Today In Hip Hop History: The Source Magazine Remembers The Passing Of Gangstarrs Guru 14 Years Later [Video]

On July 17, 1961, Keith Edward Elam was born into this world in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Sadly, 14 years ago today the late, great MC Guru lost his battle with melanoma, a form of cancer. April 19, 2010, was a tragic day for Hip Hop heads worldwide because we lost a true emcee and all-around great human being.

Guru started his career off in 1987. He relocated to the Hip Hop mecca New York City, where he founded Gang Starr. In 1989 with three records and no real blip on Hip Hop’s radar Guru switched up producers and began working with DJ Premier. After that, it was a wrap. The duo released its first LP “No More Mr. Nice Guy” with Wild Pitch records and six more critically acclaimed albums followed.

Premier and Guru made for a perfect combination. Guru’s uniquely monotone delivery and storytelling ability, combined with Premier’s punctuating, soulful production inspired some of the …