Gang Starr - No More Mr. Nice Guy '1989

Tracks list

You don't hear much of Step in the Arena on Gang Starr's first album. In fact,
aside from some scrupulous lyrical stances by Guru ("Manifest," "Positivity")
and some of DJ Premier's hallmark brilliance behind the turntables, this Gang
Starr isn't instantly recognizable as the duo who would soon become one of the
most respected rap groups of the 1990s. The Gang Starr of No More Mr. Nice Guy
still has a leg knee-deep in the old-school aesthetic. As a result, Premier's
beats are quite a bit simpler and sometimes cruder than fans have come to expect
(though they are still several cuts above the rest of the class), and Guru
spends considerable energy talking up his own microphone skills and tearing down
the next MC's (sometimes electrifying, as on "Gotch U"). That is not the same
thing, however, as saying that No More Mr. Nice Guy is a subpar album. It is
not, by any means. In fact, it's quite good in its own way, but it's also safe
to say that the recording is not representative of the Chrysalis-era Gang Starr
that devotees would eventually come to revere. Approach this album on its own
terms, though, and it has a lot to offer, namely its early, tentative steps into
the sampling of jazz. The most conspicuous attempt in this direction is the fine
"Jazz Music," which was, nevertheless, reworked to much better effect a few
years later for the soundtrack to Spike Lee's Mo' Better Blues as "Jazz Thing."
The scratching showcase "DJ Premier in Deep Concentration" is an antiquated
delight that dips into jazz as well, while the conscientious "Cause and Effect,"
the steely "2 Steps Ahead," and the uncharacteristic guest production from DJ
Mark the 45 King on "Gusto" are all classics waiting to be rediscovered.
Indicative or not, fans of the group will want this album, as will those with a
jones for the original new-school revolution. More casual fans can probably
start their collections with Step in the Arena, which is a required purchase.
[The 2001 Wild Pitch Classics reissue adds three bonus tracks, the strongest of
which is "Here's the Proof."]

Tracklist:
1.01 - Gang Starr - Premier & The Guru (3:27) 
1.02 - Gang Starr - Jazz Music (3:31) 
1.03 - Gang Starr - Gotch U (3:09) 
1.04 - Gang Starr - Manifest (4:56) 
1.05 - Gang Starr - Gusto (3:15) 
1.06 - Gang Starr - Dj Premier in Deep Concentration (3:14) 
1.07 - Gang Starr - Positivity (Remix) (4:50) 
1.08 - Gang Starr - Manifest (Remix) (5:12) 
1.09 - Gang Starr - Conscience Be Free (4:05) 
1.10 - Gang Starr - Cause and Effect (3:22) 
1.11 - Gang Starr - Steps Ahead (3:50) 
1.12 - Gang Starr - No More Mr. Nice Guy (3:22) 
1.13 - Gang Starr - Knowledge (3:42) 
1.14 - Gang Starr - Positivity (3:34)

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