Remembering Guru

The pioneering rapper died four years ago today.

Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal - Although it's been four years since his death on April 19, 2010, Guru,'s mark on music is indelible — subtle but unmistakable — much like his distinct, monotone delivery. The former front man of Gang Starr helped to usher in the mash up of hip hop and jazz that's made albums like Reasonable Doubt so palatable to the ear.Read on as BET.com remembers the pioneering MC's life, career and legacy, one landmark at a time.(Photo: Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) 

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Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal - Although it's been four years since his death on April 19, 2010, Guru,'s mark on music is indelible — subtle but unmistakable — much like his distinct, monotone delivery. The former front man of Gang Starr helped to usher in the mash up of hip hop and jazz that's made albums like Reasonable Doubt so palatable to the ear.Read on as BET.com remembers the pioneering MC's life, career and legacy, one landmark at a time.(Photo: Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) 

The Tonight Show (1992) - DJ Premier got a rare opportunity to teach before a Gang Starr performance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The show’s host joined Premo on stage for an impromptu demonstration (and explanation) of hip hop DJing. “This is like talking drums, so to speak,” Premier explained to Leno. “What I’m doing is taking a record that’s already made… I can make it into rhythmic pattern along with another record.”   (Photo: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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The Foundation - Guru founded Gang Starr in Boston in 1985 with DJ 1,2 B-Down and various producers, including DJ Mark the 45 King. They released three 12-inches via Wild Pitch before disbanding. But Guru revived Gang Starr when he relocated to Brooklyn and linked with Texas-born producer DJ Premier.  (Photo: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)

Manifest Destiny - The reborn Gang Starr made immediate waves with their debut single, "Manifest," off the album No More Mr. Nice Guy. The song gave an early glimpse at the pair's streetwise philosophy, Premo's slick sample-based beats, and, most of all, their undeniable chemistry.   (Photo: Courtesy Wild Pitch Records)

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Manifest Destiny - The reborn Gang Starr made immediate waves with their debut single, "Manifest," off the album No More Mr. Nice Guy. The song gave an early glimpse at the pair's streetwise philosophy, Premo's slick sample-based beats, and, most of all, their undeniable chemistry.   (Photo: Courtesy Wild Pitch Records)

And All That Jazz - At a time when hip hop was obsessed with the funk breaks of James Brown, Gang Starr were one of the first to meld jazz and hip hop. "Manifest" hinted at the new fusion with its funky Charlie Parker sample, but the pair made it even more explicit with "Jazz Thing," from the soundtrack to Spike Lee's Mo' Better Blues. The song name-dropped jazz greats, explained the music's history, and traced its evolution directly to hip hop.(Photo: Courtesy Chrysalis Records)

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And All That Jazz - At a time when hip hop was obsessed with the funk breaks of James Brown, Gang Starr were one of the first to meld jazz and hip hop. "Manifest" hinted at the new fusion with its funky Charlie Parker sample, but the pair made it even more explicit with "Jazz Thing," from the soundtrack to Spike Lee's Mo' Better Blues. The song name-dropped jazz greats, explained the music's history, and traced its evolution directly to hip hop.(Photo: Courtesy Chrysalis Records)

"Step" It Up - 1991's Step in the Arena was a quantum leap forward for Gang Starr. Premo's drums hit harder, his cuts were even more surgically precise, and Guru was in top form, perfectly balancing rap boasts with uplifting corner-consciousness. Led by heaters such as "Just to Get a Rep" and "Who's Gonna Take the Weight," the album established the distinctive musical formula that would make the group one of the standard bearers for East Coast rap. (Photo: Courtesy Chrysalis Records)

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"Step" It Up - 1991's Step in the Arena was a quantum leap forward for Gang Starr. Premo's drums hit harder, his cuts were even more surgically precise, and Guru was in top form, perfectly balancing rap boasts with uplifting corner-consciousness. Led by heaters such as "Just to Get a Rep" and "Who's Gonna Take the Weight," the album established the distinctive musical formula that would make the group one of the standard bearers for East Coast rap. (Photo: Courtesy Chrysalis Records)

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Gang Starr, Daily Operation - One of rap's most consistent groups, Gang Starr was greater than the sum of its parts. On joints like "Take It Personal," from this acclaimed 1992 album, Guru's raspy monotone sounded that much better over Primo's chopped-up jazz breaks and surgical vocal scratches.(Photo: Chrysalis Records)

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No Shame in Their Game - Guru and Premo perfected their chemistry even further with their 1992 classic, Daily Operation. Darker, harder and more innovative than ever, the album featured paranoid, street-focused bangers like "Take It Personal" and out-there jazz-rap experiments like "Stay Tuned," probably the first hip hop song to feature a 6/8 time signature.  (Photo: Courtesy Chrysalis Records)

Sort of the Boss - Gang Starr kept their foot on the neck of critics and doubters with 1994's Hard to Earn. The album found the duo eschewing their jazz-based past and Five Percenter philosophies for straight-ahead tough talk, smoked-out samples and Premo's trademark in-your-face drums, which basically defined the term boom-bap. Plus, it featured "Dwyck." 'Nuff said. (Photo: Courtesy Chrysalis Records)

