Guru of GangStarr dead at 43

Rapper Guru who had founded the hip-hop duo GangStarr that included producer DJ Premier, has died. He was 43.

The MC, born Keith Edward Elam, passed away on Monday, April 19 after a long battle with cancer, according to DJ Premier's blog. He also tweeted, "I can't believe it ... RIP Guru."

Guru had suffered cardiac arrest earlier in the year and fell into a coma. He had woken from the coma before his death.

Gang Starr, which fused jazz and hip-hop, released six albums before Guru went off to release the "Jazzmatazz" series of albums and worked with producer and back-up MC Solar.

"According to Solar," Premier posted, "Guru suffered from the malicious illness for over a year and after numerous special treatments under the supervision of medical specialists failed, the legendary MC succumbed to the disease. Guru always tried to keep this harrowing diagnosis in private but in early 2010 he had to admit himself to hospital due to serious effects caused by the disease."

Solar also released his own statement:

"The world has lost one of the best MCs and Hip-Hop icons of all time -- my loyal best friend, partner, and brother, Guru! Guru has been battling cancer for well over a year and has lost his battle! This is a matter that Guru wanted private until he could beat it but tragically this did not happen. The cancer took him.

"Now the world has lost a great man and a true genius. For the fans that reached out with love and support, I can't tell you how much that meant to Guru and myself. Guru prepared this letter [read excerpts below] while he was in the hospital for the fans. I hope now that Guru has moved on to a better place! Guru is a great Black American Hero and should always be remembered as such and he is much more that just a Hip-Hop icon --- he has changed the world for the better. I salute my fallen brother Guru! He will be missed tremendously!"

As mentioned above, Guru also provided a letter that he passed on to Solar. While much of it addresses his fans, his struggle with cancer and Solar, Guru also makes it clear that there was still bad blood between him and DJ Premier.

He wrote, "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."



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