Founded in 1987, Gang Starr built a sizable following in the early 90's, releasing classic albums like Step in the Arena (1991) and Daily Operation (1992). Guru's lyrical style was based on battle rhymes delivered smoothly, modestly, and with sly wit; he typically avoided using overwhelming charisma, focusing instead on his rhyming ability. Over the years he even took on younger rappers, including Jeru the Damaja, as proteges. He is credited, along with DJ Premier, for the executive production of Jeru's debut, The Sun Rises in the East (1994).
In 1993, he released his first solo album, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1. The album featured collaborations with Donald Byrd, N'Dea Davenport, Dee C. Lee, and Roy Ayers, whilst his second LP, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality, featured Ramsey Lewis, Branford Marsalis, and Jamiroquai. The Jazzmatazz albums have been met with mixed reviews, Guru continued with Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3: Streetsoul (2000) and Baldhead Slick & Da Click (2001).
Moreover, recent Gang Starr albums have continued to garner Guru critical acclaim. Prominent Boston underground rapper Mr. Lif frequently cites Guru as a major stylistic influence; he appears as a guest with Lif on the Perceptionists' debut album, Black Dialogue (2005).
Besides Gang Starr, his Jazzmatazz and solo albums, Guru collaborated with countless artists since the early 90s. Not only in Hip-Hop, but also with artists from various genres such as pop, electronica/dance, acid jazz, and even brass bands.
His "first proper solo album", in his own words, was Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures (2005), released with the help of producer and new backup MC/producer Solar. The album reached #1 on the college hip-hop charts, but was a failure with both fans and critics. It still managed to sell relatively well for an independent release.
Guru's latest project is the fourth installment in the Jazzmatazz series, entirely produced by Solar. It was released in early June 2007 and received good reviews and comments from fans.
In 2007 Guru was ranked at 45 for the Top 50 MCs of our time: 1987-2007
On February 28th 2010, Guru suffered a severe heart attack and was in a coma. He passed away on April 19, 2010 at the age of 49 after a long battle with cancer.
Theres another artist with the same name:
2. Guru also refers to a Ghanaian hip-hop artist known for his single "LaPaz Toyota" and the song "Akayida" - basis for a azonto dance craze
Count Your Blessings
Guru Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Too many times I couldn't see what really I had
(Yo, just count your blessings)
Too many times I felt bad (count your blessings)
Too many times I couldn't see what really I had
(Better count your blessings)
Too many times I felt bad (count your blessings)
Too many times I couldn't see what really I had
Too many times I felt bad (count your blessings)
Too many times I couldn't see what really I had
(I say to thee: well, count your blessings)
I remember when I used to get depressed
Overwhelmed by the stress
Feeling my life was the illest mess
Always dwelling on the stuff that wasn't right
And staring at the four walls in my room all night
Searching for a way to cope
The situation shaky, like I'm walkin' on a tightrope
But now I see it's time to get a handle
And take control of things
So for me - I'm a light a candle
And other people got it worse
I get a lot of love, so I ought give my thanks first
Too many times I felt bad (count your blessings)
Too many times I couldn't see what really I had
(Count your blessings)
Too many times I felt bad (count your blessings)
Too many times I couldn't see what really I had
(Better count your blessings)
Too many times I felt bad (count your blessings)
Too many times I couldn't see what really I had
(I said you better count your blessings)
Too many times I asked: "Why me?"
And I recall when things weren't goin' how they 'sposed to be
Yeah, I know you dig what I'm relayin'
And now I find myself devoting more time to praying
I ain't saying that I don't do no wrong
I'm saying I ain't trying to sing no more sad songs
I got mad responsibilities
I'm building with my family; my loved ones depend on me
I've got no time for envy nor for hate
My inner power's too strong
To let such evil penetrate
The world around is in chaos
But I'd rather seek the truth to be found
Than to be lost
Experience is always the best teacher
Look at the signs, feel the vibes; I'm tryin' to reach ya
I see how much now that one should be grateful for
And we must help the others who can't find a open door
Too many times I felt bad (count your blessings)
Too many times I couldn't see what really I had
(Count your blessings)
Too many times I felt bad (count your blessings)
Too many times I couldn't see what really I had
(Count your blessings)
Too many times I felt bad (count your blessings)
Too many times I couldn't see what really I had
(Better count your blessings)
Too many times I felt bad (count your blessings)
Too many times I couldn't see what really I had
(Better count your blessings)
Now as we head into the year two thousand
And more and more people can't even get decent housing
Poor education in the schools
And poor employment structures, so some choose illegal tools
By all means, you know we must survive, but think
The energy we give always comes back to us in time
We must decide to make the proper choices
Or the only thing we'll hear is the cries and the screaming voices
Too many times, too many times
Too many times, too many times
Too many times, too many times
Too many times, too many times
Too many times I felt bad
Too many times I couldn't see what I really had
Too many times I felt bad (count your blessings)
Too many times I couldn't see what really I had
(Count your blessings)
Too many times I felt bad (count your blessings)
Too many times I couldn't see what really I had
(Better count your blessings)
Too many times I felt bad (count your blessings)
Too many times I couldn't see what really I had
(Better count your blessings)
Too many times I felt bad (count your blessings)
Too many times I couldn't see what really I had
(Better count your blessings)
The lyrics to Guru featuring Bernard Purdie and Brian Holt's "Count Your Blessings" highlight the importance of taking a step back from life's challenges and struggles, and appreciating the blessings that we have. Guru shares his personal experience of feeling overwhelmed and depressed, but realizing that he needed to take control of his life and be grateful for the love and blessings he had. He encourages listeners to do the same, to stop dwelling on the negative, and instead to focus on what they have to be thankful for. Guru also touches on the importance of helping others who may not have the same blessings and opportunities that we do.
