Respectful Dedication: Words On 'Jazzmatazz' - Chris "Preach" Smith

Today, we all remember Keith Elam, better known to the world as Guru
(Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal), one half of the legendary hip-hop
duo Gangstarr after his death three years ago. With everyone taking 
time out to remember his legacy within hip-hop culture, I spent this 
morning spinning his first solo effort, Jazzmatazz, which will be about
two decades old come May 18th. It’s an album that I find doesn’t seem
to get a good deal of exposure for just how vital it was to the culture,
so lounge a bit as we examine the impact.

To begin with, one has to appreciate the fact that Guru and DJ Premier
were three albums deep into solidfying their iconic status going back
to 1989 before Jazzmatazz came to be. Gangstarr was part of the rise
of ‘conscious’ hip-hop before that term came to be applied but they also
helped to shape the edginess of ‘hardcore’ hip-hop that dominated New
York City at that time with songs like ‘Just To Get A Rep’ and ‘Words I
Manifest’. Guru’s smooth flow and in-depth wordplay blended well with
Premier’s production which relied greatly on jazz record samples. It helped
that they were with Chrysalis, a London-based label who encouraged
their creativity and gave them total artistic freedom, a rarity they used
to full advantage. They even made a classic single for Spike Lee’s ‘Mo’
Betta Blues’ in 1990, ‘Jazz Thing’. The influence from London was an
important one, because it came in the form of British soul. Loose Ends
were all the rage in the mid 1980’s, and their direct descendant in sound
was Soul II Soul, a sound system collective with house music influences
featuring Jazzie B and Caron Wheeler. Another facet to that influence 
was the rise of acid jazz, thanks to labelmates Brand New Heavies and
their new lead singer at the time, N’Dea Davenport. With those groups
gaining more prominence stateside in the early 90’s mainly via R&B 
radio stations in conjunction with hip-hop, it seemed natural that they
would go hand in hand. But no one had ever done it.

 
Jazzmatazz took the music world by storm. I remember tuning into video 
shows at the time when the first single, ‘Loungin’ made its appearance. It
was remarkable because Guru teamed up with Donald Byrd, a jazz legend.
Bear in mind this was at a time where some jazz artists were uncomfortable
with hip-hop overall because of a violent, garish stigma attached to it. Yet
Guru managed to create a bridge between those genres effortlessly. He 
took it upon himself to be creative director of the album, which gave him
the power to assemble a virtual all-star lineup. A backing band of Donald
Byrd, Lonnie Liston Smith, Roy Ayers, Branford Marsalis, Courtney Pine,
and Ronny Jordan on a HIP-HOP ALBUM. Unheard of! (Interesting note:
Branford Marsalis actually stopped touring with his brother, Wynton so he
could get in on the album. Wynton, who was and is NOT a fan of hip-hop
music was not amused.) This album also added to N’Dea Davenport’s 
stardom as the featured vocalist and also featured hit UK singer Carleen
Anderson. You even had MC Solaar, the famous rapper out of France get
down on a track. The album defied convention by using those lines of
convention to perfection.

The album was groundbreaking at that time because it demonstrated 
that you could blend different genres with hip-hop successfully. It got
serious play on MTV and even more acclaim over in Europe. “Loungin’
was a hit single, but “Trust Me” would be the single with the most 
impact across the board. Jazzmatazz would go on to be a successful 
series for Guru and a platform for many famous artists to collaborate.
It also led to a rise in hip-hop/jazz fusion stateside. The Brand New 
Heavies would wind up doing an MTV Unplugged session with rappers
like MC Serch, Grand Puba and Masta Ace among others that became
an album. You also saw artists like Digable Planets, Dred Scott, US3
and Morcheeba rise to prominence. Branford Marsalis would build off
of this album’s acclaim and create Buckshot Lefonque, his own jazz/
hip-hop fusion project with DJ Premier. N’Dea Davenport would go on
to have her own solid solo career, and Carleen Anderson would do so
as well, fillling in for Davenport with the Heavies in addition to singing
with the Young Disciples and Incognito. You also saw this album’s 
influence on the Red Hot +Riot series, issued to increase HIV/AIDS
awareness. Jazzmatazz is an album that is a prism for a key part of
that golden era of hip-hop, and a fitting touchstone for the culture at
large.