A major turning point in the hip-hop/jazz crossover of the mid-90s came in the summer of 1993, when two albums were released:_Hand On The Torch by US3, a group of British DJs given full run of the Blue Note catalog, and Guru's Jazmatazz Vol. 1, an experimental jazz/rap crossover record that took Guru's ten years of jazz experimentation with Gang Starr to the next level -- live musicians. Although Guru's album had all the credibility, US3's album sold like hotcakes, becoming jingle-bait for everyone from Betty Crocker to HBO.
Two years later, Guru's back, and promoting a "new reality." "I'm here to give direction," he states on the lead-off track, "'cause I'm The Lifesaver." Backed by crossover group The Solsonics, he offers observations and inspirations between cuts in spoken-word form, as well as kickin' it in collaborations with everyone from Jamiroquai to Donald Byrd.
The thing that seems to have caught many rap fans off-guard about this album is that such a hot album could be made without cusswords, a lyrical staple. This is part of Guru's plan to reach younger people than would otherwise have the option to listen to this record. DeLores Tucker ain't got nuttin' on Guru. Although a lot of the content is inspirational (as in the standout track, "Count Your Blessings"), Guru's not preachy (or, even worse, Anthony Robbins) and this disc has some great music. You'd have to really, really, really, hate rap music, in fact, not to enjoy Jazzmatazz Vol. 2.
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