In 1994 the fourth Gang Starr album was released, welcomed as an excellent work by critics and public: four singles were extracted, and the disc entered the top 25 of the pop chart, reaching the second place among rap records. If you don't consider the numerous uncredited guests present in the "Aiiight Chill..." skit, the record has the appearances of Nice & Smooth and numerous members of the Gang Starr Foundation crew, such as Jeru tha Damaja, Big Shug and Group Home. In production, DJ Premier maintains the jazzy sound on which the group has built their careers: he experiments and plays with the rhythms, pulling out some curious, eccentric and sometimes even annoying loops, which almost all work amazingly (however, the ear may not get used to these sounds, especially in the first part). Guru spits bravado bars and stanzas against wack MCs with his regular style and with rare variations over the course of the hour, but his lyrics hold on thanks to a compelling East Coast soundscape: Primo manages to do so much with just a few elements, he boasts the presence of a perpetually dynamic drum machine, often excellent, and layered samples from different genres, from which he invents minimal loops and somehow always captivating. The beat of the legendary "Mass Appeal" is a fantastic loop of less than three seconds, slowed down by a hidden jazz LP: DJ Premier places a perfect dry midtempo drum and pays homage to Da Youngsta's, while Guru delivers confident and smooth, and the duo creates one of the best tracks of the year. Distributed by EMI via Chrysalis, it's easily one of the must-listen in hip-hop season, thanks to its great simplicity.
Highlights: "Code of the Streets", "Speak Ya Clout", "DWYCK", "Mass Appeal", "Suckas Need Bodyguards".
Rating: 8.5/10.
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