“My Moment Of Truth…” – Gangstarr’s Moment Of Truth
GENERAL By TSSCrew on August 3, 2007 at 5:40 am
Words by DJ Sorce-1
Although Moment of Truth was released nearly a decade ago on Noo Trybe records, I remember the time surrounding its release clearly. It was a weird year for rap. People were still reeling from the deaths of Biggie and Pac, shiny suits were all the rage, and something about music felt slightly off. But it wasn’t all bad. There was still a hell of a lot of good music coming out, and best of all, Gang Starr was dropping for the first time in what seemed like forever. People were nervously buzzing, and not all of the buzz was positive. I was in 8th grade at the time, and my A period study hall was a place for discussing music and girls, not reading textbooks. Although my study hall crew was confident in the release, some people had their doubts. “Nah, it’s been over four years since Hard to Earn…It’s not gonna be worth buying…Premier should just focus on producing for other people.”
From the moment “You Know My Steez” dropped, you knew the album was serious. You also knew that the people doubting Gang Starr’s return would quickly shut their yaps. Premier reached another plateau on this album, with production that flows effortlessly from the first song to the last. The sound varies from ominous on songs like “Itz a Set Up” to upbeat and catchy on “Work”. Although most of Premier’s scratching techniques would be considered “simple” or “basic” by today’s turntablist crowd, all star scratchers and battle DJ’s can’t fuck with Premier on scratched choruses. I have yet to hear any producer rival his ability to cut and paste disparate words and sentence fragments into something beautiful. Primo also has the impeccable ability to make his scratching fit the feeling of a particular song. Check the end of “Next Time” as he cuts up LL Cool J’s line “Not this time, but next time” from “I Shot Ya”. Simply put, his cuts make the song a one of the best on the album.
Not only did Gang Starr’s production sound better than ever on Moment of Truth, Guru also sounded like a new man. His lyrics had a newfound element of maturity, wisdom, and social commentary. They are also some of the most revealing and introspective words he has ever penned. On songs like “Moment of Truth” the listener can literally feel Gurus desperate emotional state as he spits…
“Why do bad things happen, to good people?
Seems that life is just a constant war between good and evil
The situation that I’m facin’, is mad amazin’
To think such problems can arise from minor confrontations
Now I’m contemplatin’ in my bedroom pacin’
Dark clouds over my head, my hearts racin’
Suicide? nah, I’m not a foolish guy
Don’t even feel like drinking, or even getting’ high
Cause all that’s gonna do really, is accelerate
The anxieties that I wish I could alleviate
But wait, I’ve been through a whole lot of other shit, before
So I oughta be able, to withstand some more
But I’m sweatin’ though, my eyes are turnin’ red and yo
I’m ready to lose my mind but instead I use my mind
I put down the knife, and take the bullets out my nine”
While Guru and Premier made sure that Moment of Truth is a Gang Starr album and not a compilation, the guest appearances helped make the album the masterpiece that it is. “The Militia” solidified Freddie Foxxx as one of the baddest rappers out and introduced him to a new generation of rap fans. Before Moment of Truth, many knew Foxxx for his verse on “Hot Potato” with Naughty by Nature and his work on O.C.’s Jewelz. Alongside Big Shug and Guru, Freddie rhymes like a man possessed, spitting one unforgettable line after another. Rhymes like “I turn you fake niggas on and off, like I’m the Clapper, I rob so many niggas they should call me Jack the Rapper” and “Beef with me hangs around like an unpaid bill” helped make Freddie the number one rapper not to fuck with.
Another show stealing guest appearance on Moment of Truth is Scarface’s verse on “Betrayal”. Scarface and Guru sound so good together that it makes you wonder what it would be like if these two had gotten down together more than once. While an album between the two might be wishful thinking, it’s surprising that this is the only time the two MC’s got on the same record. Their serious vocal tone and rhyme styles works well over Premier’s slow, somber utilization of War’s “Deliver the World”.
