Published 2.21.08

After his widely successful era with DJ Premier as Gang Starr, legendary lyricist Guru has no intention of slowing down.

Since teaming up with Superproducer Solar of New York, the duo has had much success in the underground scene.

Their recent projects include the late-summer 2007 release of Volume 4 of Guru’s Jazzmatazz series and February 20, 2008, release of “GURU’s Jazzmatazz: The Timebomb/Back to the Future Mixtape,” on top of an international tour, film projects and starting a new label, 7 Grand Records.

Guru has continued spitting real messages to his longtime fans and a whole new crop of faces around the world. He continues to hold his own in the rap game, and well, it’s cuz he’s jazzy.

Guru and Solar share some thoughts on the Jazzmatazz series, the label and their partnership.

Here's what Guru and Solar had to say when speaking by phone with our own DJ Philly Phill ...

Bassline: Guru, you have respect in the rap world. You’re past accomplishments, as a member of Gang Starr is internationally known, as well as your Jazzmatazz hip hop/jazz fusion albums. For new fans what do you feel is important for them to know about you personally and your music history at this point of your career?

Guru: The history of principles that Gang Starr was founded on, street knowledge, intelligence, and spirituality is being taken to new heights. Guru is Gang Starr, but with Solar the ideas has evolved. It’s about growth and positive change.

Bassline: Your Gang Starr days with DJ Premier, your deals with Wild Pitch and Chrystilis Records put you on the map as one of the best MC/DJ groups in the game. How has that experience prepared you for what you are doing now with your label 7 Grand Records?

Guru: It has definitely helped me because I’ve been jerked around. But instead of complaining, and blaming it was time for me to stand up on my own and make things happen for myself so I can be in of my own creativity. I attribute that to my partnership with Solar. It would not have happened without Solar. Friends of six years, Solar encouraged me not to complain about the AandR’s and executives that were stifling my creative flow. Solar suggested if things are that bad you should start your own label. After giving it serious thought I got back with Solar and he joined me in putting together 7 Grand Records because he felt it was important. 7 Grand Records currently has 3 releases and they are all classics.

Bassline: Your approach to 7 Grand Records is a model other artists should follow as far as their creativeness and their ability to expand the ideas.

Guru: Once an artist reaches a certain point in the game, that’s supposed to be it. They want you to be happy and go away. The industry wants to stop. I didn’t feel I was finished. There are more things I wanted to do and 7 Grand is the format and catalysis for these ideas to become a reality. It’s a good feeling to have the creative control. There is more work to be done and we need the support of the real heads out there. The hip-hop heads that has supported me in the past need to come out and support because the music is as real as it can get.

Bassline: As the younger rap artists are coming up, they are learning they can control their own creativity and are living on their own accomplishments. You have been blessed to be able to have the experience and now that you are doing it on your own it has to be more satisfying.

Guru: As a true artist, I am one of the few that is willing to sacrifice financial gain to develop ideas that is related to the principals that 7 Grand Records was founded on. I could have made all types of records that was offered to me. People wanted me to make records like everybody else or with a producer that was making hit records. That would have killed me. That would have taken me away from my fan base. I refused to do that.

Bassline: How involved were you in breaking new artists like Jeru da Damaga, the Group Home, Big Shug, LIL Dap and others back in the day, and do you have fresh talent on the horizon for 7 Grand Records?

Guru: Yes there is new up-and-coming artists that Solar is working with, K-Born and Highpower, out of Philly that will be releasing an album on 7 Grand Records.

Bassline: Your Jazzmatazz series brings together rap and jazz music and introduces new sounds to fans that otherwise may never hear jazz music or rap music singularly. Jazzmatazz 1 album was huge. How have the other album been received?

Solar: “Jazzmatazz 4 The Timebomb” production is for the young fans and pure hip-hop heads to show how good rap music can be. You have to go back 10 or 13 years to hear some solid hip- hop. The beats and the true, pure lyricists are on Timebomb. They are rapping not only to make money, but also to bring forward the art of lyricism. The beats are hot, street-ready and on the cutting edge. With lyricists like C. Knowledge from Digable Planet, Mr. Lif, Zion I, Blue Scholars from Seattle and others, it’s a great line-up to bring forward the true hip-hop form. Real hip-hop comes from the streets. Not from the radio, not from corporation.

Bassline: “Jazzmatazz 4” was produced by Solar. Solar, could you tell the fans about yourself, your production credits and how you hooked up with Guru?

Solar: The first project was Guru version 7.0, “Jazzmatazz 4 the Timebomb;” remixed the Gym Class Heroes’ hit single and others; also directed music videos for Common and Bob James, Slum Village which will are on BET’s Rap City.

Bassline: Guru you are originally from Boston. Boston has become a hub for underground rap music.

Guru: Boston is were my parents retired, and I go there from time to time. I know that artists is on the grind and there is a lot of talent coming from that area. It’s the same problem there as it is in other hoods across the country where artists aren’t even signed or have their own companies going at each other’s throats. That has got to stop for this scene to get bigger. Big ups to Mr. Lif and Akrobatik out of Boston, much love to the Boston scene. That’s what made me until I went to Brooklyn and took it to the next level.