Only the very gifted can call themselves a guru.
This is why Guru, or Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal, is a fitting name for a truly talented rapper. Guru, the MC for hip-hop duo Gangstarr, is known for his deep octave voice and wise lyrics.
In 1995, Guru released Jazzmatazz II: A New Reality, the second installment to his side project, a three-disc release. For this project, the beats are all jazz, and he worked with artists Ramsey Lewis, Bahamadia, Chaka Khan and scores of others.
Only Guru could pull off a hip-hop album backed entirely by jazz.
The best track at first seems to be "Living in this World," where Guru's sad voice talks about the dismal state of the black youth, and a woman named Sweet Sable sings over a piercing flute. Every time the flute kicks in, you are almost sent to tears, because as Guru says, it is time to protect the ghettofied youth, and things aren't looking so great.
A New Reality is easy on the ears, but hard on the heart and mind. Never on an album has Guru been so dark. Every song, even the weed anthem "My Medicine," seems to pull the listener deeper into a gloomy and depressed state.
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"Looking Through the Darkness," "Lost Souls" and "Nobody Knows" continue the theme, discussing issues of isolation, being at the end of road, and feeling helpless.
For anyone who has ever been through a painful and traumatic breakup, Guru hits the nail on the head with "Something in the Past." Guru attempts to make it right with a woman he once deeply loved - the mother of his child. He apologizes to this woman and points out sometimes things just don't work out. By the end of the song, you want to call your ex and hash out everything that went wrong.
"Traveler" is for the wandering spirit, and is the one song on the album that doesn't leave the listener bawling. Guru talks of his voyage throughout the world, but more than a physical path, he rhymes of his mental and spiritual journey.
By the end of the 20-track CD, listeners are guaranteed to be depressed, but this isn't a bad thing. Guru's rich voice comes across as all-knowing. He will take you on a ride down repressed-memory lane, but he's the Guru, so you know you will come out of it okay - perhaps with even an elevated look on life.
Who knew jazz music could be so heavy, or hip-hop so pretty?
A New Reality is easy on the ears, but hard on the heart and mind.
