Thug Life Army

A walking testament to Hip-Hop’s spirit, culture and timelessness, Guru and his journey in the music industry has been one long ride that contains one classic recording after another; from his work with the legendary Gang Starr, to becoming one of the first artists to fuse Hip-Hop and Jazz, Guru’s legacy and legend will never be forgotten and he plans on furthering that legacy with his 7 Grand label venture. 

As the momentum continues to build around the second single, “Hood Dreaming”, (the single peaked at #3 on Hot 97’s top twenty countdown in March 2006) from Guru & Solar’s Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures, (which was hailed for the new sound Solar supplied for Guru from respected outlets such as The Source, NY Post, Essence, Black Beat, etc) featured hip-hop and rap artists Styles P, Talib Kweli, B-Real, Jean Grae and continues to sell (nearing 100K units) nearly nine-months after its release, the duo is already in the process of working on the fourth installment of Guru’s always inventive and compelling Jazzmatazz series.

Jazzmatazz Vol. 4 will be released in early 2007 and will be preceded by the LP’s lead-single, which will appear in the fall of 2006.  Always pushing the envelope, Jazzmatazz Vol. 4 will be a double-disc endeavor that will be entirely produced by Solar and co-produced by Guru. Already gushing over the early recording sessions, Guru lamented “the tracks Solar and I have laid down are incredible and it’s going to be the best Jazzmatazz yet.”  In the past, Guru’s Jazzmatazz endeavors have enabled him to collaborate with a who’s who list of legendary musical icons; including Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd, Chaka Khan, Isaac Hayes and Branford Marsalis.  Early confirmed guests on Jazzmatazz Vol. 4 include rapper Common, Raheem Devaughn, David Sanborn, Ronny Laws and Natasha Benningfield among others.

Similar to Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures, Jazzmatazz Vol. 4 will be released on Guru and Solar’s own label 7 Grand Records, a label that although only a year in its inception, has already produced great results and allows Guru & Solar the ability to handle business on their own terms as Solar asserts “7 Grand Records is the epitome of what great NY Hiphop represents taken to the new millennium and beyond! Independent Hip Hop has always been free from corporate BS and 7 Grand is the company that will bring that concept forward.”  Likewise, Guru proclaims “7 Grand Records allows me not only to be creative, but to finally be in control of my creativity. With us you''ve got a legendary spitter that’s still hungry and still relevant, teamed up with the hottest New York producer in the game, which makes for a musical vision that is powerfully important and virtually unstoppable.”

With a career that spans over a decade and one that is now eleven-LP’s deep, Guru has been able to stay relevant when many of his counterparts have faded into the background. Now with a new musical and business partnership in full motion with Solar, Guru feels even more reinvigorated. When asked how he has been able stay such a viable force in the music industry Guru states matter of factly “be honest with yourself, be original, be open to criticism and don’t be afraid to reinvent and recreate oneself".

Prepare to Step In The Arena again!