Much has changed since I bought Moment of Truth nearly ten years ago. Nobody knows if Gang Starr will ever make another album. Yet despite the changes, this album is as essential today as it was the day it came out. Whether you are a hip hop purist, a casual listener, or a young buck trying to educate yourself on albums of the past, this album is for you. Premier’s top notch production and Guru’s improved lyricism make Moment of Truth one of the truly great albums of the 90’s. Do yourself a favor and get familiar with this album if you haven’t already.
Joe-Everything-1993
Johnny_Gill-Johnny_Gill-1990
Kam-Made_In_America-Retail-1995
Maxwell-Maxwell_Unplugged_(UK_Version)
Maxwell-Maxwells_Urban_Hang_Suite-1996
Mint_Condition-From_The_Mint_Factory-1993
New_Edition-Home_Again-1996
New_Edition-New_Edition-1987
New_Edition-Under_The_Blue_Moon-1990
J.R. Writer – Writer’s Block 4
DJ_Kool_Kid_Presents_Freeway-Mr._Big_Spender-Bootleg-2007
VA-Team_Invasion-Hood_Rules_Apply_8
Red_Child_And_DJ_Scope_Present_D-Block-Major_League
Big_Mike_And_Focus_Ent._Presents_D-Block-Go_Hard_or_Go_Home
Hi-Tek & Clinton Sparks – Teknologically Advanced
Z-Ro-The Life Of Joseph W. McVey
Fatal- In the Line of Fire
Turk-Still_A_Hot_Boy (2005)
M.O.P-St._Marxmen
E-40 – Mr. Flamboyant EP
Stray Shots
===============
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Posted in GENERAL, REVIEWS, STRAY SHOTS
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51 Comments
Gotty NYC Report 1
NYC has….alot of cabs. Dunkin Donuts. cabs.
Another article that’s totally on point. Free from nonsense, revisionism, shock tactics – just packed with appreciation for good music, fron someone who was clearly there. I felt exactly the same as described in ‘97 and ‘Moment Of Truth’ means a lot to me for exactly the reasons described above. Good looking out – more like this please.
8th grade? Damn, I was a freshman…in college when this came out.
Gotty, first time in NY?
Queens got the fliest honeys, Uptown girls are fly as well, but too bougie
Brooklyn girls got the fattest asses, Bronx girls got the most kids.
And nobody knows anything bout Staten Island unless you from there.
yo Gotty!!… totally forgot you were in nyc!!.. I would have holla’d at you… was in the meat packing district drinking it up last night at the Gansevoort Hotel… definitely go check that area out… plenty of eye candy, clubs and places to eat as well…
oh yeah and Moment of Truth was fire when it came out… Above The Clouds gets no mention in the article!?… whoa!
i second that, above the clouds was my favorite track from the album. deck ripped it with a vengeance.
That album was incredible. I remember listening to it on repeat at my grandparents house in Florida on yearly family trip…the previous year was Cypress Hill III-Temples of Boom (mad underrated)…
My memory is fuzzy…On one of the trips, I had a cassette I had made of all of Canibus’ guest shots, radio freestyles, etc…Was that the same year as Moment of Truth? I think it was. God, hip hop used to be the greatest…or maybe everything is better when you’re 16, 17, 18…I mean it still is, but that feeling…I only get that like once a year now. Used to be weekly.
Damnit, now I’m one of those guys.
Free mixtapes on my website.
Trackstar
that fatal shit is fire…dont sleep on it
I have a tough time deciding which is my favorite GangStarr album between Daily Operation & Moment Of Truth. I love both of em deeply though. Probably Guru’s best lyrical display under Premo.
moment of truth helped show me there was another side of hip hop.
co-sign that Fatal. Definitely worth checkin.
I been listening to this after y’all had that Big Shug post a few weeks back.
i saw guru last night in dallas. he did a jazzmatazz show. good shit. he was reppin’ ’super’ producer solar the whole night. got annoying. overall, good show, would have been better with premier tho.
Guru Jazzmatazz !!! 1,2,3,4 !
fIRTS alBum
“Le Bien, Le Mal”
The good, the bad
feat. MC Solaar !!
Incredible connexion!
Superb song …
Old School Style
Gangstarr Legend
PEACE
U Know ! HipHop style!
