Throwback Tuesday – Gang Starr – “Step In the Arena”
Step In the Arena, the second studio album by DJ Premier and the late Guru, collectively known as Gang Starr, was released on this day, January 15 1991. While the group’s debut album “No More Mr. Nice Guy” was well received,Step In the Arena is the album that brought us the Gang Starr we now know. This is where DJ Premier’s production style really became a trademark. Tracks such as “Step in the Arena”, “Who’s Gonna Take the Weight?”, Check the Technique” and “Just to Get a Rep” were the singles that really got the focus, but upon second listen, the entire album was a masterpiece.
According to a Wikipedia description: Initially, the album was rated 3.5 out of 5 mics in The Source magazine.[4] In his review, Reef wrote: “Step in the Arena stands alone on a musical level, yet it also remains true to hip-hop’s underground heritage.” In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source’s 100 Best Hip Hop Albums.[5] In 2007, it was named the greatest hip hop album of all time by IGN.com.
In the Gang Starr catalog, albums like “Hard To Earn”, “Daily Operation” and “Moment of Truth” usually get the hype and the props, but “Step In the Arena” is hands down the album that made Gang Starr …Gang Starr. If you haven’t heard the album or just need a refresher, check out the stream below, brought to us by the good folks at GrooveShark.