Chump, Who’s gonna take the Weight?, Check the Technique, Take a Rest, The Meaning of the Name
4/5
Love it
this is a very 1990s album of rap. Not for me.
Pretty good album. Very enjoyable beats and good rapping. However, it does get a little samey after awhile. A very strong debut, but I feel like their later albums would improve on this sound and be a step up (the streaming numbers on spotify seem to agree). high 3
lyrical poetry
I know very little of rap music, however I am old enough(54) to know the difference between old school hip hop and the what is trending now. This album made me find and put on my old Boston Scully patched hat...and yes, I wore it backwards. Today's rap for the most part is missing the smooth lyrical finesse and the contagious jazz beats that "Gang Starr(Guru and Dj Premier)" created. I am definitely adding this album to my library. Makes me miss the music of "Arrested Development", "De La Soul" and some wierd way, "3rd Bass!"
I'm not a hip-hop guy at all, but I don't mind this type of early-90's jazz-rap. It's pretty good. Key tracks: Step in the Arena
I have heard of Gang Starr somewhere, although with my limited hiphop knowledge I don’t know where I know them from. I enjoyed this album enough, it was such a hectic day that my attention was divided and I don’t think I gave it enough, will have to revisit.
A classic.
(3.5 rounded up) feel weird giving this a star rating as idk that much abt hip hop but i generally enjoyed myself ! highlights: step in the arena, what you want this time?, as i read my s-a (aug 8 2024)
This is a solid album. On target, beginning to end.
Rap, 1991 -> 1
Finished the rap album. Trying to keep all the ones I’ve listened to straight. Good thing this website does that for me.
I actually really enjoyed this album. Never heard of Gang Starr but they had some interesting lyrics, kick ass beats, and great flow.
Pretty solid album. I had only heard the name prior. I liked it, I can't give it a 5 but it's a solid 4 for sure.
Yeah, it's great. Never took the time to do Gang Starr when I was younger, but dense rhymes and exquisite samples make this a good one.
More musical than most rap... but its still rap !
Really liked how this sounds. Need to check lyrics I think but overall really enjoyed it. 4.5
I personally believe Gang Starr is one of the most important and criminally underrated rap duos of the 90s. Maybe even of all time. For as acclaimed as they are by many, it’s crazy how Guru and Premier continue to be undermined even after over 30 years. But they absolutely should be regarded as an essential part of any hip-hop fans’ library. The 90s was such an electric time for rap music. And in terms of duos, I’m aware it’s kind of hard to compete in the same decade that OutKast came up in. But they absolutely proved themselves to be a worthy competitor. Probably the closest any other duo has come to rivaling the success of Dré and Big Boi. This album comes after their debut. And based on what I see other people saying, it seems to only go up from here for them. At least in the 90s. Their run during that decade was very strong. And like all of their records, the marriage of both the MC’s strengths makes for a powerful dynamic. Guru is one of the smoothest and lyrically engaging rappers ever. He has all of the same qualities that make Q-Tip so good. And DJ Premier is what anyone could ask for as a producer. He is a hip-hop producer’s producer. His instrumental work is still solid here. But something feels missing. I guess I misremembered, and thought their sound was a lot more rooted in hardcore. But these beats are more adjacent to the sample heavy jazz rap, boom bap style of this era. The bass sounds better here than on any other album I’ve heard from them. But the drums also feel flatter and less punchy. Even if what Guru is actually saying still hits, the beats just don’t as much. I’m also not a huge fan of the way this is paced. The songs are shorter on average. But even with a decently long track list, it still only comes out to 50 minutes. It’s weird. This is a steady foundation for a sophomore album, but I can see the places where improvements needed to be, and were eventually, made. Even still, if you release 4 albums over the course of 7 years, and this is the worst thing that came out of it, you obviously have something going for yourself. Rating: 7/10
Surprisingly not misogynistic. The forceful early 90's spitting doesn't feel as strange and the beats are great. Amazing hip-hop. I do miss melody, but this transcends
Not a rap fan
Better than most rap -- clever rhymes, solid beat, real themes without the braggadocio which characterizes too much of the genre.
