*Gang Starr and myself at the Cop Shop in 2003Hip hop has lost an iconic figure today with legendary Gang Starr front-man Guru's passing. His flow, the monotone voice, his delivery all were unique, all were all vital elements of what made Gang Starr so special. What is so hard about losing a man you idolized and looked up to as a hip hop icon is hard, but what's harder is having met that person and getting to see who they are as a man, even if it was only a small glimpse.
The photo above was taken at the now defunct Cop Shop, Long Island's historic music store that brought hip hop to the fans like no other store could. The photo was taken at the Gang Starr in-store autograph signing for the album, The Ownerz. It was the first in-store I ever attended at the Cop Shop, and trust me, it was the most memorable. DJ Premier was stuck in traffic so I snuck to the back of the store to see if I could chop-it-up with Guru for a little bit. He was so cool, so down-to-earth. I told him about how I told my now ex-girlfriend she had to memorize Hard To Earn before I could date her and thought I was so cool when he laughed and thanked me as he signed the Hard To Earn album cover for her. All I could think was, 'I'm just a fan and this dude sees thousands of fans everyday, he could treat me like a nobody if he wanted to'-but he didn't.
He never treated me like a nobody. From that event on I had a few opportunities to talk with Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal, and he didn't change; he was as cool, if not cooler, than the first time I met him. From hanging out outside after the Gang Starr and M.O.P. show at BB Kings (where we called that same girl I dated at 3 a.m. so he could ask her if she still listened to the Hard To Earn album) to conversation after an in-store at the Cop Shop for the Guru Version 7.0: Street Scriptures album and more, he was always humble, respectful and treated me (and everyone else) like family, not fans.
Guru was the creator of some of my fondest hip hop memories, shaped how I listen to the music, and help guide and craft the respect I have for the artform that I have today. You will always be missed and cherished by the hip hop community, especially by me. Rest In Peace.
