I want to Shine a TBT Spotlight on Classic Videos By Gang Starr and Eric B and Rakim

I want to shine the Throwback Thursday spotlight on a couple of really cool old school rap videos.

The first one is by Gang Starr. If there's one thing that I love it's a story song. When the writer and performer can tell a coherent tale in the rhythm of a song the results can be magical. Guru and DJ premiere did that in their 1991 song Just to Get a Rep. It's a familiar yarn about kids on the streets trying to make a life and the tragedy that swallows them up. But the words that Guru uses and the music that Premiere creates combine to create a symphony of muted energy that transmits the cold life where the only real currency is reputations. In this world respect comes from fear; to make them fear you, you take action. But it's always a circle.

The other video I want to share is Eric B. and Rakim's Follow The Leader. I chose this one just because it's super cool with it's 1930's gangster theme and growling music.