Classic early east coast underground hip-hop album. Holds up for sure.
This was fine.
It didn't grab me.
I haven't had a ton of 80/very early 90s hip-hop yet on this list and the first I had was a struggle. I definitely liked this more. It's still very foreign to my ear, and so I feel like that's a barrier to how good it probably actually is. I think given time to grow and develop more of an ear for it this might be a 4 star to me, but as it stands it feels more like a 3. Pleasant to listen to, and I liked his flow but nothing super grabbed me.
Solid Standout songs: Form of Intellect Execution of a Chump Take a rest
Decent album, not my favorite.
Chill, monotonous and far too long
I’m not a hip hop officianado but this clearly has shaped hip hop to some degree given the time it came out. It’s bold, it’s loud, it’s edgy, it’s lyrical, and it’s fun. I enjoyed it albeit not having the base knowledge of hip hop & rap to fully appreciate it
Wow I was really surprised to enjoy this album, even though I don't like hip hop. I liked that the beats were slower than other hip hop albums
Nothing really stood out with this album, but I didn’t really listen to the lyrics, just had it as background music.
Early work by smooth, intelligent rap pioneers
Solid album. This is good 90s underground jazz rap. It's got a nice sound and smooth flow. The lyrics are of the era and a little lacking. ***
Rare old-school hip-hop that still works to this day.
This album feels both like a throwback to a hip hop era before Staight Outta Compton and a look forward to groups like Tribe Called Quest and Digable Planets. Guru is an amazing lyricist. They invented Jazz Rap, whatever that genre means now. All due respect to A Tribe Called Quest, this might be the genre at it's peak. DJ Premier has worked with a lot of rappers but the partnership between him and Guru is a perfect match of a DJ and an MC. Different sounds but Gang Starr is the spiritual descendant of Eric B. & Rakim. A Tribe Called Quest's success is even more amazing considering that after this album it feels like everything was gangsta rap all of the sudden. Very jazzy. Guru sounds hard without telling stories about killing people and dealing drugs. Great album.
Heel erg laidback hiphop album. De beats van DJ Premier zijn super nice, met veel scratches en fijne instrumentals. Dat gecombineerd met Guru zn laidback flow zorgt voor een heel chill album om weg te luisteren. Teksten zijn ijzersterk, beats zijn eigenlijk niet zo erg verouderd als je zou denken. tweede helft van het album kakt wel hard in en met 50 minuten vind ik dit album net te lang om mn aandacht er de hele tijd bij te houden. Maar grootste deel van dit album was keihard, de Preemo beats zijn naar mijn mening nog even vet als toen ze uitkwamen, dus is dit gewoon een zeer goed album. FAVO: Step in the arena, Execution of a chump, who's gonna take the weight, Check the technique, Take a rest
Not bad but the vocals felt kind of plain. Wasn’t able to get into it.
-Not too bad… the flow is a little corny for my taste in some of these songs though. Idk if that’s a time period thing though -The second half of the album was somehow better, I love the fun old-school energy and mixing -Favorites are Step In The Arena, Take A Rest, and The Meaning Of The Name
Another great album this week. I like the lyricism throughout this record. The production isn't as great as other hip-hop albums. "Beyond Comprehension" is my favourite track. Keep the albums rolling, 1001 Albums. 4 stars for "Step in the Arena".
Loved it, this 1001 album thing has turned me into a hip hop lover!
Makes me almost wistful. I wish I had heard it when it came out. I would have loved it in a different way.
This is pretty solid early ‘90s hip hop.
Another bit of hip-hop history that had passed me by. Good solid jams, but nothing that really grabbed me…maybe that is why it missed me the first time…
This grew on me as it went on. Nice early 90s hip-hop that was new to me.
Is it a surprise I have never heard of Gang Starr? They seem like the kind of 90s rap that would have somewhere along the way entered my consciousness. Perhaps I’ve forgotten them. Today I enjoyed this little time capsule of rap of another era. It’s quite good and definitely more in line with the style and themes I can enjoy. Pretty good stuff.
