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Tuesday, April 20, 2010 | 7:19am
SOUND OFF: Guru’s Farewell Letter Examined
A sad moment brings strange revalations.
I, like many hip hop fans, was saddened to hear that Guru had just passed away after a long battle with cancer. On his deathbed Guru’s wrote a letter explaining his final wishes as well as saying good bye to fans. It’s a sad and eary reading the letter knowing that it was some of the last words or a hip hop pioneer. However upon reading the letter again some things jumped out at me. Instead of explaining every oddity I’m going to post the entire letter below. The words are Guru’s but the emphasis is mine.
I, Guru, am writing this letter to my fans, friends and loved ones around the world. I have had a long battle with cancer and have succumbed to the disease. I have suffered with this illness for over a year. I have exhausted all medical options.
I have a non-profit organization called Each One Counts dedicated to carrying on my charitable work on behalf of abused and disadvantaged children from around the world and also to educate and research a cure for this terrible disease that took my life. I write this with tears in my eyes, not of sorrow but of joy for what a wonderful life I have enjoyed and how many great people I have had the pleasure of meeting.
My loyal best friend, partner and brother, Solar, has been at my side through it all and has been made my health proxy by myself on all matters relating to myself. He has been with me by my side on my many hospital stays, operations, doctors visits and stayed with me at my home and cared for me when I could not care for myself. Solar and his family is my family and I love them dearly and I expect my family, friends, and fans to respect that, regardless to anybody’s feelings on the matter. It is my wish that counts. This being said I am survived by the love of my life, my sun KC, who I trust will be looked after by Solar and his family as their own. Any awards or tributes should be accepted, organized approved by Solar on behalf myself and my son until he is of age to except on his own.
I do not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name likeness, events tributes etc. connected in anyway to my situation including any use of my name or circumstance for any reason and I have instructed my lawyers to enforce this. I had nothing to do with him in life for over 7 years and want nothing to do with him in death. Solar has my life story and is well informed on my family situation, as well as the real reason for separating from my ex-DJ. As the sole founder of GangStarr, I am very proud of what GangStarr has meant to the music world and fans. I equally am proud of my Jazzmatazz series and as the father of Hip-Hop/Jazz. I am most proud of my leadership and pioneering efforts on Jazzmatazz 4 for reinvigorating the Hip-Hop/Jazz genre in a time when music quality has reached an all time low. Solar and I have toured in places that I have never been before with GangStarr or Jazzmatatazz and we gained a reputation for being the best on the planet at Hip-Hop/Jazz, as well as the biggest and most influential Hip-Hop/Jazz record with Jazzmatazz 4 of the decade to now. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time. And we as a team were not afraid to push the envelope. To me this is what true artists do! As men of honor we stood tall in the face of small mindedness, greed, and ignorance. As we fought for music and integrity at the cost of not earning millions and for this I will always be happy and proud, and would like to thank the million fans who have seen us perform over the years from all over the world. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time and is my most creative and experimental to date. I hope that our music will receive the attention it deserves as it is some of the best work I have done and represents some of the best years of my life.
So a couple things jump out to me. Firstly, the extent and the way in which Guru talks about Solar. He’s basically talked about almost like a spouse instead of just a friend. He even goes as far as to leave his son to Solar. He goes on to talk so proudly of the music he did with Solar even though most fans felt it wasn’t nearly on the level of his previous work. According to Guru, it sounds like Solar was the most important person in his life by far. Personal and professional.
The other thing is how far Guru goes to distance himself from DJ Premier. Usually people are forgiving on their deathbed as most people do not want to take hate to the grave with them. Yet, Guru makes it a point to let the world know that even in death he wants nothing to do with Premier.
Since Guru has just passed away I want to treat this matter with as much respect as possible but it’s hard to with the strangeness of this letter. Basically it’s very difficult not to infer that Guru and Solar were in a relationship, it wasn’t Guru but Solo who wrote this letter or all of the above.
Sound Off Nation. What do you think?
FILED IN Music, Need to Know
c’mon son this guys dead and you “infering” he’s gay that aint even right.
I don’t think that’s what Mike was saying, haze. Mike is pointing out that given Guru’s rep- he wouldn’t speak so “obsequiously” about another man. Whatever the case may be, it’s sad that Guru died and I wish everyone the best.
Today, after his death was the first we even learned of his bout with Cancer. I am very saddened by that first and foremost.