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Sort of the Boss - Gang Starr kept their foot on the neck of critics and doubters with 1994's Hard to Earn. The album found the duo eschewing their jazz-based past and Five Percenter philosophies for straight-ahead tough talk, smoked-out samples and Premo's trademark in-your-face drums, which basically defined the term boom-bap. Plus, it featured "Dwyck." 'Nuff said. (Photo: Courtesy Chrysalis Records)

Slicker Than Most - While his work with Premo veered in a harder-edged blue-collar rap direction, Guru took their old jazz-rap genre-bending to new levels on a series of solo albums, led by 1993's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1. Over the course of the four Jazzmatazz projects, Guru broke down boundaries by collaborating with jazz innovators including Branford Marsalis, Donald Byrd, Roy Ayers and Ramsey Lewis. (Photo: Courtesy Chrysalis Records)

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Slicker Than Most - While his work with Premo veered in a harder-edged blue-collar rap direction, Guru took their old jazz-rap genre-bending to new levels on a series of solo albums, led by 1993's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1. Over the course of the four Jazzmatazz projects, Guru broke down boundaries by collaborating with jazz innovators including Branford Marsalis, Donald Byrd, Roy Ayers and Ramsey Lewis. (Photo: Courtesy Chrysalis Records)

Worldwide - Guru was also one of the first rappers to cross literal, geographic boundaries, collaborating with the newly emerging crop of MCs overseas, including Solaar, one of the first and most prominent French rappers.    (Photos: Dalle/Mielniczek/Landov; Philip Ryalls/Redferns/Getty Images) 

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Worldwide - Guru was also one of the first rappers to cross literal, geographic boundaries, collaborating with the newly emerging crop of MCs overseas, including Solaar, one of the first and most prominent French rappers.    (Photos: Dalle/Mielniczek/Landov; Philip Ryalls/Redferns/Getty Images) 

The Militia - Both through sonic example and direct collaboration, Guru and Premo were the center of gravity for an unofficial movement of New York rap traditionalists who thumbed their noses at commercial hip hop, including their Gang Starr Federation affiliates Jeru and Group Home and go-to collaborators such as Freddie Foxxx and M.O.P.   (Photos: Tiffany Rose/WireImage/Getty Images; Al Pereira/WireImage/Getty Images; Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images)

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The Militia - Both through sonic example and direct collaboration, Guru and Premo were the center of gravity for an unofficial movement of New York rap traditionalists who thumbed their noses at commercial hip hop, including their Gang Starr Federation affiliates Jeru and Group Home and go-to collaborators such as Freddie Foxxx and M.O.P.   (Photos: Tiffany Rose/WireImage/Getty Images; Al Pereira/WireImage/Getty Images; Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images)

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You Can't Handle The "Truth" - After a four-year hiatus, during which Guru released another Jazzmatazz and Premo became one of the most-sought-after freelance producers in hip hop, Gang Starr returned with 1998's Moment of Truth. With Guru still on point and Premo showing off his new, hugely influential sample-chopping technique, the album seemed like a defiant hard-core rap middle-finger to the late-'90s shiny-suit era dominated by Diddy, Ma$e and Will Smith. (Photo: Courtesy Virgin Records)

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You Can't Handle The "Truth" - After a four-year hiatus, during which Guru released another Jazzmatazz and Premo became one of the most-sought-after freelance producers in hip hop, Gang Starr returned with 1998's Moment of Truth. With Guru still on point and Premo showing off his new, hugely influential sample-chopping technique, the album seemed like a defiant hard-core rap middle-finger to the late-'90s shiny-suit era dominated by Diddy, Ma$e and Will Smith. (Photo: Courtesy Virgin Records)

Gang Starr, "Tonz 'O' Gunz" - Gang Starr lamented the ubiquity of guns on this banger from their 1994 album Hard to Earn. "Tons o' gunz real easy to get, tons o' gunz bringing nothing but death," Guru monotoned. (Photo: Courtesy Virgin Records)

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The Illest Brothers - Gang Starr signed off with their 2003 album, The Ownerz, following up their gold-selling 1999 greatest-hits compilation Full Clip. Premo continued his in-demand production work and still tours as a DJ, while Guru released a handful of solo projects and performed extensively overseas.    (Photo: Courtesy Virgin Records)

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Above the Clouds - In 2010, after suffering a heart attack that put him in a coma and enduring a long battle with cancer, Guru died on April 19. There was controversy surrounding his death as word of the tragedy spread. Guru's family members and friends claimed his business partner Solar (not to be confused with MC Solaar), who was working with him on his last projects like Guru 8.0: Lost and Found, prevented them from seeing him in the hospital, and even forged a letter that Guru had supposedly written. Though the details of what exactly happened are murky, one thing is beyond dispute: Guru's legacy and impact on the music and culture he loved.    (Photo: Mychal Watts/WireImage/Getty Images)