One of the best yet
DNF. Please, some variation, I am begging.
Gurus a goat. Rhymes never quit
Gangstarr is top 5
Never heard of them so no idea what to expect. Better then I thought, good lyrics, good beats.
Never heard of these guys or any of these songs, but this was pretty funky fresh!
Pretty good, was not what I expected for a 1990 rap album. It's hard to choose between 3 and 4 stars as I don't have much experience with earlier rap albums, but I'd say this is fairly modern for the time period it came out in.
This was quite good.
lot of people reviewing this album on this website are too closed-minded to give any rap record a fair shake.
Idc 2.5
Very good. Gang Starr is the best.
Segundo álbum del dúo DJ Premier y Guru en el que sientan las bases de su propio estilo de rap: el tono monótono casi inexpresivo del MC, Guru, y el tratamiento inteligente de los problemas sociales de la calle, evitando la glorificación y alejado de la dureza del realismo descriptivo de otros raperos contemporáneos. Crítico con los aprovechados de los barrios marginales ("Execution of a Chump o "Just to Get a Rep"), llama a la autoconciencia y asunción de responsabilidades de aquellos que prefieren el "camino fácil" ("Who's Gonna Take the Weight?", el tema que más me gusta del disco). Y todo con el envoltorio sonoro de DJ Premier, con un estilo de "scratching" inconfundible. Ya he dicho que no soy muy fan del rap, pero este disco me llega.
They rap about important stuff, but they lack in the production department.
Great rap album
9/10. Great combination of beats and rap style. Had some nostalgia with the iconic 90s style rap but with way better beats than what I knew to be the mainstream hip hop at the time.
I like Guru's flow and the production on this album is good, but overall it feels like people taking their first steps and by the time you get to Jazzmatazz we're at full speed. A lot of the tracks loop too much without going anywhere, and the run time of the album feels too ambitious.
Tja was a great hip hop record. Everything was perfect here.
So very, very unmemorable.
Delicious old school beats and eloquent rhymes. I got a bit bored by the end though.
90’s hip hop kinda sucks
I like 90's hip-hop and thoroughly enjoyed this album. While I cant point to a specific track or lyric that grabbed me, I found it all nostalgic and important to the genre.
Step in the Arena Your rap’s crazy whack I’m Familiar with a couple of the tracks on here, Check the Technique, which I’d guess is their most famous song, and Who’s Gonna Take the Weight, but haven’t ever listened to one of their albums. I thought this was great! I like his down tempo delivery style, but musically this really shines. Excellent samples (Up On Cripple Creek!), a lot piano led with a great jazzy-soul vibe to it, particularly with the double bass. And each track is really well constructed and arranged with great sounding beats. Lyrically, despite the default of bragging about his rap abilities, there is some nice variety, from the ‘romantic’ Lovesick to the social observation of Just to Get a Rep. It’s probably 4 or 5 tracks too long, but this is a great early 90s bit of East Coast Hip Hop, kind of straddling the older school 80s and the 90s West Coast gangster styles. This will definitely go into rotation. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thankfully tiktok haven't made an ai GURU voiceover yet as I would hate for his voice to be ruined for me. Top duo. premier bringing the beautiful laid back beats, and GURu is just so smooth. I want him to read me stories each night before bed.
I liked it
could i write poetry to this? y
As with a lot of 80's and early 90's Hip-Hop, the style and rhythm get monotonous after a while. Still, it's pretty good and highly influential.
hood classic, lo que esperaría de un solido disco de gangsta rap noventero
Obviamente la gente q solo gusta de los géneros de su juventud lo puntúa mal 😝 Nunca había escuchado a Gang Starr pero entiendo su lugar fundacional en el hip hop con, a diferencia de otros iconos, un buen sonido y rimas. Quizá un poco desfasado pero es un álbum de hace 30+ años, lo que hace el resto de elementos bastante sorprendentes y agradable
Keep on giving us these hip hop albums please, they are so much easier to digest than Lord Fauntelroy and his Merry Band of Brits or whatever the next 60's uk folk album will be. I feel like the sample at the beginning of Step Into the Arena is from Avril Lavigne's Nobody's Fool, too. I listened to confirm and I'm 99.9% sure. I also liked Precisely the Right Rhymes, there was some great record scratching on there.
