Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Hard to Earn (Chrysalis, 1994) by Gang Starr


There is nothing I can say about Gang Starr that has not already been said.  Premier is one of the best producers of all-time and Guru's (R.I.P.) way of sounding like he's talking to you when he raps is truly unique.  Gang Starr is legendary.  But Hard to Earn means a lot to me though-beyond  just  the music.  When I first learned to rap (I never got very good at all), it was Hard to Earn that I was lent and instructed to study- as far as keeping rhythm and counting bars.  Yet my shortcoming on the microphone turned out to be a blessing in disguise because I ended up digging Gang Starr so much that the producer I was working with saw my enthusiasm and still gave me encouragement to still be a part of hip-hop, even if I wasn't a rapper.  I couldn't rap or produce like Guru and Premo, but I could sure explain why they were awesome.  In a round-about way, Gang Starr's Hard to Earn was the first time that anyone ever took me and rap seriously and I am forever grateful for that.  It really helped build my confidence as a human being.  And as a generally shy person, that meant the world to me!

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