Legendary rapper Guru has lost his battle with cancer, according to the DJ Premier blog.

The blog, approved by Premier who produced Gang Starr’s classic albums with Guru, has posted the following statement. It can’t be ignored that the comments in relation to DJ Premier on said statement are either really sad, or really fishy, depending on what view you want to take, but we’re going to let those parties knowledgeable of the situation sort that out and simply take a moment to appreciate one of hip-hop’s all time greatest:

“Guru has passed away yesterday morning (April 19) after a long battle with cancer.”

According to Solar, Guru suffered from the malicious illness for over a year and after numerous special treatments under the supervision of medical specialists failed, the legendary MC succumbed to the disease. Guru always tried to keep this harrowing diagnosis in private but in early 2010 he had to admit himself to hospital due to serious effects caused by the disease.

Since the onset of illness, Guru tried to live a “normal” life as an influential and outstanding musician, loving father, family man, and best friend. Doctors encouraged Guru to think positive that the cancer can be arrested and that a full recovery is possible but several special treatments including hard hitting chemotherapies failed.

While in hospital with terminal cancer, Guru wrote a letter, which was provided by Solar, to his fans addressing his illness, his shining music career, his family and loved ones.

“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,” read the official Guru statement.

“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.”

The statement reads on, “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.”

…

Guru’s longtime partner, Solar, issues an official statement about the lost of the legendary MC which you can read below:

“The world has lost one of the best MCs and Hip-Hop icons of all time — my loyal best friend, partner, and brother, Guru! Guru has been battling cancer for well over a year and has lost his battle! This is a matter that Guru wanted private until he could beat it but tragically this did not happen. The cancer took him. Now the world has lost a great man and a true genius. For the fans that reached out with love and support, I can’t tell you how much that meant to Guru and myself. Guru prepared this letter [read above] while he was in the hospital for the fans. I hope now that Guru has moved on to a better place! Guru is a great Black American Hero and should always be remembered as such and he is much more that just a Hip-Hop icon — he has changed the world for the better. I salute my fallen brother Guru! He will be missed tremendously!” Solar stated.”

Skyzoo has released the official press release, cover and tracklist for his upcoming album, The Salvation. The Salvation will be released on Jamla Records / Duckdown Records on September 29, 2009. I gotta say, the album cover for The Salvation is one of my favorite album covers for 2009. Check the tracklist, and then the press release follows. Take note, aside from Carlitta Durand, Skyzoo seems to have ZERO features on this album, which could be considered his debut. With no features and an all-star production team, The Salvation is reminiscent of hmmm… I won’t dare say it til we hear the final product.

1. The Opener (produced by Cyrus Tha Great)
2. Return Of The Real (produced by Just Blaze)
3. The Beautiful Decay (produced by 9th Wonder)
4. My Interpretation (produced by Best Kept Secret)
5. Popularity (produced by Nottz)
6. Like A Marathon (produced by 9th Wonder)
7. The Shooter’s Soundtrack (produced by Cyrus Tha Great)
8. Under Pressure (produced by 9th Wonder)
9. Penmanship (produced by Black Milk)
10. Dear Whoever (produced by Illmind)
11. For What It’s Worth ((produced by Eric G)
12. The Necessary Evils (produced by Needlz)
13. Easy To Fly featuring Carlitta Durand (produced by 9th Wonder)
14. Bottom Line (produced by Eric G)
15. Metal Hearts (produced by 9th Wonder)
16. Maintain (produced by Nottz)

Press Release

Brooklyn-raised emcee Skyzoo is here to remind Hip Hop fans that the music can still be true to life and heartfelt. With numerous Mix CDs on his resume, most recently, The Power of Words with DJ Drama and Statik Selektah, Skyzoo is currently preparing his first national full-length LP, “The Salvation,” in stores September 29th, via Jamla Records/Duck Down.

The Salvation will be set apart from Skyzoo’s previous Mix CD releases in various ways, however Skyzoo explains that “it’s another constant sign of elevation and growth, and it’s the most personal work I’ve ever done.” Although in the past he has released records such as “The Bodega,” “Stop Foolin’ Yourself,” and “Extreme Measures,” which were all true to life, Skyzoo promises that they will not reach the personal extent that the tracks on The Salvation will bring to listeners. Songs such as “For What It’s Worth” and “Metal Hearts” help contribute to the feeling that Skyzoo expects his audience to have; that their $15 was well spent on the album, they could relate to it, and that the project will stand the test of time.

A tactic taken by Skyzoo to emphasize the personal aspect of The Salvation was to not load the album up with features from other rappers. He states, “The moment you pick up a pen or start rhyming as a kid, all you think about is getting an album out. This album isn’t exactly the way I planned it out at 9-years-old, but it tells my story. With that being said, no one can help tell my story better than me. The Salvation is about me.”

Alongside the extremely personal element of The Salvation comes the conceptual side of the project. Theme was the name of the game for Skyzoo’s debut album, and this is evidenced in how the production was handled. According to Skyzoo, “it wasn’t really a ‘who’s hot, who’s not’ type of thing. It was more so ‘just get what sounds right.’ I got a lot of big name producers, and I also got a lot of up and comers.” Included in the production credits for The Salvation are Washington D.C.-based production team Best Kept Secret (who work in-house for Wale), Seattle’s Eric G (who some may recognize as providing a few beats to Torae), and Cyrus tha Great, as well as 9th Wonder, Nottz (who produced the single “Popularity”), Just Blaze, Illmind, Needlz and Black Milk.

Fans have seen a sneak peek of Skyzoo’s first LP in the form of a video for a track entitled “Beautiful Decay,” produced by 9th Wonder. The video is directed by Artemus Jenkins, and sets out to reflect life in the various boroughs of New York.