I know the name, not the music. Didn't know until today that Gang Starr is a duo, consisting of rapper Guru (with whom I'm not familiar) and producer DJ Premier, who is an absolute legend. As you'd expect, the production is top notch, some great scratching as is his signature. I liked the sample of "California Soul," that song from GTA. It's a good album, not too much jumped out at me though. There's a note on wikipedia that in 2007, IGN called this the greatest hip hop album of all time, I don't know why that's so funny to me. IGN is just goofy. Favorite tracks: Step in the Arena, Who's Gonna Take the Weight, Here Today Gone Tomorrow, What You Want This Time. Album art: Looks vaguely familiar, could've swore we got an album from Gang Starr before, but I guess I was thinking of Cypress Hill, they've got a slightly similar logo thing going on. Primo very hunched over on the right, but they both look cool. The sepia-style filter isn't a great choice if you ask me, but it's fine. 3.5/5
Didn't quite capture me.
Honestly I think the rap and lyrics are a bit too old school for me, but the beats are absolutely crazy, and the combination is amazing. I never gave Gang Starr a fair chance when this album came out, but I absolutely should have.
Classic hip-hop.
Describing this as dated is, I think, a compliment – and not in a backhanded way. The journey from unique to passe, via quotidian, is not afforded many people.
I managed half of this and couldn't tell any of it apart so I bailed. Some of the samples were good but the rapping was really bland
Good to great, you can't deny its impact.
Incredible rap album, some really great samples from some great oldies. Love love love. Foresee this moving to my somewhat regular rotation
Straight to the point, no frills hip-hop executed flawlessly. Sometimes that's all you need. I love the prevalence of jazz samples here, and Guru's rapping is so effortless and smooth.
A stellar album from two stellar artists, but maybe a bit lost or wasted on me, I'm afraid. As dope as this is, the musical content of the 1 sample & 1 beat (add some sprinkles) recipe of old hip hop gets tiring after a while.
This album feels dated now but had to be a bit of a revelation at the time. I like the fact that occasionally it meanders, like a musical conversation.
Enjoyed the lyrics and style throughout, nothing particularly clenched me though
Thoughts before listening: I know these guys are a big deal in the hip hop world but I've never listened to them. I'm sure this will be good. Review: Yep...this is the type of hip hop I like. Jazzy beats with cool guitar licks sampled in and laid back vocals...and no skits. These guys were stars of the 90s underground rap scene which is one that I mostly missed at the time but has grown to be my favorite sound in the genre. This was an enjoyable listen this morning. 4-stars.
A top notch hip hop banger from start to finish. Great samples and beats, and I love Guru's voice. Lovely.
This album sounds like it was recored on the cusp of the Daisy Age. Macho posturing is toned down, but there's still a slight growl in the delivery. The production is fantastic. There wasn't a lot of variety in the tracks. I tired after 45 minutes or so.
Musically nuanced, with a smooth and confident flow, and smart lyrics. My small critique is that they could have dropped a couple of songs from the back half and had a much tighter album. Fave Songs: Who's Gonna Take the Weight?, Step in the Arena, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, Check the Technique, Take a Rest
These guys were awesome - never heard before. Tribe Called Quest with some Kool Moe Dee and Public Enemy.
Enjoyed it overall, but it felt a bit monotonous/repetitive at times. I think I would have preferred it to be about 4-6 songs shorter.
Not my genre. Surprisingly enjoyable. Laid back, mellow, some silly, playful lyrics. Check the Technique and Lovesick were highlights. Album too long and samey though. Also Jojo
Really enjoyed this. Took me back to THPS days weirdly. Not something I'd usually listen to, but it was super cool. Really good album Some really great lyrics and they are very playful with words.
this was pleasant to listen to but I don't know if it totally clicked for me - I probably should've been listening more carefully and reading the lyrics but I usually listen to these while driving or at work, so. maybe I'll revisit some of the top tracks later.
i probably would've enjoyed this more had i paid closer attention to the lyrics, but in my defense they were not all available on spotify. this album was fine to me - i didn't really get much from it but the music and raps seemed solid. the title track reminded me of step up by linkin park, which was probably intentional on LP's side. favorites: step in the arena, check the technique, lovesick
Nice
For the genre it’s very good.
