Wed 21 Apr 2010
Travesty: Guru’s family contradicts Solar’s claims about Guru’s final words (Updated)
Posted by Miss Info under crime , hmmm....? , low point 2010 , not good for hip hop , not good for humanity , outrage , quotes , relationships and family , sigh.... , ugh[50] Comments
(thank you to Gord from the LiveFromHeadqcourterz blog and Primo’s camp)
Along with the sadness surrounding the death of Guru from GangStarr, ther’s also been much confusion and skepticism over his best friend Solar’s press release, and more importantly, Solar’s claim that Guru wrote a final statement, which empowers Solar and disowns DJ Premier from the GangStarr legacy. Fans and former associates of Guru were outraged, but Solar answered with this…
But how could Guru make the statement….if Guru was in a coma from mid-February until the day he passed away (Monday, April 19)?
Guru’s family released their own statement today, finally shedding light on Guru’s medical history, his recent struggles and ultimately, his cause of death. Their statement never addresses Solar’s grandstanding, but it makes one thing very clear. Someone is lying.
Read the full Elam Family statement after the jump…
UPDATE: Ciph and Rosenberg addressed this situation this morning on Hot97, and even played old interview clips from Guru and Solar….after the jump…
Guru’s sister Patricia Elam sent out this Elam family statement:
The Elam family wishes to thank the fans of our son/brother/father uncle/nephew/cousin Keith aka GURU for the outpouring of love, concern and support.
Our hearts are broken by the loss of someone we loved so much. GURU was devoted to his young son, who will most keenly feel his absence.
GURU suffered from multiple myeloma* for over a year. Accrued complications from this illness led to respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. As a result, GURU was in a coma from mid February until his death and never regained consciousness. Early on the morning of April 19th, he became hypertensive due to low blood pressure. He again went into cardiac arrest and slipped away from us.
GURU died far too young but he was, and we are, proud of all his many legendary musical contributions.
The family is not aware of any foundations established by GURU.* We know and understand that countless fans want to express their condolences and love and, to that end, we are planning a memorial event in the near future that will be all-inclusive. Please look for further details from the family as they become available.
from The Elam Family
(*multiple myeloma is a cancer of the plasma blood cells, ie. bone marrow cancer)
(**this refers to the “each one counts” foundation which Solar claims Guru was a part of. There is a legit non-profit by that name, but it was started by staff at Villanova University)
Related: Jon Caramanica wrote a very nice overview of Guru’s life and career in the NYTimes
UPDATE: Ciph and Rosenberg, prior to the family statement, breaking down the Solar x Guru dynamic, and playing audio clips of Solar saying that he wasn’t a fan of GangStarr back when Solar and Guru were promoting their last Jazzmatazz project. (download link)
Previously:
Rest In Peace, Guru: Legendary GangStarr MC dies of cancer, at age 43 (Updated)
Mr. Cee’s “Hot97 Throwback at Noon” Guru Tribute: A Tribute to Guru
April 21st, 2010 at 10:40 am
I think that settles it.
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April 21st, 2010 at 10:51 am
As much as i smh at Solar, smh to his other family/friends/associates for not stepping in & letting this type of foolishness to continue to this point.
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Miss Info Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 10:55 am
Solar had power of attorney. That means he has complete control over Guru’s affairs if Guru is unable to make decisions himself, which is obviously the case when in a coma.
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vcsom Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 11:07 am
Ok, point taken, but still. Really unfortunate and frustrating to hear first-account of events thru this Solar guy, who may or may not be genuine or manipulative while all signs point to the latter.
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YDLAFAMS Reply:
April 22nd, 2010 at 2:24 am
That’s when the ski masks, boomsticks, spray bottles with ammonia, kevlar gloves come out and you hunt down little black French dudes so you can “talk” things out. I’m not sayin’ nothin’ but I’m just sayin’. POA don’t mean nothin’ in the ‘hood when you come between family.
Lyss95 Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 11:51 am
Just to clarify to all…Power of Attorney ends when a person dies. There will have to be an executor or administrator appointed to handle Guru’s Estate. The family can contest this, and ask for it’s own executor if they can show just cause and it’s up to the court who gets appointed. Often times it’s an independent executor appointed who has nothing to do with profit or gain from the deceased. I believe in my opinion that the statement alone that Guru woke up out of his coma is the key. Medical professionals can claify this claim, and I believe they will. When was this letter supposedley written by Guru? Seems to me someone is trying to profit off of his death, and to me, that’s just sad… With that being said, let’s not let the outrageous, negative statements in the letter(whoever wrote them) overshadow the fact that Hip Hop and the world lost an incredible asset two days ago, and he will be sadley missed.
