Gang Starr

Daily Operation

  • MOG Editorial Review

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    By 1992, New York hip-hop duo Gang Starr had released two well received albums and solidified itself as a top player in east coast hip-hop. However, the third album from MC Guru and DJ Premier would eventually solidify Gang Star's legendary status among rap critics and historians. Daily Operation was released during a period where political issues, black consciousness, and a culture of enlightenment began to creep into the forefront of hip-hop music and provide a contrast to the gangster mentality that dominated airwaves. Accompanied by DJ Premier's legendary cutting and scratching, Guru manages to drop knowledge and give food for thought while maintaining a street edge at the same time. Daily Operation provides a window in time where a single producer and MC crafted an entire album from start to finish and delivered projects that displayed cohesion and focus. This is raw New York hip-hop at its finest.
  • AMG Review of Daily Operation

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    Stanton Swihart
    All Music Guide

    On Step in the Arena, DJ Premier and Guru hit upon their mature sound, characterized by sparse, live jazz samples, Premier's cut-up scratching, and Guru's direct, unwavering streetwise monotone; but, with Daily Operation, the duo made their first masterpiece. From beginning to end, Gang Starr's third full-length album cuts with the force and precision of a machete and serves as an ode to and representation of New York and hip-hop underground culture. The genius of Daily Operation is that Guru's microphone skills are perfectly married to the best batch of tracks Premier had ever come up with. Guru has more of a presence than he has ever had, slinking and pacing through each song like a man with things on his mind, ready to go off at any second. Premier's production has an unparalleled edge here. He created the minimalist opening track, "The Place Where We Dwell," out of a two-second drum-solo sample and some scratching, but is also able to turn around and create something as lush and melodic as the jazz-tinged "No Shame in My Game" without ever seeming to be out of his element, making every track of the same sonic mind. For an underground crew, Gang Starr has always had a knack for crafting memorable vocal hooks to go with the expert production, and they multiply both aspects on Daily Operation. Every song has some attribute that stamps it indelibly into the listener's head, and it marks the album as one of the finest of the decade, rap or otherwise.

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