Gangstarr - Who's Gonna Take the Weight? (RIP GURU)

As I awoke this morning to the devastating news that Guru of the great hip-hop group Gangstarr lost his battle with cancer, my stomach turned and I almost threw up. I haven't felt like this since Kubrick died. Celebrities and artists come and go in my life but certain ones are part of my everyday existence. Guru was one of them. Gangstarr tracks or his brilliant Jazz Matazz series always were in the background, whether I was blogging, hanging out with friends, or bopping down the streets of NYC with my ipod. This particular track is very special to me, and for one of those strange epiphanic reasons. I was at a house party in Boston my sophomore year, and the DJ at the party took the instrumental of this track and did a doubles routine that blew me away. He was using that high-toned sample, and going back and forth in a unique and original way, almost creating a new track out of it. Not really danceable but I was impressed by his technical and improvisational skills on the 1's and 2's. I knew at that moment I wanted to be a DJ. Thank you for that Guru and Matty (the DJ). Then his routine finished and the track came on and that all too familiar voice of Guru came on with the now famous

"I was raised like a Muslim
Prayin' to the East
Nature of my life relates rhymes I release . . ."

. . .and the whole place was jamming and dancing and smiling and just living, enjoying Guru's brilliance after the great doubles session. Everybody could not wait to hear that voice. I could not wait to hear that voice. That voice could move a room like no one else's. The lyrics had depth, and Guru as a person had tremendous depth, and the man wanted to push boundaries with his Jazz Matazz project and hip-hop in general. He was an architect, a visionary and like all great artists he had his demons (alcoholism), but isn't that what some great artists do? Battle their demons so they can express themselves fully? I can relate to Guru, I can listen to Guru, I now can remember Guru, I can love Guru and I always will. My heart is heavy, my mind is contemplative, but I know his contribution to music will live forever, I know with me, till the day I die. RIP Guru, you left us too soon.