Almost an entire decade after the untimely passing of Keith “Guru” Elam Jr., one of the founders of the legendary Hip Hop group Gangstarr, his legacy carries on through his music, but the controversy behind his death still haunts the Hip Hop community. As one of the game’s most prolific emcees, Guru’s artistry and image are held in high regard, which is why the forthcoming literary debut Moment Of Truth by Guru’s producer, friend, and confidant Solar is a key component to understand the reality behind the controversy.
“I wrote this book not to make money but to set the record straight,” says Solar. “Having my Bother from another mother return to the essence under such terrible rumors and accusations that he could not defend himself or me from his demise. This put me in the terrible and unfortunate position of defending his life rather than celebrating it.“
Solar, a Brooklyn native who worked with the lyrical half of Gangstarr from 2000 until Guru’s untimely passing in 2010 from terminal cancer, felt compelled to clear his name from the vicious unsubstantiated rumor mill, riddled with allegations of abuse, isolation from Guru’s family and the claim of hijacking the Gangstarr brand by coercion under duress.
Moment Of Truth tells the life story of Guru and goes into acute detail about the virtually unknown bond between Guru and Solar, which began at the turn of the century and will forever be mentioned in the legacy of Gangstarr. Stories of how the guy from Bed-Stuy made the acquaintance of the Boston-born lyrical legend to their one-on-one, physical confrontations, which among only a few, can lead to a stronger comradery.
DJ Premier, Guru’s first partner in rhyme and crime, along with Guru’s ex-girlfriend, attempted to silence Solar for 8 years, by issuing a court injunction to prevent the public from hearing the truth and forming their own opinions as to the source of these flagrant rumors and why they were started in the first place. But now the whole true story is told by Solar and Guru through Solar.
Solar contends, “I found that no matter how many in person interviews I did the rumors stuck, So It would take a book to fully address all aspects. So I set out to write this scripture “Moment of Truth” to record the true history. I did not write this book to make money and probably will lose money on this. But its purpose is clear to any reader and I believe is successful in its mission.”
