Search - Gang Starr :: Step in the Arena

Step in the Arena
Gang Starr
Step in the Arena
Genres: Pop, Rap & Hip-Hop
 
  •  Track Listings (18) - Disc #1

Gang Starr's second album is quintessential hip-hop and is easily one of the greatest rap albums of all time. In contrast to their 1989 debut, No More Mr. Nice Guy, which was filled with seriously uptempo jams, Step in the...  more »

     

CD Details

All Artists: Gang Starr
Title: Step in the Arena
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Goldrush
Release Date: 12/17/1996
Genres: Pop, Rap & Hip-Hop
Style: East Coast
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 762185123126

Synopsis

Amazon.com essentials
Gang Starr's second album is quintessential hip-hop and is easily one of the greatest rap albums of all time. In contrast to their 1989 debut, No More Mr. Nice Guy, which was filled with seriously uptempo jams, Step in the Arena slows down the pace, unveiling low, slow, and deceptively complex tempos along with some jazz-tinged loops and beats, all of which firmly established DJ Premier's slot in the producer hall of fame. Furthermore, the slower sonic pace proved to be a perfect fit for Guru's distinctive monotone flow. The album hits on every aural level, from the lumbering bass and blaring horn combo of the title track to the swirling sax blurts, unnerving siren, and kinetic scratch attack of "Who's Gonna Take the Weight" to the laid-back smooth jazz soul of "Love Sick." Guru's verbal volley can only be described as smooth hardcore, with no-nonsense lyrics that effectively strike a balance between the street and the intellect. Toss in tracks like the anti-hoodlum anthem "Just to Get a Rep" and the scathing "Execution of a Chump (No More Mr. Nice Guy, Part 2)," and you've got yourself a bona fide classic that sounds as fresh today as it did when it was first released. --Spence Abbott

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CD Reviews

Classic, no doubt.
Dr Strangetone | New Jersey | 04/17/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I probably can't say anything that hasn't already been said about this masterpiece, however the sound of this album should not be misunderstood, This is one of those albums that epitomizes what the East Coast feels like. The "simple" production is the point. Guru's skills have been debated over and over again but he fits these tracks perfectly. Preemo is at his best here, a beat, a sample, a cut, that's about it. This album basically set the standard for what East Coast Hip-Hop should sound like to many people. I will never tire of it. Simple perfection.

If you like DITC, BDP etc, you probably already have this one, but if you don't......."
LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE IT!!!!!
Martin L. King | 02/17/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)

"this album is, right up there with DAILY OPERATION, my absolute favorite gang starr album. HARD TO EARN gets props as well. this album does NOT sound dated. guru's rhymes are NOT dull. yes, he does have a monotone style, but THAT is what i dig about it. love the beats, and i love the deliveries of the rhymes. some just do not understand, but some obviously recognize good hip hop when they hear it. ESSENTIAL!!!!"