Gang Starr Release Historic New Album ‘One Of The Best Yet’

Gang Starr’s “One Of The Best Yet” Features Appearances From J. Cole, Q-Tip, Royce Da 5’9”, Talib Kweli, Ne-Yo, M.O.P., Jeru The Damaja, Freddie Foxxx, Big Shug, Group Home & Nitty Scott

LISTEN TO “ONE OF THE BEST YET” HERE

Gang Starr is undoubtedly one of the most revered, beloved and
influential groups in Hip Hop. Over the course of their distinguished
career, they became a cultural institution. The group’s “Chain and the
Star” logo symbolized power and excellence and it permeated into the
cutting-edge music they created. With a handful of indelible classic
albums on their resume, DJ Premier and Guru’s catalog has not only persevered
but mastered the test of time. Simply, Gang Starr did not follow trends,
they created them.

Though they never “officially” disbanded after the release of
their last project (The Ownerz 2003), Premier and Guru
remain infinitely connected to each other even as they embarked on solo
paths. Premier winning three Grammy’s along the way and assisting in turning artists such as Nas, Jay-Z, Notorious
B.I.G. and many others into rap royalty. In turn, Guru would go on to release
his own quartet of highly influential Jazzmatazz projects.

In the interim, fans always clamored for another Gang Starr
album. Though there were whispers and murmurs over the years, nothing
ever panned out and the possibilities of that project being willed into
existence seemingly grew more remote as the years passed by. After Guru
tragically passed away in 2010 the hope seemed to vanish altogether. The
one person who refused to give up hope was DJ Premier. “I never lost
faith, or wavered. I still felt it inside of me, it just happened to be
nine years later (after Guru’s passing)” Premier commented. “We all
want the things we want right now, but I’m a patient guy. I hung in there
and just kept believing.”

What’s past is prologue. In
September of 2017, DJ Premier embarked on a journey that had been years in the
making. He did so with Guru’s aura and presence unmistakably occupying
the studio, not only in spiritual form, but in the physical as well. His
fallen partners ashes sat firmly atop Premier’s production console in an urn
that was bestowed upon him by Guru’s family.

The king of monotone’s voice, as pristine as ever, suddenly, but
still unexpectedly enveloped the studio and it was as if he had been
resurrected. In that moment, time stood infinitely still and there was no
escaping how emotional, monumental and impactful this project would be. As is the norm with all Gang Starr projects,
the responsibility of naming the new Gang Starr album rested solely on
Premier’s shoulders. Undeniably, this time with much more gravity
attached. After a few machinations, he arrived at One Of The Best
Yet.

Timeless art is often created by pain, loss,
and trauma. While DJ Premier and Guru were alone in the studio again, as
they had been innumerable times before, this time was entirely different. The solace
and joy was overwhelming as Premier had his brother and musical partner’s voice
back in his life. Hunkered down once again in his comfort zone; creating
music with Guru. Yet, the experience also reinforced on a daily basis the
sense of loss and grief that has been omnipresent for Premier since Guru’s
death. “This album means everything to
me. It’s a continuation of what I never wanted to end” Premier
stated. “It’s a very foreign place for me and very emotional. I get
happy, sad, excited; my feelings are kind of all over the place. But
predominantly, just very happy to be making music with Guru again.”

One Of The Best Yet is
many things. Yes, it’s the first new Gang Starr album in sixteen-years
and it is a historic event to be celebrated and rejoiced, but it symbolizes
much more than that. One Of The Best Yet further cements
Gang Starr’s legacy. This literal gift of an album not only harkens you back to Gang Starr’s seminal work
of the past, but it re-establishes their impact in a modern-day perspective;
which the recent feature in the New
York Times poignantly affirmed.

As young adults, music and art brought Premier and Guru together and helped spark a brotherly bond that even death has not broken. After Sixteen-years since their last album Gang Starr is resurrected with One Of The Best Yet; an ambitious, intense and truly captivating album that you can not only hear; but feel and ultimately connect with. A spiritual cleansing that not only grabs your attention; but stops you in your tracks.

Welcome to One Of The Best Yet!

Purchase and stream Gang Starr’s One Of The Best Yet
at your preferred DSP: https://ingrooves.ffm.to/oneofthebestyet
(explicit version)

https://ingrooves.ffm.to/oneofthebestyetclean
(clean version)

Watch Gang Starr f/ J. Cole “Family and Loyalty” Video:

Tracklisting & Credits for Gang Starr’s ‘One Of The Best
Yet’: