Today in Hip Hop History: Gangstarr Dropped Their Fourth LP ‘Hard To Earn’ 29 Years Ago

On this day twenty-eight ago, Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal aka Guru and DJ Premier dropped their fourth album aptly entitled Hard To Earn.

As one of Gangstarr’s most circulated but underrated projects, Hard To Earn, released on the Chrysalis/EMI imprint, set the pace for the Gangstarr sound and legacy. Exclusively produced by the legendary duo, Hard To Earn is a prototypical representation of authentic Hip Hop aimed to please aficionados of the culture and the music rather than seeking mainstream success.

The result? A timeless single (“DWYCK”) featuring Nice N’ Smooth, another groundbreaking single whose title is now being used as a thriving magazine name (“Mass Appeal”), and several other tracks (“Tonz O’ Gunz,” “Code Of The Streets,” “The Planet”) that further solidified Gangstarr’s position as one of the most influential duos in Hip-Hop history.

Salute to Guru(R.I.P.), DJ Premier, Jeru Da Damaja, Lil Dap, and the rest of the Gangstarr Foundation for this crucial piece of Hip-Hop history!