One of the finest early efforts from Premier and Guru – they're second LP – and it's not only one of Gang Starr's greatest, it's one of the greatest hip hop albums of the era, period. Guru's mic presence is as sharply on point as ever here, and the Primo production is also at peak precision. Step Into The Area really encapsulates just about everything we love most soul beats and samples era of hip hop. Absolutely essential – and filled with killer cuts like "Step In The Arena", "Game Plan", "Just To Get A Rep", "Check The Technique", and "Who's Gonna Take The Weight". 20 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

Gang Starr at pretty close to peak level here on 1994's Hard To Earn – and rather than continue to ride the waves they made on the previous couple classic albums, Guru sharpens the lyrical tone just a bit – spitting some more incisive rhymes over apporpriately gritty soul jazz beats from Primo. Tracks include the classic "DWYCK" featuring Nice & Smooth – which is just about our favorite Gang Starr track ever, to be honest – plus "Speak Ya Clout" featuring Jeru and Lil Dap, "Mass Appeal", "Code Of The Streets", "Brainstorm", "Tonz O Gunz", "Suckas Need Bodyguards", "Blowin Up The Spot", "Mostly Tha Voice", "F.A.L.A.", "Now You're Mine", "Comin For Datazz", "Aiight Chill...", "The Planet", and more. LP, Vinyl record album