Gangstarr Legend …
… Memory Of
And hiphop lives:
Tha Legend Modern Art or something …
Because with the microphone,
i’m einstein kind under cafeine
and
i’m victor hugo with large lips !
(rhymes: pop dan & nakk)
peace y’all
http://www.zshare.net/audio/2739284c0268af/ one will do it, … one day !
respect and glory
but now just respect give me money !
“Killin’ at least three minutes of every rap radio hour…”
@ Tres with the Queens comment… thank u! lol
Gotty we also got some of best Latino food (ie. Biggest portions for the least amount of money)… so definitely worth a visit!
Check out Yuca Bar in the city too (7th and ave A)
…. one of the best mojitos in town and $5 everyday for happy hour!)
@ tres…..uptown girls are too bougie? where you kicking it uptown?
Queens got the “fliest” honies?
SMH.
one of my top 5 favorite albums. and yeah i co-sign that you shouldve mentioned above the clouds, inspectah deck was perfect on that!
The Boondocks is BACK! Season 2 Promo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQoXMbNgUC0&eurl=
Queens? Pff. If it wasn’t for Shaolin, it would definitely be the wackest borough in NYC lol.
What happened to the link for the Fatal Album? It’s not working. Can someone please re-up? Thanks
UGK classic album ! fosure
pimpC is a very good producer
foreal, beats are Banging !
Production, tracklist is very good
good flow ! good attitude
PLATINIUM ALBUM i think !!!
a new day in the HIPHOP !
ATL is in the south !
UNDERGROUND KINGZ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
playaz, legend & actually two best
two beast artists !
south is sweaty !
AND if u have the tracklist/producers !
it’s cool to put in a new comments!
not here, but in a new article TSS!
(in the comment section of the first article when u arrive in this great site)
lol
peace
gangstarr is hiphop! stop
legendary ! stop
living legendz! stop
out.
——–
http://www.megaupload.com/fr/?d=86RVY4UB
Timbo & Funck Doc !
&
No review on Timbaland ? albums, career, and talent (First?) oh, cooommone !
lol
peace
web”crazy”masterz!
because when anDre & his Detox arrives !
You will have a lot of works
lot of homeworks ! reviewZ
like Nas, Ti or other
but Not Just A Week !
lol
Ayo (the black Girl, the singer ?)
lol
http://www.megaupload.com/fr/?d=DW34QUHY
fiddy & Justin Timbaland !
But Good ! i think … personnaly
timbo the king
brand not new ! but it’s ok and …
…(on september) Curtis ??SURPRISE OR NOT SURPRISE!
that is one of 21Questions
ITS ALWAYS 50 MONEY SHIT
but when u roll with dre ???
peace good lookin’
but when u have the Underground Kingz Video
put Please !
thx
I still bump the shit out of this album!
Flawless from start to finish.
Yes, still love this album. My joint is “Rep Grows Bigga.” Love that song!
was a sophmore in college when this dropped…………..this was my wake up album in GA State……………….BETRAYAL…yo i needed this again…..prizzzzzzzzzopz
what dj trackstar said about getting that certain feeling when you hear a dope track….it doesnt even happen to me anymore…..that was only back in the dayz of the golden era. Fawk!!
and late 90′z
Ya’ll should go back and check my innerview with Big Shug for word on the future of Gang Starr. Basically, hold ya breath not.
Freddie Foxxx is dope? That’s a questionable opinion.
Classic album, Gang Starr never made a bad album for me.
@ Mr C Smith’s comment above. Freddie Foxx may not be dope in himslef, but he certainly is over a primo beat. Ever heard ‘RNS’?
Just saw Guru on Wed. night and Dj Doo Wop was his dj. Incredible show. Started with Mass Appeal ended the show with Above the Clouds. He rocked the mic for a good hour and a half. Saw Doo Wop after the show and asked whats up with Big Shug talking greasy bout Guru, he said it was nothing and that he was trying to stay above that shit, above the clouds right?! He did say Guru and Preme are still cool, thank god. Moment of truth is my favorite Gangstarr album- a true classic, nuff respect smoking section.
