Their track "Jazz Thing", featured on the soundtrack to Spike Lee's film Mo' Better Blues, helped establish the sound of jazz-hop, although they themselves consider their sound solely straight hardcore hip hop.
The group was founded in 1987 with Guru, DJ 1,2 B Down, Mike Dee and various producers, such as Donald D, J.V. Johnson or DJ Mark The 45 King. In 1987 and 1988 they released three 12" vinyl singles on the legendary Wild Pitch label, and in 1989 Guru and DJ Premier (then working under the name Waxmaster C) met for the first time. In the same year they released their first single "Words I Manifest" and went on working together as a group for six albums, a 2 CD "greatest hits" compilation and numerous singles and soundtrack contributions.
Current status
On September 1, 2005, Guru revealed in an interview with the hip hop online magazine sohh.com that the group doesn't exist anymore, but that it has ended instead of breaking up. This finally cleared up the rumors that came up first on the European Gang Starr tour in 2003/2004 when DJ Premier suddenly went back to the US and Guru continued touring under the group's name with another DJ. However, in an December 21, 2005 interview with the online magazine allhiphop.com, DJ Premier has denied that Gang Starr is history; he said it's rather a long break than a real break up. In a interview from April 20, 2006, with the online magazine hoodstars.net, Guru stated he would not work with his previous partners anymore. In a newer interview he said that "Gang Starr has reached the peak" and that he is out of the project.
Guru passed away after a long battle with cancer on April 19, 2010.
Make 'em Pay
Gang Starr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I cock back these lyrics, y'all punks best be ghost
I be the seven, twenty-one, eighteen, twenty-one
The illest one, I'm almost doper than anyone
Straight out the late nights of Bed-Stuy
Steppin' up, y'all put your weapons up, I make heads fly
You're artificial, like saccarhin
You're crazy fake, it's more than skills you be lackin' in
Tryin' to be somethin' you're not, like pullin' a knife at a gunfight
I'm troopin' on night air, like flight number 1-0-6,
And gettin' all up in your fuckin' mix
You get me upset, and I got you uptight
'Cause my committee's in your city tonight, a'ight?
We got seventeen million of us, plus two million Indians
That makes nineteen mil, lightin' shit up, like Wild Bill
I be the supreme father, plus the ill kid, with drama
My karma, creates the teflon to pierce your body armor
And make sure you check the shit, before you walk to me, or talk to me
Steppin' to me improperly, you just may catch the weaponry
My specialty is tearin' tracks out the frame
You know my fuckin' name, I rule all game
I'm universal, on all planes, what's your claim?
Yo, I be your highness, in slickness, you chumps bear witness
Tremendous tropper, verbal nigga, with the fitness
Drop you for your spot with the blazer, then I blast ya
Slice precise, like Benihanas, when I come to bring the dramas
Styles so swift, that you can't peep the God
As your lyrics get buried, six feet deep, in my backyard,
I laugh hard, while your mental, I run through mazes
Dark stages of terror, to shatter your dressing room mirror
Your whole error gets crushed, your whole show gets bumrushed
Too many dumb punks want to enter this rap scene
Kickin' Willie Bobo, but need to be slapped clean
Into oblivion; the true champion always rises
I bring surprises to the chief, plus their advisers
Size me up, and you will find nothing's larger
Catch more wreck on your dome, than a deranged fuckin' barber
So what, you made some dough, you best keep on scramblin'
All your vanity, is instantly crushed, when I start handlin'
Demandin' that you pay, for your weak rhyme display
Coast to coast, I break the fakes everyday
I see myself as the black Rap Messiah
Colossal, spreadin' my gospel through electrical wires
Spit fire through speech, so I can reach each and every
Tom, Dick, and Jerry, slippin' like petroleum jelly
Too busy in the limelight, can't rhyme tight
I got divine right to bring y'all to light
Somethin' ain't right, to be an MC, you gotta thug
Or to thug you gotta be an MC, this shit is bugged
Show love but few; deal with crew and crew only
And think universal, like Sony
Phony pounds and fake hugs is usually avoided
Give a fuck like Pizza Hut, I got to stay Noyd-ed
'Cause that same nigga you trust, could be that same cat
Behind that gat that bust, quiet ya, with the silencer
Keep it hush, ashes to dust, then dust to ashes
Nowadays it's who pull out the fastest, imagine this
Rap shit without this gat shit, or the phony cat
In black, talkin' 'bout how much his Mac spit
But this year, Gang Starr got changes bein' made
No wack shit bein' played, no fake macks gettin' paid
No Versace MC's, with a mouth full of Mo'
Soundin' like a ho, spittin' that old-fashioned show flow
I bombshell that pastel Chanel rap, through a Maxwell
Ever since young Krumb, was taught to rap well
Goin' deep, process of thought, when my eyes closes
Awaken with interpretive robe and sandals, like Moses
Travellin' high sands and Eastern lands, for the answers
Ignorance is spreadin' through the streets, like it was cancer
Too many drinkin' not thinkin', when behind that trigger
A thirty-eight escalate the murder rate, for us niggaz
It's like, microphone roulette, 'cause nowadays MC's is gettin' wet
Over someone else's fake gangsta rep
In "Make 'em Pay", Gang Starr uses hard-hitting, aggressive lyrics to call out other rappers for being fake and phony. The opening lines of the first verse set the tone for the rest of the song, as Guru (one half of Gang Starr) asserts that he is the "illest one", and warns his opponents that they had better be ready for his powerful lyrics. The following lines criticize other rappers for being artificial and lacking in originality, as they imitate the styles of others without creating their own identities.
