The group was founded by graffiti artists Horne and Elbo in Boston, MA in 1985 by Guru (then known as Keithy E. The Guru) and DJ 1,2 B-Down (also known as Mike Dee) with various producers, such as Donald D, J.V. Johnson or DJ Mark the 45 King helping out. In 1987 and 1988, Gang Starr released three 12" vinyl singles on the Wild Pitch label. In 1989, the group split and the only member willing to continue under the name Gang Starr was Guru. He soon got in touch with DJ Premier (then known as Waxmaster C) who sent him a beat tape which Guru liked. He invited DJ Premier to join Gang Starr and in that same year they released their first single "Words I Manifest" along with the album "No More Mr. Nice Guy" (1989). During their career Gang Starr helped pioneer the New York hip hop sound, and in fact, many an artist who achieved greater notoriety owes much of their sound, lyrical style, and even content to Gang Starr. The entirety of Gang Starr's catalog, especially Step in the Arena (1990), Daily Operation (1992) "Hard to Earn" (1994) and Moment of Truth (1998) are well-respected among critics. Their track "Jazz Thing", featured on the soundtrack to Spike Lee's film Mo' Better Blues, helped establish the sound of jazz rap.

MC Guru - Rapper

DJ Premier - DJ, Producer, BeatMaker

01 - Premier & The Guru 02 - Jazz Music 03 - Gotch U 04 - Manifest 05 - Gusto 06 - DJ Premier In Deep Concentration 07 - Positivity (Remix) 08 - Manifest (Remix) 09 - Conscience Be Free 10 - Cause And Effect 11 - 2 Steps Ahead 12 - No More Mr. Nice Guy 13 - Knowledge 14 - Positivity 15 - Here's The Proof 16 - The Lesson 17 - Dedication

01 - Name Tag (Premier & The Guru) 02 - Step In The Arena 03 - Form Of Intellect 04 - Execution Of A Chump (No More Mr. Nice Guy Pt. 2) 05 - Who's Gonna Take The Weight? 06 - Beyond Comprehension 07 - Check The Technique 08 - Love Sick 09 - Here Today, Gone Tomorrow 10 - Game Plan 11 - Take A Rest 12 - What You Want This Time? 13 - Street Ministry 14 - Just To Get A Rep 15 - Say Your Prayers 16 - As I Read My S-A 17 - Precisely The Right Rhymes 18 - The Meaning Of The Name

Daily Operation

01 - Daily Operation (Intro) 02 - The Place Where We Dwell 03 - Flip The Script 04 - Ex Girl To Next Girl 05 - Soliloquy Of Chaos 06 - I'm The Man Featuring - Jeru The Damaja , Lil' Dap 07 - 92 Interlude 08 - Take It Personal 09 - 2 Deep 10 - 24-7/365 11 - No Shame In My Game 12 - Conspiracy 13 - The Illest Brother 14 - Hardcore Composer 15 - B.Y.S. 16 - Much Too Much (Mack A Mil) 17 - Take Two And Pass 18 - Stay Tuned

01 - Intro (The First Step) 02 - Alongwaytogo 03 - Code Of The Streets 04 - Brainstorm 05 - Tonz 'O' Gunz 06 - The Planet 07 - Aiiight Chill.. 08 - Speak Ya Clout Featuring - Jeru The Damaja , Lil' Dap 09 - DWYCK Featuring - Nice & Smooth 10 - Words From The Nutcracker Featuring - Melachi The Nutcracker 11 - Mass Appeal Bass - Joe Quinde 12 - Blowin' Up The Spot 13 - Suckas Need Bodyguards 14 - Now You're Mine 15 - Mostly Tha Voice 16 - F.A.L.A. Featuring - Big Shug 17 - Comin' For Datazz

Moment of Truth

01 - You Know My Steez 02 - Robbin Hood Theory 03 - Work 04 - Royalty 05 - Above The Clouds 06 - JFK 2 LAX 07 - Itz A Set Up* 08 - Moment Of Truth 09 - B.I. Vs Friendship 10 - The Militia 11 - The Rep Grows Bigga 12 - What I'm Here 4 13 - She Knowz What She Wantz 14 - New York Strait Talk 15 - My Advice 2 You 16 - Make 'Em Pay 17 - The Mall Rap - G-Dep , Shiggy Sha 18 - Betrayal Rap - Scarface (3) 19 - Next Time 20 - In Memory Of...

