The Guru letter, DJ Premier's Guru Tribute Mix, MTV's Sway interviews Solar, HipHopDX interview reveals "Solar was a Bully", Vibe Magazine interviews DJ Premier
Since Guru (1/2 of the superduo Gangstarr) passed away from cancer on April 20, controversies surrounding his final days and his relationship with producer and partner Solar has been circulating in the media. When Guru went into a coma, his nephew Justin released a YouTube video, in which he pleads for help, because Solar barred Guru's family from seeing him. After Guru passed away, a letter supposedly written by Guru was circulated, in which he praises Solar and disses DJ Premier. DJ Premier does a Guru Tribute mix on his "Live from the Headquarterz" radio show on Sirius, which opens with Gangstarr track "Betrayal". In his signature monotone voice, Guru raps "Scandalous. money, greed and lust in this trife life, there ain't nobody you can trust." Clearly, Premier (speaking with his hands) was addressing Solar. On the radio show, Premier talks about how he snuck into the hospital to see his longtime partner and was saddened by the fact that his family members were not there and to see the condition that Guru was in. Recently, MTV's Sway interviewed Solar to verify Guru's letter and Solar stood by his claim, "It was Guru's words... for the most part." A shocking HipHopDX interview with Tasha Denham, executive assistant at Guru & Solar's Seven Grand Records and mother to Solar's son reveals that Solar was a controlling, manipulative bully who was driven by fame and how they isolated themselves from the Hip Hop industry. Most recenly, DJ Premier spoke to Vibe Magazine on Guru's Death, Solar and a Gangstarr Reunion.
Review the trail of events below... Guru (Gangstarr) True Story Behind Hospital & Coma
The Guru Letter (source: Global Grind)
I, Guru, am writing this letter to my fans, friends and loved ones around the world. I have had a long battle with cancer and have succumbed to the disease. I have suffered with this illness for over a year. I have exhausted all medical options.
I have a non-profit organization called Each One Counts dedicated to carrying on my charitable work on behalf of abused and disadvantaged children from around the world and also to educate and research a cure for this terrible disease that took my life. I write this with tears in my eyes, not of sorrow but of joy for what a wonderful life I have enjoyed and how many great people I have had the pleasure of meeting.
My
loyal best friend, partner and brother, Solar, has been at my side
through it all and has been made my health proxy by myself on all
matters relating to myself. He has been with me by my side on my many
hospital stays, operations, doctors visits and stayed with me at my
home and cared for me when I could not care for myself. Solar and his
family is my family and I love them dearly and I expect my family,
friends, and fans to respect that, regardless to anybody's feelings on
the matter. It is my wish that counts. This being said I am survived by
the love of my life, my sun KC, who I trust will be looked after by
Solar and his family as their own. Any awards or tributes should be
accepted, organized approved by Solar on behalf myself and my son until
he is of age to except on his own.
I do not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name
likeness, events tributes etc. connected in anyway to my situation
including any use of my name or circumstance for any reason and I have
instructed my lawyers to enforce this. I had nothing to do with him in
life for over 7 years and want nothing to do with him in death. Solar
has my life story and is well informed on my family situation, as well
as the real reason for separating from my ex-DJ. As the sole founder of
GangStarr, I am very proud of what GangStarr has meant to the music
world and fans. I equally am proud of my Jazzmatazz series and as the
father of Hip-Hop/Jazz. I am most proud of my leadership and pioneering
efforts on Jazzmatazz 4 for reinvigorating the Hip-Hop/Jazz genre in a
time when music quality has reached an all time low. Solar and I have
toured in places that I have never been before with GangStarr or
Jazzmatatazz and we gained a reputation for being the best on the
planet at Hip-Hop/Jazz, as well as the biggest and most influential
Hip-Hop/Jazz record with Jazzmatazz 4 of the decade to now. The work I
have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time. And we as
a team were not afraid to push the envelope. To me this is what true
artists do! As men of honor we stood tall in the face of small
mindedness, greed, and ignorance. As we fought for music and integrity
at the cost of not earning millions and for this I will always be happy
and proud, and would like to thank the million fans who have seen us
perform over the years from all over the world. The work I have done
with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time and is my most
creative and experimental to date. I hope that our music will receive
the attention it deserves as it is some of the best work I have done
and represents some of the best years of my life.
Tasha Denham: "Just To Get A Rep?" (HipHopDX.com) April 27, 2010
The last week has stung the eyes and hearts of Hip Hop fans. Since the late
1980s, Keith "Guru" Elam gave us street scripture in poetical parables,
weathered wisdom and a signature voice of reason. As if theannouncement of Guru's death to cancer has not hurt enough,
controversies have swept the media trying to understand Guru's last
days, his bizarre relationship with musical partner John "Solar" Mosher
and a suspicious and damaging last letter. As the truths come
to the light, one courageous woman has come forward. Tasha Denham
considers herself a friend to Guru. On two different occasions, they
temporarily lived under the same roof between 2006 and 2008. She was
also an employee of Guru and Solar's 7 Grand Records, having served a
tenure as Executive Assistant within the four-person operation. Lastly,
Denham has a young daughter,
that she says was fathered by Solar. Having witnessed those two-plus
years on a personal, private and professional level, Tasha Denham's
accounts come from one of the few people who was privy to the tight
circle Solar and Guru kept.This jaw-dropping and quite-lengthy
interview was conducted just minutes after midnight this morning (April
27). As the contents below suggest, it is one first-hand account on the
last chapter in the life of one of the most respected emcees in Hip
Hop. Merely one person's testimony, but suspicions of foul-play are
confirmed in vivid detail, and some background information is provided
at a time when all of us who knew Guru, loved him, or lived by his
verses are looking for answers.
DJ Premier wants the truth to come out. After days of questions surrounding the death of his former Gang Starr partner Guru(who died after a long bout with cancer), the respected producer is setting the record straight. From his thoughts on Guru’s controversial associate Solar and rumors of his old friend’s sexuality to his strained relationship
with the man born Keith Elam and the future of Gang Starr, a candid
Premier didn't hold anything back. —Keith Murphy
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