YO,
Thanks for the feedback ya’ll. One reason I didn’t write on Above The Clouds is I was trying to shine light on tracks that I think at times get overlooked on this amazing album. Above The Clouds is an obvious favorite for many, and man do I love that song. I was just trying to move in a new direction with this one and talk about some different aspects of the album. For me, as a DJ, Premier’s scratching is one of the most important parts. I really think Premiers cuts are so musically sound and that Gang Starrs albums wouldnt be what they are without them. Also, in regards to Foxxx, hes kind of a love or hate MC. For me, when dude is spitting over the right production, I love his shit. I can see how folks wouldn’t, but I really thought he killed it on Militia. Anyway, thanks again for peeping and posting your thoughts. It’s always cool to see what albums like this meant to other people.
Yo,
PS that Fatal album is dope. And the song with Freddie Foxxx, MOB is phat.
Sorce-1
Stop being shitheads and putting up links to entire albums – that’s some foul shit and y’all are violating!
possibly the most boring review this week? y’all need some better writers asap!!
you forgot to mention that you need to skip through a good third to a half of this album too…
“I really think Premiers cuts are so musically sound and that Gang Starrs albums wouldnt be what they are without them.”
Wow, it’s like you’ve broke the atom there. No one ever considered that before…
“possibly the most boring review this week? y’all need some better writers asap!!”
Thanks
“you forgot to mention that you need to skip through a good third to a half of this album too…”
Does that mean you don’t like 1/2 the album? I’m gonna have to say I strongly disagree with that if that’s what you’re saying.
“I really think Premiers cuts are so musically sound and that Gang Starrs albums wouldnt be what they are without them.”
Way to isolate one sentence out of my entire post and take it out of context to make me look like an ass. Nice job.
Once again, can someone please re-up the FATAL album. The link is not working. Some bitch must’ve killed the link.
Moment of Truth is that fire!! I bumped the hell out of this when it first came out! I was possibly the only person in Northeastern Georgia that had that cd in 1998. Major Props to Gang Starr!
“Way to isolate one sentence out of my entire post and take it out of context to make me look like an ass. Nice job.”
You wrote it so people are gonna quote it!
In future, don’t write stuff that sounds like the words of an ass.
It’s a great 10 track album but a stupidly bloated double CD.
Pokey,
You took a sentence from my entire post, and gave it no context. I wrote that sentence as part of my explanation for why I chose not to write about Above The Clouds (I wanted to focus on other parts of the album that I felt were sometimes overlooked when the album was talked about). I was trying to say that for me, as a DJ, Primo’s cuts are as important to Moment of Truth as anything else. If you that’s already been said a million times, or you don’t like the way I worded it, I guess that’s just your opinion. It’s just obnoxious when you write something and someone takes one sentence out of a larger piece of writing, throws it up with no explanation, and takes a cheap shot at you. If you want to go around and look at music writer’s reviews and make fun of every single time they make a point that has already been made, you would be a busy man. Does that mean if Snoop puts out a new single produced by Dre, I can’t say Snoop brings his A game for Dre beats, just because a bunch of other people have said something simialr before? I never claimed that my opinions in this piece were ground breaking or one of a kind, I just wanted to point out that I feel Primos scratching is top notch, and I think that sometimes his amazing production distracts people from just how good he is at doing album cuts. I think it’s fair to say that often times what a DJ contributes to an album is over looked. Am I the first person to ever say that? Of course not. But it’s still something I wanted to bring to light in my review.
Appreciate your response, but it’s still a trite comment – Gang Starr’s always been that classic deejay and emcee tag team (other than a few bits on their first album), and Premo’s scratches have been lauded all around the world – I don’t think anyone who’s a Gang Starr fan has ever thought anything other than that.
Unless you’re admitting that everyone who reads articles on the internet is an idiot (which could well be true).
Big Pokey – jesus wept – give the man a break! I hope you never wake up in the morning and mention the weather for fear of being unoriginal or making a trite comment. It was a nice article man, from a personal point of view – sometimes things just don’t need critiquing. Damn – reading your comments made me depressed.
My only crime, is that I’m too damn kind.