{"product_id":"step-in-the-arena","title":"Step in the Arena","description":"Gang Starr: Guru (vocals); DJ Premier (DJ).\u003cbr\u003eAdditional personnel: Lisle Leete (piano).\u003cbr\u003eRecorded at Calliope Productions, New York, Firehouse Studios and Such-A-Sound Studio, Brooklyn, New York.\u003cbr\u003eReflecting the combination of inner-city upbringing and college education which both members share, Gang Starr manages to attain the perfect balance of intellect and street credibility; harder than so-called hard-core, more experimental than \"experimental hip-hop\" and funkier than 99.9 percent of mainstream rap's party jam output. In a culture based on battles and an industry known for feuds and ego-clashes, Gang Starr is perhaps the only outfit to command respect from every corner of the hip-hop spectrum. Individually or as a unit, Guru \u0026amp; Premier have collaborated with \"alternative\" hip-hop crews (De La Soul, Digable Planets, Dream Warriors), jazz artists (Donald Byrd, Branford Marsalis) R\u0026amp;B stars (Janet Jackson, K-Ci \u0026amp; Jo-Jo) and hard-core MC's (KRS ONE, M.O.P., Notorious B.I.G) without ever compromising their cult status in the underground.\u003cbr\u003eTheir second album STEP IN THE ARENA is the release that truly put the duo on map after \"Manifest\" and \"Jazz Thing\" first garnered public attention. In addition to pioneering the incorporation of jazz samples into the hip-hop canon of funk \u0026amp; soul drum breaks, this record witnessed DJ Premier single-handedly lifting the orchestration of turntable cuts to the level of a jazz soloist improvising on another musician's phrase.","brand":"InnerSleeve","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42299954528421,"sku":"602577555855","price":34.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/6007\/1077\/files\/695cac0d144320a3c6768abb0f33971f.jpg?v=1777653194","url":"https:\/\/www.innersleeve.com\/en-gb\/products\/step-in-the-arena","provider":"InnerSleeve","version":"1.0","type":"link"}