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GangStarr's fourth album, "Hard to Earn," is their oddest and most
uneven work. For better or worse, it is also their most creative.
Premier's production bounces around in eclectic fashion, and he uses
both old-fashion jazz loops and samples that are far more obscure and
difficult.
"ALONGWAYTOGO" opens things up with a high-pitched electronic-sounding
squeak that Guru blesses with his familiar words. The hook consists of
a more traditional musical selection and some signature turntable work.
"Code of the Streets" has Guru breaking down the rules of behavior in
the hood over a more typical Premier production padded with somber
strings and some breathtaking work on the turntables. Nearly every song
has a specific topic tackled by Guru. "The Planet" is an ode to
Brooklyn in which Guru chronicles his first moments in the borough over
a minimal but satisfying drum pattern. "Suckas Need Bodyguards" has a
chorus proclaiming "fake emcees, they always act hard, but won't walk
the streets without their bodyguard
...Hypnotic
and pensive--throbbing in a spare, intimate way....a remarkably good
sequel [to 1990's STEP IN THE ARENA]....rises above most of the
assembly-line, new-school hip-hop being churned out by most artists and
labels..."
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