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Links: www.gurusjazzmatazz.net, www.7grandweshare.com

WE ARE VERY SORRY TO INFORM YOU ABOUT GURU´S DEATH ON APRIL 20TH, 2010

Hip hop legend Guru passed away on Monday after suffering from a year long battle with cancer.

His health was shrouded in secrecy after he was hospitalised months ago claiming to be suffering from a heart problem.

He had been due to perform at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in April, but was too ill.

His ex-DJ, DJ Premier broke the news on his blog on Tuesday morning.

While in hospital with terminal cancer, Guru wrote a letter, which was issued to a press agency by producer Solar, to his fans addressing his illness, his shining music career, his family and loved ones.

The letter

"I, Guru, am writing this letter to my fans, friends and loved ones around the world. I have had a long battle with cancer and have succumbed to the disease. I have suffered with this illness for over a year. I have exhausted all medical options. I have a non-profit organization called Each One Counts dedicated to carrying on my charitable work on behalf of abused and disadvantaged children from around the world and also to educate and research a cure for this terrible disease that took my life. I write this with tears in my eyes, not of sorrow but of joy for what a wonderful life I have enjoyed and how many great people I have had the pleasure of meeting," read the official Guru statement.

"My loyal best friend, partner and brother, Solar, has been at my side through it all and has been made my health proxy by myself on all matters relating to myself. He has been with me by my side on my many hospital stays, operations, doctors visits and stayed with me at my home and cared for me when I could not care for myself. Solar and his family is my family and I love them dearly and I expect my family, friends, and fans to respect that, regardless to anybody''s feelings on the matter. It is my wish that counts. This being said I am survived by the love of my life, my sun KC, who I trust will be looked after by Solar and his family as their own. Any awards or tributes should be accepted, organized approved by Solar on behalf myself and my son until he is of age to except on his own. "

"I do not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name likeness, events tributes etc. connected in anyway to my situation including any use of my name or circumstance for any reason and I have instructed my lawyers to enforce this. I had nothing to do with him in life for over 7 years and want nothing to do with him in death. Solar has my life story and is well informed on my family situation, as well as the real reason for separating from my ex-DJ. As the sole founder of GangStarr, I am very proud of what GangStarr has meant to the music world and fans. I equally am proud of my Jazzmatazz series and as the father of Hip-Hop/Jazz. I am most proud of my leadership and pioneering efforts on Jazzmatazz 4 for reinvigorating the Hip-Hop/Jazz genre in a time when music quality has reached an all time low. Solar and I have toured in places that I have never been before with GangStarr or Jazzmatatazz and we gained a reputation for being the best on the planet at Hip-Hop/Jazz, as well as the biggest and most influential Hip-Hop/Jazz record with Jazzmatazz 4 of the decade to now.

"The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time.

"And we as a team were not afraid to push the envelope. To me this is what true artists do! As men of honor we stood tall in the face of small mindedness, greed, and ignorance. As we fought for music and integrity at the cost of not earning millions and for this I will always be happy and proud, and would like to thank the million fans who have seen us perform over the years from all over the world. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time and is my most creative and experimental to date. I hope that our music will receive the attention it deserves as it is some of the best work I have done and represents some of the best years of my life. "

 

Style: Hip Hop, Jazz
Origin: USA
Touring party: 5
Territory: Exclusive for G/A/S
Availability: Spring, Summer,  2010

On March 24, 2009, legendary emcee Guru (GangStarr) and producer Solar, the teaming that has already produced three hit albums (Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures, Jazzmatazz Vol. 4 and The Timebomb / Back To The Future), will release their latest collaboration Guru 8.0 Lost & Found (7 Grand Records). Guru 8.0 is the upgrade Hip-Hop fans have been waiting for.Guru, most recently known for his groundbreaking Jazzmatazz album series where he collaborated with the likes of Chaka Khan, Herbie Hancock, Isaac Hayes, Erykah Badu, The Roots, Macy Gray and David Sanborn, has returned to his GangStarr roots with the release of Guru 8.0 Lost & Found.  Unlike Jazzmatazz, Guru 8.0 Lost & Found is Hip-Hop in its purest form and features little collaboration beyond 7 Grand artists, K. Born, Highpower and Doo Wop, the UK soul singer Omar, and the first ever appearance of producer Solar as an emcee.Three examples of the diversity, both musically and lyrically, found on Guru 8.0 Lost & Found are tracks “Best Of My Years,” “Fast Lane” and “Divine Rule.”  “Best Of My Years” has a classic Hip-Hop feel to it, “Fast Lane” is a southern Hip-Hop inspired track that shows off Solar’s ability to take an established subgenre of Hip-Hop and rework it to make it his own.  Stretching things out even further is “Divine Rule,” which is a throwback to Hip-Hop’s early beginnings when emcees used to rhyme over disco breaks.For Guru and Solar their advancement of Hip-Hop started in 2004 when they launched 7 Grand Records and continued in 2005 when they released Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures, which sold over 100,000 copies and was one of the top ten independent releases for that year. The long awaited Jazzmatazz Vol. 4: The Hip Hop Jazz Messenger: Back to the Future (2007) received critical acclaim both for it inspiring lyrics and phenomenal production, topping at 150,000 units worldwide.