The repetition of "count your blessings" throughout the song serves to reinforce the central message of the song. The use of personal anecdotes by Guru makes the message relatable and helps to connect with listeners who may be going through similar struggles. The use of metaphors like "walking on a tightrope" and "lighting a candle" add depth and dimension to the lyrics, and the call to action to "make the proper choices" emphasizes the importance of taking responsibility for our actions and their consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Too many times I felt bad
It's easy to get caught up in feeling down sometimes
Too many times I couldn't see what really I had
I've realized that I need to focus more on the good things in my life
(Yo, just count your blessings)
Trust me, it's worth taking a step back and appreciating what you have
(Better count your blessings)
Seriously, you'll start to feel better if you do
(I say to thee: well, count your blessings)
Let me tell you, it's important to keep things in perspective
I remember when I used to get depressed
I have experience with feeling really low
Overwhelmed by the stress
Feeling like there was too much to handle
Feeling my life was the illest mess
Thinking my life was a complete disaster
Always dwelling on the stuff that wasn't right
Focusing on the negative things in my life
And staring at the four walls in my room all night
Feeling really isolated and alone
Searching for a way to cope
Trying to find a way to deal with everything
The situation shaky, like I'm walkin' on a tightrope
The whole thing felt really unstable and uncertain
But now I see it's time to get a handle
I've realized that I need to take control
And take control of things
I need to start making things happen instead of just reacting to them
So for me - I'm a light a candle
I'm going to try to be a source of light and hope for myself and others
And other people got it worse
There are people who are dealing with more difficult situations than me
I get a lot of love, so I ought give my thanks first
I need to be grateful for all the good things in my life and give back however I can
(I said you better count your blessings)
Seriously, it's important to remember what's good in your life
Too many times I asked: "Why me?"
Sometimes it's easy to feel like you're being singled out for problems
And I recall when things weren't goin' how they 'sposed to be
I've had times in my life when things didn't go according to plan
Yeah, I know you dig what I'm relayin'
I think everyone can relate to this feeling to some extent
And now I find myself devoting more time to praying
I've started to turn to faith more as a way to find strength and hope
I ain't saying that I don't do no wrong
I'm not perfect, and I make mistakes sometimes
I'm saying I ain't trying to sing no more sad songs
I'm trying to focus more on positive things instead of getting caught up in negativity
I got mad responsibilities
I have a lot of things I need to take care of
I'm building with my family; my loved ones depend on me
I have people who rely on me and I need to be there for them
I've got no time for envy nor for hate
I'm not going to waste time on negative emotions
My inner power's too strong
I have a lot of strength and resilience within me
To let such evil penetrate
I'm not going to let negativity bring me down
The world around is in chaos
There's a lot of bad things happening in the world
But I'd rather seek the truth to be found
I want to focus on what's real and true, even if it's not always easy
Than to be lost
I don't want to get lost in negativity or confusion
Experience is always the best teacher
I've learned a lot from my own experiences
Look at the signs, feel the vibes; I'm tryin' to reach ya
I'm trying to share what I've learned with others
I see how much now that one should be grateful for
I realize how important it is to be grateful for what you have
And we must help the others who can't find a open door
We need to support and help those who are struggling
Now as we head into the year two thousand
As we approach the year 2000 (when this song was released)
And more and more people can't even get decent housing
More and more people are struggling with basic needs like housing
Poor education in the schools
There are a lot of issues with the education system
And poor employment structures, so some choose illegal tools
Poor job opportunities can lead some people to make bad choices
By all means, you know we must survive, but think
We all need to try to survive, but we also need to make good choices
The energy we give always comes back to us in time
What we put out into the world comes back to us eventually
We must decide to make the proper choices
We need to be intentional about our decisions
Or the only thing we'll hear is the cries and the screaming voices
If we make bad choices, we'll only hear negative things around us
Too many times, too many times
This is a message that can't be repeated enough
Too many times I felt bad
It's easy to feel bad sometimes
Too many times I couldn't see what I really had
It's easy to take the good things in our lives for granted
(Count your blessings)
It's important to focus on the good things in our lives
(Better count your blessings)
Seriously, you'll feel better if you do
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network
Written by: KEITH ELAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind