Controversy has erupted over the supposed ‘final letter’ written by Gangstarr rapper Guru just before he died.
One of the most respected groups in hip hop, Gangstarr centred on the rhyming skills of Guru and the production technique of DJ Premier. Using an eclectic array of samples, the duo helped introduce hip hop to jazz.
Splitting over a decade ago, Guru later worked with Solar. As the rapper’s health declined, the role of the producer in the rapper’s life and career began to come under question.
A series of updates earlier this year apparently came from Guru himself, but the rapper’s family disputed this. Sadly passing away on Tuesday (April 20th) the rapper was showered in tributes by some of the most popular artists in hip hop.
However one final move has come under scrutiny. A ‘final letter’ written by Guru has caused controversy, with some fans outright questioning whether someone who had been in a coma not long ago could have written the letter.
Writing DJ Premier out of the Gangstarr legacy, it has caused considerable unrest. MTV questioned Solar over his role in Guru’s final act, and the producer claimed to be a “repository” for the rapper’s life and opinions.
“(Guru) arranged his press release. I’m the repository of Guru’s life story. I recorded his life story for book and for movies. We’re not foolish. He was diagnosed with cancer well over a year ago. It’s been operations and so forth. It would be ridiculous for him to not be prepared.”
Meanwhile, MTV also asked DJ Premier to comment on the letter. “I’ve been asked to comment on a letter speaking ill of me which was supposedly written by Guru in his dying days.”
“All I will say about it is that our time together was beautiful, we built a hip-hop legacy together, and no one can re-write history or take away my love for him. One thing I would never do is play around with the truth about his life.”
