Guru & Solar

Maintaining relevance in the ever evolving game of Hip-Hop is no small feat. It remains the battle most talented MCs must continuously win—or else. Veteran victor Guru, one half of the legendary group Gang Starr, knows a little something about maintaining longevity. Teaming up with beat maestro DJ Premier in the late 80’s, the group churned out classics like ‘Words I Manifest’, ‘Just To Get A Rep’, ‘Take It Personal’ and the horn laced ‘Jazz Thing’ single to Spike Lee’s Mo Better Blues soundtrack before parting ways in 2006.

Before the soundtrack, Guru had already parlayed his appreciation of jazz into the triple volume Jazzmatazz series. Pairing influential musicians of the genre like Donald Byrd, Roy Ayers, and Branford Marsalis with fellow MC’s and vocalists, Guru set out to give Hip-Hop a new jazzy twist.

Almost eight years since the last Jazzmatazz disc, Guru is back at it with a new partner, label, and disc. Teaming up with “super” producer Solar and forming their own 7 Grand Records in 2004, the pair dropped Jazzmatazz /The Hip-Hop Messenger: Back To The Future with its accompanying The Timebomb: Back To The Future mixtape simultaneously. In between stops on a mini tour of the Midwest, Guru and Solar fill Scheme in on their latest collaboration, Hip-Hop consciousness, and creating classic music.

Scheme: First things first. Will there be another Gang Starr project?
Guru: If so it will be through 7 Grand records. Right now it’s about 7 Grand. It’s about Guru and Solar. Gang Starr was a great time and a great legacy. Like most great artist, I wanted to recreate, reinvent, and move on to great new things. My ex partner went on to do other things and things that he wanted to do. It’s about growth and change. [I] can’t live in the past. I’m not wearing the same clothes or car that I drove five years ago.

Scheme: Fair enough. When you started the Jazzmatazz series 15 years ago, did you think mixing jazz and Hip-Hop was a sound that would catch on?
Guru: Everybody was sampling jazz. DJ’s and producers were sampling jazz. I wanted to take it to the next level and actually get the jazz cats who we sampled to come into the studio and jam over some hits. I wanted to get some top notch vocalists and bring generations together and bridge gaps. That’s what I thought music should do. That’s what I thought Hip-Hop should do.

Scheme: How did you know it was going to be successful?
Guru: I just had a feeling. Especially after talking to Dr. Donald Byrd, who was one of the first people I called about the project. He agreed and thought it was important. He thought it was history. He gave me a lot of confidence. He put the word out in the jazz community that I was doing a great project and looked out for me.

“Music is an extension of the soul of people, certainly black people. Music can uplift us and build us, shape us, and destroy us.”

Scheme: With the success of the first three volumes, why the eight year gap between Street Soul and Back To The Future?
Guru: I had to finish up other commitments and projects. I wanted to put Jazzmatazz on the back burner for a minute. It took time but is a timeless project.

Scheme: How did you hook up with Guru?
Solar: We were friends first. He was the one that saw I had the ability to become a top producer in this industry. He has a history of discovering great producers. A lot of people know he was one of the first people to work with Pharrell and The Roots. When Guru tells you you have the talent to do it, it was wise for me to take that seriously.

Scheme: What did you think he could bring out of you as a producer that hadn’t been brought out before?
Solar: I wasn’t a professional producer before. With him it was either I am going to do this seriously and make a living or I’m not. As far as working with him, and working with any other artist, I’m very true to my art. Music is an extension of the soul of people, certainly black people. Music can uplift us and build us, shape us, and destroy us. I’ve always been respectful of Guru’s stature and how he stayed true to his art and how is music and pride always spoke to the consciousness of the people. He wasn’t just out to make a quick buck and sell a pimp/ho mentality.

“We’re not gonna go corporate or major. We’ll be the standard of quality music. It will also show that black men are responsible to the black community and the world’s hip-Hop community.”

Scheme: You’ve mentioned that the mix tape version of Back To The Future is going to bring everyone back to the golden age of Hip-Hop. What time was that for Guru & Solar? And how is the mix tape going to take listeners back to it?
Solar: I can answer for both of us. We feel that the golden era was that period between 1990 and 1996. That was the era that was directly before the bling era. The music was true to the experiences that were being rapped about by groups like Wu-Tang and Tribe. It was a different mixture of groups that were doing different styles. The diversity in production and style was immense. It wasn’t just one style being used. That’s why we say it’s on a next level. I paid attention to those concepts and took it to another level. The new tracks will bang with any popular song you hear on the radio. The difference with a lot of stuff from that era is its not going to hold up with things being made in 2007 or 2008. This stuff will. For those that want a little diversity in their Hip-Hop, this is a great album.

Scheme: What kind of diversity did you set out to achieve with this disc?
Solar: The diversity in this market is that you are not hearing what I call the one finger double time production. It’s what I call having the one fingered double time production with one synth sound, one synth line and double time on the beat. Basically using the same 808 drum sound, a catchy hook, and lyrics that talk about nothing. So this [mix tape] is very topical, conscious, and political. The people on the album are the best of the best that don’t access a producer like me.

Scheme: Any memorable moments putting the disc together?
Guru: Timebomb. One of them was the track we did with an MC from the UK named Yungun. He put his verses down and brought a flavor [to the project] He is one international MC on the album and I loved the way he flipped his verse on Too Slick and inspired me on my verse.

Scheme: Did working with new 7 Grand MC’s K.Born, Highpower, and Young Pablo help you step your game up?
Guru: Yes indeed. But Solar laced us with the hot joints so he inspires all of us to step our game up together and individually.

Scheme: Ever any concerns with the shifts in Hip-Hop about your ability to stay relevant as an MC?
Guru: The people dictate that. The sold out shows all around the world and in a tough market our CD’s still sell. Our digital downloads still pop off.
Solar: Our sales are incredible for an independent label and on par with any other Jazzmatazz records. The success overall of the record is the people saying we’ve done the right thing.

Scheme: Featuring voices of former Soul II Soul vocalist Caron Wheeler and Arrested Development member Dionne Farris was a coup for the project. How did you link up?
Solar: We ran into her [Caron} at an African festival we performed at in Chicago. Kiss the World was already prepared. I really didn’t know where to go with it. When I saw her perform I said, “I wondered how she would sound on the track” and told her we wanted to work with her. We gave her the track and quite honestly she killed it. Dionne is just a charming woman and one of the best female vocalists I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. She is still relevant. It was a total pleasure working with her and I’d been a fan since she was in Arrested development and of her solo work.

Scheme: What do you think Back to the Future is going to do for Hip-Hop right now?
Solar: It’s gonna show that 7 Grand is the label out of NY showing that you can have a successful label that’s not self centered and absorbed. We’re not gonna go corporate or major. We’ll be the standard of quality music. It will also show that black men are responsible to the black community and the world’s hip-Hop community.

Scheme: Do you honestly think people are checking for positive messages in music?
Solar: We’ll find out won’t we? Consciousness can affect sales. Radio is gonna die in a minute. The internet is taking over radio. Radio is almost a thing of the past [but] I can promise you this. There is a legion of 7 Grand fans around the world that will make sure Guru and Solar will accomplish this mission.

Scheme: The discs are being released together but what’s the difference between the two?
Solar: Jazzmatazz 4, the precursor, is filled with top level jazz musicians with artists. The newer innovators and legends in the game on Timebomb are a whole new concept of Jazzmatazz. This is the street ready Jazzmatazz—no big names or jazz musicians. Just about getting down to the business of Hip-Hop—hot beats and real spits.