KRS-One and Buckshot announce Survival Skills, which will be in stores September 15, 2009. The album Survival Skills will feature Mary J. Blige, Atmosphere, Immortal Technique, Talib Kweli, and more.

KRS-One and Buckshot, two of hip hop music’s most prolific MCs have linked up on a collaborative album entitled Survival Skills. Survival Skills will be released on Duck Down Records on September 15, 2009, and the duo will be featured on the Rock The Bells tour this summer. Survival Skills features guests ranging from Mary J. Blige, Slug Of Atmosphere, K‚ÄôNAAN, Talib Kweli, Immortal Technique, Melanie Fiona, Naledge of Kidz In The Hall, Sean Price, Geo of Blue Scholars, Smif N Wessun and Rock of Heltah Skeltah. Survival Skills represents a diverse range of topics, all while maintaining a consistent sound. The album has production from Havoc of Mobb Deep, 9th Wonder, Black Milk, ILL MIND, Coptic, Moss, Nottz, Marco Polo, and KHRYSIS.

On the surface the album is a testament to the resiliency of two lyrical titans, but at its root Survival Skills is a blueprint for life. For instance on the infectious head-nodder “Robot,” which was released 6 weeks prior to Jay Z’s “The Death Of Auto Tune” track, and already available World Wide at Digital Retail Shops, such as iTunes, the duo speak-out against the recent overuse of the Auto-Tune vocal effect in urban music, but under the surface the message is much deeper. “I don’t want people to get the averaged clichéd version and thinking that we’re dissing people,’” Buckshot clarifies. “What we’re calling out here is the biters, the people that feel like because this guy sold X amount of records doing this, that I’m going to turn around and do it as well,” KRS says of the array of artists who have followed in the creative footsteps of Roger Troutman, Afrikka Bambatta, Teddy Riley and T-Pain. Despite its heavy message, sonically the track, produced by Mobb Deep’s Havoc, is as inviting as anything on the radio today. The video for “ROBOT,” directed by Todd Angkaswan, has been added into rotation at MTV & BET. The track has also been included in the sound track for Activision’s upcoming Tony Hawk skate game in stores this Fall.

Coincidently, ROBOT is not the first example of where Jay Z has released similar material and concepts from KRS-ONE & BUCKSHOT. In 2003, Buckshot’s group Black Moon recorded a song called “Stay Real,” which was, again, released 6 weeks prior to Jay Z’s “Public Service Announcement‚Äù track, that ironically contained the same sample as Black Moon‚Äôs “Stay Real.” A couple years prior to this Jay Z released “THE BLUEPRINT,” which was the same title used by KRS-ONE in his classic album, Boogie Down Productions “Ghetto Music: The BLUEPRINT of Hip Hop.”

Gritty tracks like Clean Up, featuring Rock of Heltah Skeltah, and the politically minded Running Away, featuring Immortal Technique, make Survival Skills a Hip-Hop fan’s dream, catering to those that love lyrics and the boom-bap. Equally as rich is the album’s Black Milk-produced track, The Way I Live, featuring the Queen of hip-hop soul, Mary J. Blige. Together they create a triumphant anthem for all those on the grind trying to conquer their dreams. The song’s summery feel and soothing melodies make it an instant hit.

KRS-ONE & BUCKSHOT Upcoming Tour Dates: Rock The Bells

Washington, DC – Sunday July 12th
Merriweather Post Pavilion

Boston, MA – Saturday July 18th
Comcast Center

New York, NY – Sunday July 19th
Jones Beach Theater

Vancouver, BC, CAN – Saturday August 1st
Deer Lake Park

Calgary, AB, CAN – Sunday August 2nd
Shaw Millennium Park

Denver, CO – Thursday August 6th
Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Los Angeles, CA – Saturday August 8th
San Manuel Amphitheatre

San Francisco, CA – Sunday August 9th
Shoreline Amphitheatre

Another sad event in hip hop music. H.A.P.H. of Da Ranjahz was shot on July 4, and is in ICU. Keep him in your prayers. Allegedly, the incident took place at a fourth of July party in Brooklyn. H.A.P.H. was shot at five times, and was hit twice. I will keep you posted as I receive more information.

The title says it all. If there is one thing that Drake has demonstrated, it is that it is possible for an unsigned artist to do numbers and achieve great success if their grind is right, and if they are willing to think outside the box. Don’t get me wrong. Drake has obviously benefitted from his affiliation with Young Money, and from co-signs from some of the industry’s biggest heavy-hitters. However, he had to turn some heads to get to that level.

Drake used TuneCore to sell his single Best I Ever Had. Mind you, this is AFTER he gave away So Far Gone for free. So let’s get this straight… Best I Ever Had was out there for the public’s taking… it was available by Drake for FREE. With that said, 300,000 units of the single were sold on iTunes. So there we go, fans found music they enjoyed and a personality to go with it, and decided to spend money and purchase it. Major labels, are you paying attention? Or are you just too caught up in your disbelief that he was able to do what you’ve failed to do for years?

Here’s the scoop, 10 days before signing the deal with Young Money with distribution through Universal, Drake’s single went up for sale independently through the TuneCore service. During the two or so weeks it has been available on iTunes, it has become one of the hottest selling singles, amassing sales of 300,000 plus. According to the New York Times Business section, Drake’s Best I Ever Had single was the #4 best selling single from June 15-June 21. More than likely, his chart status will only improve.

You can bet that the major labels, such as Interscope, held nothing back when courting Drake to sign to their label. In the end, they lost AGAIN. They lost the first time when Drake proved that an artist no longer needs the majors to achieve success. They lost again when Drake enjoyed their lavish courtship for what its worth, but in the end, realized that he can achieve greater success in this industry, not only artistically, but financially by remaining independent. Drake has shown that the game has changed indeed.