Throwback Thursdays

Today's Throwback is a nod to the one and only GURU. Recently his health suffered a blow when he went into cardiac arrest and slipped into a coma last week. I'm glad to report that he has since had surgery and is on the road to recovery. You can read about it here. Prayers and blessings go a long way. We can't afford to lose another icon. Anyway, between that and the fact that This Bug has always had an appreciation for this song and video- it seems fitting. 1992 for Gang Starr, as Sinatra crooned, was a very good year. Daily Operation was a solid album with tracks like Conspiracy, Flip the Script and Ex to the Next. Guru and DJ Premier are the epitome of a perfect pairing. But Take it Personal was always the standout to me. As usual Premier puts his brand on it with his signature cutting and scratching over the break beat. The perpetual phone ringing is a reminder that dimes are being dropped. And as usual, Guru blessed it with his articulate speech and relaxed manner. The video in itself is classic. It had a plot (which thickens like quick grits by the time Guru is allowed to make his one phone call while in custody) and movie quality cinematography. It's the little things, you know? I can't be the only one who loves how a jury of his peers are sitting there- steady boppin' their heads to a dope rhyme. While on trial for what we can only assume is a crime against Hip-Hop, Guru states his case and let's you decide who is telling the truth. You know his Steez. As you can see by the end of the vid, the verdict is not guilty and he and his peoples leave court looking cooler than you ever could on your best day. This Bug's favorite line? "But I can see clearly now, the rain is gone. The pain is gone but what you did is still wrong. There was few times I needed your support, but you tried to play me like an indoor sport." Ooh wee...Been there.