Mass Appeal: Best Of [PA] * by Gang Starr

Undoubtedly one of the most respected, influential, and consistently tight DJ/MC combos in the history of hip-hop, Guru and Premier have evolved from an afro-centric, break-heavy duo in the vein of Eric B&Rakim to legendarily versatile veterans with almost 20 years in the game. The untouchable one-two punch of DJ Premier's street-level beats and Guru's signature smoothed-out voice leaves an army of producers and lyricists in their shadows. Though just a small sampling of the group's output, the 16 classics that make up the greatest-hits compilation, MASS APPEAL, prove that Gang Starr's body of work--which never once pandered to commercialism at the expense of artistic vision--has irrevocably raised the bar of East Coast hip-hop to a level that most newer acts can only dream of reaching.