.
Maybe its me being naive or just still in mourning but I find it very hard to believe that Guru was so incensed by DJ Premier on his death bed. Who does that? Dissing people for the first time in life in a letter from the crypt?
.
Anyone you speak to in the industry regards Premo as one of the true gentlemen of the industry but who knows. I equate it to the whole Dre/ Easy E situation. Easy wasn’t dissing Dre on his death bed
.
This however does add credence to the YouTube video that surfaced with Guru’s nephew stating he was denied the opportunity to see him in the hospital.
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When I read the letter, like Mike, I too was a little confused.
that letter is fake!
yeah, i said it!
Solar’s love letter to himself maybe?
Its fake in that Guru probably didn’t write it. Solar’s hands are very dirty in this one. Let the man’s legacy live.
I don’t know what to say on this one folks…
Something is definitly afoot, I guess we have to wait for that life story to come out to have an inkling of understanding in this matter.
RIP Guru
All I know is that today I will be playing Gangstarr nonstop!
Let the lawyers do their job, as fans enjoy the gifts he gave us! Each one teach one! Take the time to share with someone who doesnt know about Gangstarr – one of the illest careers in hiphop history!
Ditto Justo
I don’t see anyone on his deadbeat “talk” like that . That letter’s fake.
But they say he died of cancer.Really it smells like a cover up. I have seen to many people use cancer to hide the fact that someone died of AIDS.At this point that’s what I believe it is.
haze ,
so what if he is gay.You have a problem with that ?
You know, it sucks that Guru just died today and this is how we begin his first day in a new setting (Heaven, Paradise, etc.) With that said that letter does not sound like Guru. It sounds like Solar had a bit of time on his hands to write it. I am sorry but who really talks about who should claim ownership on an award after there death? Sorry Solar but this is le Mar…
RIP GURU
Where is Guru’s real family?
Is Solar His Blood Brother?,
if NOT .. the language used is VERY,VERY suspect! The letter, if its fake and NOT from GURU, (which I think is NOT Guru speaking, but i have never met Guru) is a hindrance to GURU R’n. I. P. …..SOLAR !
Also, I don’t wanna believe that GURU died with bitterness toward his “EX-DJ”(that suspect language too), however I lost my stepfather to cancer and he was a loving & big hearted man who was loved by all and hated by none(that i know of) but i heard with my own ears the same bitter and harsh things said by him towards people that he loved( wife, daughter, son) days before his DEATH.
I am from LA and Gangstarr’s MUSIC is loved by music lovers. I loved his work and it seems i have the same favs as those who have posted here.
and another comment about the letter, this is a DIGITAL age, why take the time and strength(very suspect) to hand write or text your last wishes and NOT have AUDIO for confirmation? I did read the letter mention “lawyer enforcement”.
You make a very valid point about not having audio. Other means of recording a statement are readily available now a days. Also, they should check the handwriting. There must be some way to verify whether these were Guru’s wishes or Solar’s manipulations.
Also, the language describing their relationship and Guru’s wishes for after his death sound more like a married couple than best friends. I read earlier where someone got mad at the notion that someone would suggest Guru was gay. It is not an insult. It’s only a question. If Solar wrote the later, it really doesn’t matter. If Guru wrote the letter, then it does sound like something more than friends. Asking whether he was gay or not is not meant to insult him, but to find out whether he was gay or not.
Take heed to the words that I manifest!
on the microphone u kno that im 1 of the best yet.
some punks aint paid all of their debt yet.
who in the hell is solar anyway?
Its not hard to accept all that is being said in this letter. Guru is being clear on his relationship with his Ex-DJ..Which makes sense because people usually want to come around & acknowledge u after ur dead & gone. Like he stated I haven’t dealt wit u in my last 7 yrs of life I don’t want to deal wit u after I am dead. You guys have seen how everyone claims the closest relations after someone dies. Guru was a grown man his family didn’t even kno he was sick for a year WHY?!? Because he did not want them to know. WE all know DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES EXIST just bcuz he is Guru does not make him exempt.
The GURU has spoken so be clear it is what it is! We have the right to assign whomever we want as Power of Attorney he chose Solar…let it go!
MAy ur spirit shine from a place of elevation!
There were reports last months that Solar was trying to keep Guru biological family members from seeing him while he was in the hospital.
not cancer. try the illuminati.