A Lasting Legacy: Guru's Jazzmatazz

Gang Starr's 1989 single Jazz Music, which sampled the Ramsey Lewis classic Les Fleurs, was a roll-call of the jazz greats who had influenced Guru and his producer DJ Premier. Premier became well-known for his sampled horn riffs and stabs - jazz samples began to overtake funk (particularly James Brown breaks) as the most sampled loops in hip-hop about this time, due in no small part to Gang Starr's pervasive appeal and influence. It was Guru however, the group's MC, who would go on to collaborate with so many of the jazz greats they had sampled, including Ramsey Lewis himself.

Guru's well-respected Jazzmatazz series has now been running for 14 years, and over that time the Boston-born rapper and producer has arranged collaborations between jazz and soul legends, such as Roy Ayers and Branford Marsalis, and modern hip-hop and R&B greats ranging from the commercial, such as Craig David, to the esoteric. His collaboration with France's MC Solaar, on Vol. 1's standout track The Good, The Bad, Le Bien, Le Mal, was one of the tracks that precipitated French hip-hop's mid-90s boom in popularity. The first Jazzmatazz is still regarded by many as the best in the series. On the opening track, Guru's manifesto is set out. He is not seeking to draw parallels between jazz and hip-hop, but rather to show hip-hop as a continuation of a long-standing tradition of black musical innovation that began with jazz.

Volumes 2 saw soul and funk influences added to the Jazzmatazz blend, with a memorable appearance from Chaka Khan on Watch What You Say. Critically less well received than Volume 1, the second and third Jazzmatazz albums were nonetheless consistent sellers. Vol. 3 - Street Soul in particular seemed to fall prey to the 'duets' syndrome; some guests unable to break free of their own genre constraints and provide a true fusion of styles. Anchoring it all the way through has been Guru - facilitating the meeting of minds, generations and styles, and narrating throughout in his bass-heavy, distinctively clipped couplets.

Taking a back-to-basics approach, grounded firmly once more in hip-hop and jazz, Volume 4 is a return to form. Superproducer Solar, who also produced much of Guru's 'debut' solo LP, 2005's Version 7.0 - The Street Scriptures, provides an updated take on the sampled material which is reminiscent at times of Premier's Gang Starr tracks - perhaps indicating that Guru has come full circle, and begun again at the beginning. Calling in a wealth of talent from hip-hop's underground, Guru and Solar have re-invigorated the Jazzmatazz format - rappers such as Slum Village, Common and Blackalicious address Guru's manifesto, dropping history as much as science.

The soul influences are still present - memorable contributions from Soul II Soul's Caron Wheeler and another Brit, Omar, make Volume 4 perhaps the most rounded and satisfying instalment in the series since its' inception. Guru is one of the heroes of mid-90s hip-hop - as he swaps 40-ounce for forty-something, he can be proud of his achievements with the Jazzmatazz series. It is his lasting musical legacy, and for many, as important as his work with Gang Starr. Could the series last another 13 years? I for one wouldn't bet against the Guru.