MUSIC: STRAIGHT OUT OF BROOKLYN

Gang Starr presents rap in its truest form In recent years, rap music has seen many changes. As different styles of rap come in and out of popularity, many rappers change their own styles to fit what is currently selling records. In this process, rap artists lose their fan bases, and, subsequently, respect from real rap fans. In the midst of all of this chaos, Gang Starr has been the model of consistency. Their new release, Hard to Earn, has exactly what rap fans have come to expect from the duo--crazy, phat beats and some of the dopest rhymes out. In 1989, Gang Starr released their debut No More Mr. Nice Guy. With rough rhymes and maad skills on the turntables, they immediately made an impact in the rap industry. Then, in the following years, with hits like "Just to Get a Rep," "Who's Gonna Take the Weight?," and "Take it Personal," GURU (an acronym for Gifted Unlimited, Rhymes Universal) and DJ Premier have amassed a large following among underground hip-hop fans, hardly straying from the style that earned them respect as artists and not just performers. Hard to Earn is vintage Gang Starr. If you liked the first three albums, you'll love this one. The album is strictly hard-core, underground influenced hip-hop. With rhymes that make you say 'Oh sh...' and beats made for the streets, this is one-hundred percent pure, undiluted rap music. As Masta Ase would say, this album is "Strictly the hard-core, dirty, street level shit." GURU's rhymes on Hard to Earn are a bit different to those on Gang Starr's previous albums. The Boston native (now representing Brooklyn) features more of a braggadocio style than on previous albums. Although this may not exactly be what Gang Starr fans have grown accustomed to, GURU's rhymes come off even better than his previous material. The best rhyme of the album is on the cut "Suckas Need Bodyguards." In the first verse, GURU says , "Rhymes I rip with swift execution/One verse could coerce your girl to prostitution." Who else but GURU could write a one-liner like that? Witty lines like this keep the listener's attention throughout the album. However, at certain times, GURU comes off as a bit arrogant. On one cut, he goes on and on about how dope his voice is. Listeners really don't need to hear him sweat himself that much. GURU is fresh from his solo project, Jazzmatazz: Volume 1. This experimental fusion of hip-hop and live jazz, featuring the talents of Donald Byrd, N'dea Davenport, and MC Solaar among others, received international acclaim. However, the commercial audience that GURU earned last year should not expect Hard to Earn to be an album similar to Jazzmatazz. The music on Hard to Earn is flawless, and DJ Premier can take the credit for that. The album contains many jazzy piano, horn, and bass loops, but keeps its hard-core feel because of the heavy drum beats Premier lays down. For the phattest beats, listen out for "Code Of The Streets," "The Planet," and "Comin' For Datazz." Collectively, the music on this Hard to Earn is unmatched by any other hard-core rap album. Premier outdid himself on this album and should get much dap for his work. What should come as no surprise to longtime rap fans is DJ Premier's swiftness on the turntables. His talents rival those of DJ Scratch and hip-hop veteran DJ Jazzy Jeff. Premier proves that scratching is not a forgotten art. Although DJ Premier has always been renowned for his work on the wheels of steel, it has only been in the last two years that he has gotten widespread props for his skills as a studio producer. Now, Premier, along with Pete Rock, is one of the most sought after producers in the rap industry. Several recently released albums, by such established artists as Heavy D and KRS-ONE, contain songs featuring Premier behind the boards. Including "Suckas Need Bodyguards," the best cuts on Hard to Earn are "Speak Ya Clout," featuring Jeru The Damaja and Lil Dap; a story about Brooklyn called, "The Planet"; and the first single from the album, "Mass Appeal." For all of those who missed it on the B-side of the 1992 hit "Take It Personal," "DWYCK," featuring Nice And Smooth, is also on the album. All in all, Hard to Earn contains 17 tracks (16 songs and an intro) of maad flavaz. Hard to Earn is easily the best rap album of the young year. It is a must-have for true underground fans and anyone yearning to hear real rap music in its purest form.