One of the Best Yet | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | November 1, 2019 | |||
Recorded |
| |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 37:03 | |||
Label |
| |||
Producer | DJ Premier (also exec.) | |||
Gang Starr chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from One of the Best Yet | ||||
|
One of the Best Yet is the seventh and final studio album by American hip hop duo Gang Starr, released on November 1, 2019. [2] The album features previously unreleased and posthumous vocals from Guru, who died nine years prior to the album's release. [3] The album features guest appearances from J. Cole, Royce da 5'9", Talib Kweli, M.O.P., and Q-Tip, among others. [4]
Rapper Guru died of cancer in April 2010, having not released an album with DJ Premier as Gang Starr since 2003's The Ownerz , seven years earlier. A note from Guru provided by former collaborator Solar had said that he disowned his former producer and DJ, and was released around the time of his death. However, many looked on it with suspicion. While Guru and Premier had not spoken since 2004, [5] Premier had wanted to release a final album, but had difficulty obtaining unreleased material from Guru, despite the rapper's prolific work ethic, because of a dispute with fellow producer Solar. [6] In 2014, a court case gave Guru's family control of his own unreleased music, and in 2016, Solar decided to sell the remaining music. [7] Despite the animosity between the two men, an agreement was reached (although Solar disputes this), and in early 2018, DJ Premier decided to put together a final album, creating new beats for the project over acappellas from Guru. [8]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 71/100 [9] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Consequence of Sound | B− [10] |
Exclaim! | 9/10 [11] |
The Guardian | [12] |
HipHopDX | 4.2/5 [13] |
NME | [14] |
Pitchfork | 6.3/10 [15] |
Rolling Stone | [16] |
One of the Best Yet received generally favorable reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 71, based on 12 reviews. [9] Writing for Exclaim! , Riley Wallace praised the album as "a fluid, impeccably produced final goodbye" to Guru, and "a last curtain to a legacy group on its own terms." [11] Christopher R. Weingarten of Rolling Stone noted that "there are moments where it feels like one of the most beloved rap groups in history are picking up right where they left off", hailing "Family and Loyalty" as the highlight of the album. [16] Will Lavin of NME called it "a special moment for hip-hop", however, he stated that "Sometimes, too, Guru's absence is a little too noticeable", noting that some tracks sound unfinished. [14]
All tracks produced by DJ Premier.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "The Sure Shot" (Intro) | 1:23 |
2. | "Lights Out" (featuring M.O.P.) | 3:36 |
3. | "Bad Name" | 2:21 |
4. | "Hit Man" (featuring Q-Tip) | 2:22 |
5. | "What's Real" (featuring Group Home and Royce da 5'9") | 3:24 |
6. | "Keith Casim Elam" (Interlude) | 0:16 |
7. | "From a Distance" (featuring Jeru the Damaja) | 2:30 |
8. | "Family and Loyalty" (featuring J. Cole) | 4:34 |
9. | "Get Together" (featuring Ne-Yo and Nitty Scott) | 3:28 |
10. | "NYGz / GS 183rd" (Interlude) | 1:10 |
11. | "So Many Rappers" | 2:11 |
12. | "Business or Art" (featuring Talib Kweli) | 2:59 |
13. | "Bring It Back Here" | 0:50 |
14. | "One of the Best Yet (Big Shug Interlude)" | 0:28 |
15. | "Take Flight (Militia, Pt. 4)" (featuring Big Shug and Freddie Foxxx) | 2:56 |
16. | "Bless the Mic" | 2:35 |
Total length: | 37:03 |
Chart (2019) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [17] | 164 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [18] | 65 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [19] | 86 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [20] | 46 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [21] | 20 |
US Billboard 200 [22] | 82 |
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [23] | 42 |
Keith Edward Elam, better known by his stage name Guru, was an American rapper, record producer and actor. He was a member of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, along with DJ Premier. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
Gang Starr was an American hip hop duo, consisting of Houston-born record producer DJ Premier and Boston, Massachusetts rapper Guru. For the entirety of their association, they were based in Brooklyn, New York. Gang Starr was at its height from 1989 to 2003, and are considered one of the best MC-and-producer duos in hip hop history. They are recognized for being one of the pioneers of jazz rap. Some of their top hits include "Mass Appeal", "Take It Personal", "Moment of Truth", "Full Clip" and "Above The Clouds".
No More Mr. Nice Guy is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Gang Starr. The album was released on April 22, 1989. It peaked at #83 on the Billboard R&B chart. The song "Positivity" peaked at #19 on the Billboard rap chart.
Jazzmatazz, Volume 1: An Experimental Fusion of Hip-Hop and Jazz, is the debut solo studio album by American hip hop recording artist Guru. It was released on May 18, 1993, by Chrysalis Records. Recording sessions took place at D&D Studios in New York. Production was handled by Guru himself, who also served as executive producer together with Duff Marlowe and Patrick Moxey.
Daily Operation is the third studio album by American hip hop duo Gang Starr. It was released by Chrysalis Records on May 5, 1992. It peaked at number 65 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Greatest Hits is a posthumous double-disc greatest hits album by American rapper 2Pac, released by Amaru Entertainment, Death Row Records, Interscope Records, and Jive Records on November 24, 1998.
