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[V] Interview: Guru (Part 1)

Over twenty years, Guru has carved out a reputation as a fiercely talented MC and producer as one half of hip hop group Gangstarr and a solo hip hop artist in his own right, defining the New York sound.

Guru's inimitable flow and knack for discovering the next fresh sound is showcased on his latest album, JazzMatazz Vol 4.0, a record that is the result of the "ultimate" musical partnership, with up and coming producer Solar. The record features a fine selection of 21st century talent, from rapper Common to reggae star Damian Marley.

Guru and Solar kindly stepped out of their New York studio mid session to chat about their new record, their disgust at the "downward spiral" of the corporate American music industry, the Kanye rip offs and how the fate of hip hop rests in the hands of the fans, not the suits...

Weblady: What’s new?
Guru: We’re hectic, back in the studio, just back from our US tour. We’re always working, we work all the time.

Do you remember when you knew that the chemistry between you and Solar would prove fruitful?
G: Yes I do. We were introduced about six years ago and we just hung out as friends, it was beyond the music initially. After a couple of years, we decided to start Seven Grand Records in 2004. That’s when Solar took me to his lab and let me hear some of his tracks, and I was blown away. It was almost as if he read my mind, because I was looking for a new sound for the future of Guru – I wanted to evolve and reinvent and so forth.

How would you describe the new sound?
G: Futuristic, New York, but real hip hop – all of those combined. It’s a new New York sound for the future. I’ve been in New York since ‘85, I’m an honourary New Yorker.

So do you remember when you knew it was right between you, Solar?
S: He rapped on the first track I gave him, which would have been on Guru 7.0, the Street Scriptures album, Hall Of Fame. He told me that the beats were hot and I had what it took. The proof was in the pudding, we went into the lab and he spit to it I knew there was a chemistry there, not only that but he took the track to the next level.

"This is your music, either you embrace something new...a freshness, an intelligence of hip hop musicianship, or it goes down the drain. You cant blame Mr George Bush anymore"

How is this relationship different to other collaborations?
G: It’s the ultimate partnership. It’s the ultimate producer/artist relationship, it’s the ultimate record company that we’re running, Seven Grand. it’s the ultimate creative freedom. The only word to describe it as is ultimate. I’ve never experienced anything like it, and I can’t see anything better than this.

State Of Clarity - Guru feat. Common & Bob James

What was your vision for JazzMatazz Vol 4.0?
G: I knew after we toured, that leaving the production up to him [Solar], he’d take the production to the next level. I just let him do what he had to do with the tracks and I just focused on lyrics and concepts.

"Art can be spit on by the corporations, who invest millions and millions in nonsense."

As a producer, was it hard to step away from the mixing desk?
G: He took it to another level. When you have a hot, top gun producer – that’s what you do. You let them do their thing. Everybody that was featured on the album, everybody we reached out to, not only did they immediately agree to get down with the project because of the legacy.

S: I guess after working with Kanye and Common, working with me doesn’t count.
They were on the album ‘cos you twisted their arm. [Laughs]

G: Seriously, these people are top notch in their fields, from David Sanborn to Common, Damian Marley, to Caron Wheeler. These people are not going to do just any tracks. Solar did one track per person, and each time they called up and said, “Wow, this is HOT.”

I didn’t know it could be done, but you’ve created a fresh sound.
G: Let it be known, a lot of things have been written were trying to say that there are samples on this album – there are no samples!

What was the most magical session?
G: For me, just once I understood that we had an album, I never think about part two or part four to be honest, I was sceptical myself. But once I got the inspiration, musically – a vision and it started to come together.

Stand Up is great. What was it like working with Damian Marley?
G: Oh, that dude, he’s a great, great dude man. His energy emanates, positive energy. We met him a couple of times in airports, one time we were in Heathrow in England and we talked about working together, exchanged information and when it came back to the track, it was Solar’s idea. I wanted to have a reggae artist, Solar said we should get Damian. I’ll let him elaborate.

S: He’s such a phenomenal talent. When we first heard Walking With Jamrock, we were in Jamaica at a soundclash and it’s such a brilliant track. The tracks I wanted to give him, I wanted to push the envelope and do something really unique and different with him. I had never heard any dancehall or reggae artists of any note really get down on any breakbeats. When you listen to the tempo of Jamrock, it’s so slow and he sounds so brilliant, so again, Solar the risk-taker thought he could spit it at that BPM.

It’s definitely fresh, with international flavour. Do you think the record is a good example of what you guys listen to?
G: Absolutely. It’s a brilliant representation of JazzMatazz in a modern day form. So what it is, what Solar did, the legacy. After we die, it will still have life. I’m really proud of it, and it’s being released on Seven Grand Records, which is our label. Not somebody else’s label. We took this album to the major labels, they weren’t giving us the feedback we wanted.

It’s a great balance, you’ve got the jazz legends, DeVaughn and Bob James; Damian and Common the contemporary stars; Bobby Valentino the heartthrob; the up and coming soul singers, Raheem Devaughn, Caron Wheeler, another veteran. The guy from Arrested Development, even from Australia - a great new singer, Shelly Harland. So its a great buzz, then you’ve got the rappers like Slum Village and Blackalicious, and that again was Solar saying we gotta keep it fresh, get a couple of rappers that we like.

It surprises me the major labels weren’t more receptive. Do you think in the wider music world they’re scared to take risks?
G: Yes, because right now, it’s all about music that’s The American music scene is in a downward spiral right now. It’s an interesting time in America, because if this continues, the young people of America can't point at the White House no more. This is your music, either you embrace something new, like Seven Grand – a new change, a freshness, an intelligence of hip hop musicianship, or it goes down the drain.

You can't blame Mr George Bush anymore, it’s either going to sink or swim by its merits. The major labels have essentially spit on us. They called our music garbage, they called Guru garbage. Now it’s up to the world to decide if its garbage or not. Art can be spit on by the corporations, who invest millions in nonsense. I’m not ashamed to be a starving artist. We come from a great vein of righteous people, who suffered, to do what was right in troubled times. It doesn’t have to be that way – there’s another way to be.

Read on for more on Kanye, respect, rip offs and more!

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