In the second verse, Guru continues to showcase his skills as an MC, emphasizing his ability to not only rap quickly and with incredible precision, but also to adapt his rhyme scheme and delivery to fit the beat. He also criticizes the rap industry for promoting violence and promoting a culture of thuggery, where artists are expected to be tough and intimidating in order to be taken seriously. Guru rejects this idea and instead advocates for a more positive, inclusive approach to the art form, where artists can focus on creating great music rather than trying to outdo each other with increasingly violent and aggressive lyrics.
Guru's verses are supported by a sparse, hard-hitting beat that relies heavily on percussion and bass. The tempo is slow, but the intensity of the lyrics and the power of Guru's voice keep the song moving forward. Overall, "Make 'em Pay" is a powerful critique of the state of rap music in the late '90s, and showcases Guru's skills as one of the genre's best MCs.
Line by Line Meaning
First and foremost, some rappers are sweet like fructose
Some rappers come across as sweet and friendly, but they won't be able to handle the brutal lyrics of the song
When I cock back these lyrics, y'all punks best be ghost
If you're not ready for the hardcore lyrics of this song, you better leave now
I be the seven, twenty-one, eighteen, twenty-one
The rapper is using his birthday (7/21/18/21) as a way of introducing himself in the song
The illest one, I'm almost doper than anyone
The rapper believes he is one of the best in the game and his lyrics are superior to almost everyone else's
Steppin' up, y'all put your weapons up, I make heads fly
The rapper is confident in his lyrical abilities and warns his opponents to put their weapons down before he embarrasses them
Concepts you bite, 'cause your identity ain't tight
The rapper is accusing other artists of copying his concepts and ideas because they lack their own original identity
Tryin' to be somethin' you're not, like pullin' a knife at a gunfight
The rapper is warning other artists not to pretend to be something they're not or they will suffer the consequences
And gettin' all up in your fuckin' mix
The rapper is invading his opponents' territory and taking control of the situation
You get me upset, and I got you uptight
The rapper is warning his opponents that he can make them angry and nervous with his lyrics
We got seventeen million of us, plus two million Indians
The rapper is referencing the total number of black people and Native Americans in the United States, and suggests that they have the power to make real changes
That makes nineteen mil, lightin' shit up, like Wild Bill
The rapper is saying that black people and Native Americans can cause havoc and chaos, just like Wild Bill did in the Wild West
My specialty is tearin' tracks out the frame
The rapper's specialty is destroying other artists' tracks with his own powerful lyrics
I'm universal, on all planes, what's your claim?
The rapper is saying that he can appeal to all audiences and is asking other artists what their claim to fame is
Yo, I be your highness, in slickness, you chumps bear witness
The rapper is calling himself a king and asking his opponents to acknowledge his greatness
Drop you for your spot with the blazer, then I blast ya
The rapper is saying he will take over someone else's spot and destroy them with his lyrics
Your whole error gets crushed, your whole show gets bumrushed
The rapper is saying that if someone tries to challenge him or copy his style, he will crush them and ruin their entire career
I bring surprises to the chief, plus their advisers
The rapper is saying that he can surprise and impress even the most powerful people in the music industry
Catch more wreck on your dome, than a deranged fuckin' barber
The rapper is saying that he can destroy someone's career faster than a crazy barber can ruin someone's hairstyle
No wack shit bein' played, no fake macks gettin' paid
The rapper is saying that Gang Starr is committed to producing high-quality music and won't promote any fake gangsters
Soundin' like a ho, spittin' that old-fashioned show flow
The rapper is saying that other artists should try to sound modern and contemporary instead of rapping in an outdated style
It's like, microphone roulette, 'cause nowadays MC's is gettin' wet
The rapper is saying that being a rapper has become very dangerous these days, like playing Russian roulette with a microphone
Lyrics © THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER E MARTIN, D GIBBS, KEITH ELAM, Chris Martin, Sharief Haqquani
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dufunitus
on Rite Where U Stand
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