Moment of Truth is the fifth studio album by American hip hop duo Gang Starr, released on March 31, 1998, by Noo Trybe Records and Virgin Records. Gang Starr recorded Moment of Truth in sessions at D&D Studios. It is widely regarded as Gang Starr's magnum opus, and one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.
Guru's Jazzmatazz: Streetsoul is the third solo studio album by American hip hop musician Guru. It was released on October 3, 2000, via Virgin Records as the third installment of Guru's Jazzmatazz album series. Production was handled by Gang Starr, The Neptunes, Agallah, DJ Scratch, Erykah Badu, J Dilla, The Roots and Victor Flowers.
Step in the Arena is the second studio album by hip hop duo Gang Starr, printed as a 1990 release, and commercially released on January 15, 1991. In 2007, it was named the greatest hip hop album of all time by IGN. HipHopDX called it "the album that cemented Gang Starr as a timeless tag team."
Hard to Earn is the fourth studio album by American hip hop duo Gang Starr. It was released on March 8, 1994, by Chrysalis and EMI Records in North America. The album featured the singles "Mass Appeal",, "DWYCK", and "Code of the Streets". Guest appearances on the album include Group Home, Jeru the Damaja, and Big Shug. At the time, all were part of the Gang Starr Foundation, which made the album a stepping-stone for future DJ Premier-helmed projects by Group Home and Jeru. Hard to Earn received acclaim and commercial success upon release.
The Ownerz is the sixth studio album by the hip-hop duo Gang Starr, and the last released during Guru's lifetime. It was released in June 24, 2003, by Virgin. It was well-received critically and boasts four singles, "Skills", "Rite Where U Stand", "Nice Girl, Wrong Place", and "Same Team, No Games".
Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr is a compilation album, featuring 35 songs released by hip hop duo Gang Starr between 1989 and 1999, plus a brief 'intro' track. It was released by Virgin Records. The album includes 21 tracks taken from the five albums it had released up to that point, eight of which were previously available only on soundtracks or vinyl singles, and three newly recorded tracks. The compilation was certified Gold by the RIAA on August 19, 1999 and Silver by the BPI on February 12, 2016.
Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 4: The Hip Hop Jazz Messenger: Back to the Future is the sixth solo studio album by American hip hop musician Guru. It was released on July 31, 2007 via 7 Grand Records, making it the fourth and final installment in the rapper's Jazzmatazz series. Production was handled entirely by Solar, who also served as executive producer together with Guru. It features guest appearances from Blackalicious, Bobby Valentino, Bob James, Caron Wheeler, Common, Damian Marley, David Sanborn, Dionne Farris, Kem, Brownman Ali, Omar, Raheem DeVaughn, Ronnie Laws, Shelley Harland and Vivian Green.
"Mass Appeal" is a song by American hip hop group Gang Starr from the album Hard to Earn. The song reached #67 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #42 on the Billboard R&B chart. It was also featured on the soundtrack of the video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4.
American hip hop duo Gang Starr have released seven studio albums, two compilation albums, thirty-one singles, one promotional single and nine music videos.
Major Key is the ninth studio album by American musician DJ Khaled. It was released on July 29, 2016, by Epic Records and We the Best Music Group. The album features guest appearances from Future, Big Sean, Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Drake, Nas, Kendrick Lamar, Betty Wright, J. Cole, Bryson Tiller, Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, August Alsina, Jeremih, Kodak Black, Jeezy, French Montana, YG, Yo Gotti, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, Jadakiss, Fabolous, Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, Kent Jones, Travis Scott, Lil Wayne, Meghan Trainor, Wiz Khalifa, Wale and Mavado.
Father of Asahd is the eleventh studio album by American hip hop producer DJ Khaled. It was released on May 17, 2019, through We the Best Music and Epic Records. It features the singles "Top Off" and "No Brainer" along with collaborations with Cardi B, 21 Savage and Meek Mill. On May 16, DJ Khaled revealed the track listing and features, as well as that the music videos for "Higher", "Just Us", "Celebrate", "Jealous" and "Holy Mountain" would be released throughout the day of May 17, followed by the video for "You Stay" on May 18, and "Wish Wish" and "Weather the Storm" on May 20. DJ Khaled scored his third career Grammy nomination with "Higher" which won the Best Rap/Sung Performance at the 62nd Grammy Awards.
Culture III is the fourth and final studio album by American hip hop group Migos. It was released by Motown Records and Quality Control Music on June 11, 2021. The album features guest appearances from Drake, Cardi B, Polo G, Future, Justin Bieber, Juice Wrld, Pop Smoke, and YoungBoy Never Broke Again. It is the follow-up to their 2018 album Culture II and serves as the conclusion to their Culture trilogy. A deluxe edition was released six days later, including five additional tracks.
God Did is the thirteenth studio album by American record producer DJ Khaled, released through We the Best Music and Epic Records on August 26, 2022. The record project earned five nominations at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, including for Best Rap Album, and Song of the Year and Best Rap Song for the title track, featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend and Fridayy.
Jackman. is the third studio album by American rapper Jack Harlow. It was a semi-surprise album released on through Generation Now and Atlantic on April 28, 2023. Harlow handled production on the album, along with a variety of other producers including, FnZ, DJ Dahi and Boi-1da. It was supported the lead single "They Don't Love It" as well as additional music videos for "Gang, Gang, Gang" and "Denver". NBA star Jamal Murray makes an appearance in the "Denver" music video.