When Gang Starr Played The Game And WON

This video essay by Brandon Shaw tells you the story of how Gang Starr’s “Mass Appeal“ was a response to the “watered down radio Hip Hop“ prevalent on the air waves of those times. The lead single from the duo’s fourth album Hard To Earn is a perfect example of DJ Premier’s abillity to musically compliment the rapper’s thematics. Preemo’s take on “elevator music“ is, ironically, the perfect musical background to Guru calling out rappers who simplified the craft to conform to the radio’s mass appeal standards. The video also features an instrumental breakdown, showing the samples used in the creation of this classic.