Full Clip A Decade of Gang Starr

CD1

01. Gang Starr - Intro 02. Gang Starr - Full Clip 03. Gang Starr - Discipline 04. Gang Starr - Words I Manifest (Remix) 05. Gang Starr - Ex Girl To Next Girl 06. Gang Starr - I'm The Man 07. Gang Starr - Mass Appeal 08. Gang Starr - Jazz Thing (Video Mix) 09. Gang Starr - The Militia 10. Gang Starr - Tonz 'o' Gunz 11. Gang Starr - Royalty 12. Gang Starr - Who' Gonna Take The Weight 13. Gang Starr - You Know My Steez 14. Gang Starr - Above The Clouds 15. Gang Starr - Just To Get A Rep 16. Gang Starr - Dwyck

CD2

01. Gang Starr - All 4 Tha Ca$h 02. Gang Starr - Step In The Arena 03. Gang Starr - Work 04. Gang Starr - Soliloquy Of Chaos 05. Gang Starr - Take It Personal 06. Gang Starr Feat. Lil Dap & Jeru The Damaja - Speak Ya Clout 07. Gang Starr - Gotta Get Over (Taking Loot) 08. Gang Starr Feat. M.O.P. - 1/2 & 1/2 09. Gang Starr - The ? Remainz 10. Gang Starr - Code Of The Streets 11. Gang Starr - So Whassup?! 12. Gang Starr - Now You're Mine 13. Gang Starr Feat. Scarface - Betrayal 14. Gang Starr - B.Y.S. 15. Gang Starr - Credit Is Due 16. Gang Starr Feat. Rakim & WC - The Militia II (Remix) 17. Gang Starr Feat. Kurupt & The Lady Of Rage - You Know My Steez (Three Men & A Lady Remix)

The Ownerz

01 - Intro (HQ, Goo, Panch) 02 - Put Up Or Shut Up (featuring Krumbsnatcha) 03 - Werdz From The Ghetto Child (featuring Smiley) 04 - Sabotage 05 - Rite Where U Stand (featuring Jadakiss) 06 - Skills 07 - Deadly Habitz 08 - Nice Girl, Wrong Place (featuring Boy Big) 09 - Peace of Mine 10 - Who Got Gunz (featuring Fat Joe & MOP) 11 - Capture (Militia Pt.3) (featuring Big Shug & Freddie Foxxx) 12 - PLAYTAWIN 13 - Riot Akt 14 -(Hiney) 15 - Same Team, No Games (featuring NYG'z & H. Stax) 16 - In This Life... (featuring Snoop Dogg & Uncle Reo) 17 - The Ownerz 18 - Zonin' 19 - Eulogy

01 - Manifest 02 - Step In The Arena 03 - Put Up Or Shut Up (ft. Krumbsnatcha) 04 - Skills 05 - Code Of The Streets 06 - Ex-Girl To Next Girl 07 - Soliloquy Of Chaos 08 - The Militia (ft. Big Shug , Freddie Foxxx) 09 - Above The Clouds (ft. Inspectah Deck) 10 - Check The Technique 11 - Royalty (ft. Jojo , K-Ci) 12 - Lovesick 13 - Take It Personal 14 - Now You're Mine 15 - Just To Get A Rep 16 - B.Y.S. 17 - Mass Appeal 18 - DWYCK 19 - Natural 20 - Tha Squeeze

1 Ex Girl To Next Girl (Album Version) 2 Ex Girl To Next Girl (Radio Edit) 3 Ex Girl To Next Girl (Remix) 4 Ex Girl To Next Girl (Instrumental) 5 Ex Girl To Next Girl (Instrumental Remix)

1 Mass Appeal (Radio Version) 2 Mass Appeal (Street Version) 3 Mass Appeal (Mastrumental) 4 ALONGWAYTOGO (Album Version)

1 Gang Starr You Know My Steez (Radio Version) 2 Gang Starr You Know My Steez (Raw Version) 3 Gang Starr You Know My Steez (Instrumental) 4 Gang Starr So Wassup?! (Clean Version) 5 Gang Starr So Wassup?! (Down & Dirty Version) 6 Gang Starr So Wassup?! (Instrumental)