Disco de Guru: “Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures”

This has got to be one of the worst albums I have heard in 2005 if not one of the worst ive ever heard period. You are probably looking at this and thinking wow a new album from Guru Ive got to check it out because the title and cover are very decieving they actually make this piece of trash look really cool. After repeated listens I get the impression that this is not the Guru that we all remember the Guru that came with Priemo in the mid 90s and dropped so many classic albums in the rap game that it is unbelievable the Guru that delivered lyrics that were so powerful he will be remebered as one of the greatest MCs of all time. No this is nothing more than a corny middle aged man spitting tired lyrics over hillariously awful beats provided by a wack DJ whose name is SOLARR

beat wise those who are expecting to here some ill beats should look elsewhere. The beats are cheesy repetitive and suprisingly have a commercial feel to them. One example of the extreme lameness of SOLARRS beats is the song where he chooses to sample the BEATLES "Live and Let Die"

(note to solarr it is a really REALLY bad idea to sample beatles songs on Hiphop records) I found myself not only laughing out loud at this poor attempt at rap music but at the same time I was feeling sorry for Guru for being paired with this loser. This is probably the lowest point on the album next to the "Step in The Arena" remake Seriously if Priemo heard this he would probably cry the list goes on of mediocre songs on this album I found that there were about 5 songs that were decent and so lets see 5 songs out of 19 that are good that leaves 14 that suck and when you compare the five songs that are actually good to Gangstarrs previous material these songs dont even stand a chance. I think that through out the course of Hiphop there are several albums that stand as prime examples of what Hiphop music SHOULD NOT be and this is definetly one of them But I think that SOLARR has a bright future regardless of how much this album sucks only his future is in the food service industry or in the lawn and garden department at Sears. 0 STARS

Those who know Guru's history and provenance will expect this to be a very musical, clever combination of old school and new R & B. It is not. While it has some fairly catchy tracks, particularly "No Time," "Step In The Arena 2," and "Cave In" (which samples "White Lines"), Guru fails to deliver brilliant hooks and breaks, ending up an effort in forced gangsta thuginess. As far as grooves, where Guru once excelled, "Cave In" stands at the top, and yet he has to use one of the most overused samples in hip hop. Those who long for more Gang Starr sophistication and meaning must be content with looking back.

Guru & Premier, these are two names that will always be associated together as a legendary duo up there Eric B. & Rakim and Krs One & Dj Scott La Roc yet it seems likely no-one will ever remember Guru & Solar. When I first heard there was a Solar on the boards I at first assumed it was the French Mc that appears in the Jazzmatazz series and has quite an underground following of his own, needless to say I was intrigued. Once I discovered this wasn't the case I was no less interested. However upon finishing the album I had to say I was very dissapointed this was not the Guru that had given us the Jazz series. The beats from Solar are average at best and often come across as underproduced or as K. West rip offs. There are some songs on this album that grab ones attention such as Power Money & Influence which feature a powerhouse line-up with Talib Kweli & Jean Grae or the smooth Talk to Me with J. Wright. The rest of the album although not absolutely terrible is very easliy forgetable something that was never the case with a Premo & Guru record.

**

One

Pj.

I just recently purchased Guru's 7.0 Street Scriptures and was immediately disappointed after having to sit thru this rushed half-a$$ed attempt. Don't get me wrong here, I'm a true head and a Hip-Hop fanatic....Gangstarr happens to be my favorite group of all time. But so what, why should I let that convolute my actual opinion of this album. Those of you who rated this album anything higher than 3 stars should really be ashamed of yourselves. Just because an album ISN"T commercial or mainstream does not automatically make it a good album. Please get that through your skulls, before you claim to be a true Hip-Hop or music fan for that matter. This isn't about giving someone a high biased rating based on their underground or mainstream affiliation. I swear you underground flag waivers are just as bad as the non-informed mainstream folks. You praise artists who have a lot to say but have no style what-so ever and grace when it actually comes to rhyming (ex. Aesop Rock and El-P). What's wrong with Hip-Hop is that there is a lack of balance. The qualities of the underground and the mainstream are not merged. The "Middleground" is what Hip Hop desperately needs. So many of these reviewers don't actually listen to the music and mislead others by allowing their love and allegiance to the artist and "underground" movement affect their ratings of the actual artist. If you can't put your loyalty aside, please don't critique it. I honestly hope that Guru is just fiddling around with another side project...to later return to Gangstarr, because rumors have foreshadowed to a possible breakup of Guru and Preem, which would be devastating.

With that being said, Guru recruits Solar to provide the production. Solar produces every single track too, so don't expect a gem or 2 from Primo on this one. First of all, why did Guru recruit Solar to handle the production??? He is clearly in-experienced and lacks the charisma to keep a listener interested for more than 5 seconds. What's so ironic here is that Guru is a better producer than Solar! Every track is extremely bland, with hardly any sample driven beats. Even though Guru comes across with his usual sense of street awareness and consciousness, his delivery is affected by the unimaginative soundscape that is provided by Solar. I'm only giving this album 2 stars for some of the potent rhymes kicked from Guru on "I'm Sayin", "Feed the Hungry", and "Don Status", which all still have weak production. Guest appearances from Talib, Stylez P, Jean Grey, and B. Real can't even uplift this one.

To sum this all up in a nutshell:

Guru desperately needs DJ Premier in the worst way. They both compliment each other unlike any remaining MC/DJ groups that are still floating around. In order for Guru's rhymes to carry their actual weight, he's going to need above average production to accompany him. That's the reason why his Jazmatazz series and Bald Head Slick and the Click albums seemed to be more sufficient to listeners. They were all average albums with some above average production here and there. That's not even the case here, because I've never heard Guru struggle over beats like this before. If you're not really even a Gangstarr fan and instead loved Guru's Jazzmatazz opuses...you will be saddened by this lackluster album. What has to be questioned here is...why the heck is Guru hirinig talent-less producers when he has worked with arguably the best his entire careeer(Primo)? Why not recruit someone like Diamond D, Buckwild, NO I.D., or Alchemist, someone who can compliment you? If all of the good producers are too expensive, then recruit some of the really talented up and comers like Nottz, 9th Wonder, or Krysis. I thought I'd never hand 2 stars over to one of my personal favorite MC's, but I've got to be completely honest and I would rather you folks out there to save your money for a hot date or something rather than forking it over for a waist of plastic that's going to be a coaster. Let's just hope the Gangstarr breakup rumors are completely false.

The title really says it all. Guru has yet to produce a quality album without Premier's assistance. There's a good reason. Guru is one of the most dull, deadpan rappers in the game. With the right beat,anybody can sound okay. But when Guru has to carry a track with his vocals he never manages to do the job.