These guys are real, real good.
Too jazzy for my taste.
OK - but not my jam
I'm sure this was revolutionary at the time, but this just got so dated in the 30 years since then. Word.
Not bad but not great early 90's hip hop. I have not heard the whole thing before. It's alright.
dope!
Really Good. Actually one of the better hip hop albums on the list so far
Classic
Never heard of this before… pretty good. 3.5 Standouts: Take a Rest, Step in the Arena, Just to Get a Rep, Execution of a Chump, Who’s Going to take the Weight,
Some cool beats/ samples. Lots of rhymes in the rap. Enjoyed it
Kinda liked it but was hard to stay interested
I really enjoyed his cadence. It’s just hard for me when the music is the exact same the entirety of the song. It’s great that many of the songs are on the shorter side.
Didn’t enjoy this much. Sonically sounded very dated, and I wasn’t a fan of much of the lyrical flow or production style. Seemed like a poor version of P.E.’s the Bomb Squad, with the horn squeals. The uplifting subject matter was nice but damn, Gangsta Rap had this beat on producing jams.
No thank you! I can see how this is objectively a good/seminal album, but it's just not for me.
Slow and low early 90’s hip-hop style. Almost an inspiration for Will Smith. Not my go-to music genre but can appreciate their place in history.
A little repetitive for me.
Sounded like Arrested Development. As far as rap goes, it was pretty good.
Some cool beats but pretty underwhelming
Good!
Top 10 phrases from this album: 10. Swiftly as we embark on a journey, I had to get an attorney 9. For I can excel real well like a gazelle 8. You’re heated up like a thermostat 7. So make like a camper, and go take a hike 6. You puny Protozoa, you’re so minute you didn’t know 5. I’m like a neurosurgeon, operating with a purer version 4. I’m rushing you like a defensive end as I recommend 3. Have enough brain cells so I can stay paid well 2. Chic and unique with lots of kicks like a cleat 1. MCs like me will rise like the Enterprise
This was actually not too bad!
This felt like a chore to get through
It's a good album
This is a classic and does not get the attention that it so rightly deserves.
This is probably my favorite of this 90's style hiphop. The range of sampling on display is just killer, and the flow just links up with it so well.
Nice bit of jazzy hip hop with deep trembling bass. Quality turntablism. I’d have hated this when it was released but quite liked it now.
Masters at work...
I liked this a lot. Almost more like a spoken word album than other early 90s rap. Has that old school cool.
Look, if you're looking for this kind of rap, you can find a lot of better albums but it's not so bad.
first listen. pretty good but not very memorable tbh.
I hate to sound like a broken record, but hip hop is something I don’t know much about and so it’s hard for me to judge these albums still. I do know good art when I see it though. And this is that - good art. Knowing what year this came out, combined with hearing the sounds and sampling going on, it’s clear how this would’ve been influential and why it made this list. The flow is good, and none of the songs really overstay their welcome at all. It’s not as repetitive with its hooks as some other hip hop and rap albums have been. Overall this was good and I’m happy it came up. 3 stars. Standout tracks: Execution of a Chump, Beyond Comprehension, Check the Technique, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, As I Read My S-A, Precisely the Right Rhymes
This was pretty fun. Nice to be exposed to classics from genres that I didn't grow up with. 3/5. Bonus points for train representation in the album art.
The album cover looks like they’re playing the ‘Get as close to Alex without him noticing you’ task from Taskmaster series 8. Had a good time. Hopefully we get to see Gang Starr on a New Year’s Treat episode soon.
no
Favourite song - Step in the arena
More 90’s hip hop/ rap, this album felt a little less political but the beats were great, haven’t heard of them before. 3.0