On this date in 1989, Boston’s Keith Elam and Houston’s Christopher Martin—better known to the world as Guru and DJ Premier—unleashed No More Mr. Nice Guy, Gang Starr’s first full-length studio album.
Released through the UK-based Chrysalis Records, the project marked the formal beginning of a duo that would go on to reshape the sound of East Coast Hip Hop. Ironically, neither Guru nor Premier were native New Yorkers, yet their chemistry and creative energy heavily influenced NYC’s sonic identity in the years that followed.
Tracks like “Positivity,” “Conscience Be Free,” and the standout single “Manifest” showcased Guru’s unmistakable monotone flow and introspective lyricism. Meanwhile, DJ Premier’s turntable work and production—highlighted on cuts like “DJ Premier in Deep Concentration”—offered an early glimpse of the brilliance that would later earn him a spot among the greatest producers in Hip Hop history.
Today, we salute DJ Premier, the late great Guru, the Elam family, the Gang Starr Foundation, and East New York for gifting the culture with a monumental debut that helped lay the foundation for an era.
Rest in peace, Guru. Gang Starr forever.
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