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Miss Info Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Great insight! thank you so much….quick question: Freddie Foxx is now tweeting that Solar will not allow Guru’s family access to Guru’s body. Is that allowable given what you said about the termination of the power of attorney upon death?
Lyss95 Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Wow what is wrong with this man??? Denying access to his family? Who is he afraid of?
Ok, I think it has to do with who is making the final arrangements. I’m not sure of the rules when it’s a high profile situation such as this. I’m sorry I really can’t clearly answer that question.
toldyouso Reply:
April 22nd, 2010 at 3:29 am
when you have a will you can have instructions on who and what you want to be done.So its possible that solar forged documents that claimed he has the final say about guru body Fact solar falsified documents fact freddie foxx is an og Krupt mob stand up So your tellng me in his dying days his only thought was to shit on premier? I wonder how much money solar got from the insurance and what gurus son got and the publishing and the rights to use his name and likeness …
Dan Reply:
April 22nd, 2010 at 1:03 pm
This Solar isn’t the French-African Solar who was featured on the first Jazzmatazz album. They’re two completely different people.
April 21st, 2010 at 10:52 am
kudos to you for raising questions from the get go and doing thorough reporting! it’s amazing how many outlets just ran with that letter without fact-checking it first. lazy journalists have given homeboy more power than he deserves, by simply taking him at his word.
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Miss Info Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 10:54 am
dunny, I was totally shocked reading some major news outlets yesterday. You and I know it was never like that before. It was always ask-first. I don’t get it. Especially Gil from MTV? He’s a seasoned reporter. It was bizarre.
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dunny Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 11:41 am
I know, terrible! You, Caramonica and Odub@ the LA Times[and even some of his facts were wrong] so far have been the only ones doing their job. I really respect that. Sadly, I think there are even more things that will come to light as the days and weeks go on. I just hope that the people who truly loved Guru & Gang Starr through thick and thin [not for ego or monetary gain] can come together at some point and pay tribute to a true, if troubled, artist.
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Miss Info Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 11:52 am
I never claimed to know the absolute truths in this, I just felt like we all were smart enough to see where there were gaping holes in the information being provided, and to question why that was. There was no reason for any working journalist to not preface Solar’s final statement from Guru with the word “claimed” or “alleged.” Everyone that read the statement got the weird vibe, so why not at least leave room for that. If MTV News says its a legit statement, or never even suggests that it could be illegitimate, then it does alot to confirm that it is to most people.
Then again, whats the point of even crowing about it. Mediatakeout is now part of AOL’s blog network. Their Beyonce is Prego “scoop” was cited on ABC news without any question.
Shit’s a wrap.
Nightfall Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 11:42 am
Sensationalism and the race to be the first on report an “exclusive” seems to be trumping the majority of good reporting/journalism.
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April 21st, 2010 at 10:56 am
This is all so sad.
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April 21st, 2010 at 10:58 am
Well we can always count on Info to get her facts straight before posting anything. I can appreciate that. And that letter was riddled with a lot of contradictions to begin with so Im glad the family released a statement. Because honestly what person would knowingly write such hateful things on thier deathbed? Most people try to make peace before they live this world. And if you suffer from a illness such as cancer for a long time, wouldn’t you mention that in your letter. But specifically what kind of cancer you had to bring awareness to that. I think Solar is full of ish and it will all come out soon. SMH
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April 21st, 2010 at 11:00 am
It’s sad that somebody felt like they had to MAKE UP something concerning a dead man.
Who is the Solar dude? I read the letter last night and it mentioned his name a bit too much for somebody who is just a friend.
And wouldn’t a dying man forgive Preemo for what ever it is he did wrong????
Dunno, sounds a lil shady
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April 21st, 2010 at 11:12 am
Honestly it’s not hard to take the bait when there are so many social networking sites, along with regular sites now a days, especially when you have credible (or so one thinks) sites like HipHopDX reporting the info.
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April 21st, 2010 at 11:14 am
Journalists from Yahoo,MTV,etc don’t care if the facts are straight because its just another story to them. And the only reason that they’re reporting it is because everyone else is.
And I cosign michelles comment.I feel the exact same way about the situation.
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April 21st, 2010 at 11:21 am
Nobody as far as I know believed that letter anyway. I mean why would he make it a point to say those things about preme on his death bed. Excuse me from a coma.
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April 21st, 2010 at 11:27 am
I read about this on the BBC website, they at first said “a letter purportedly written by Guru in his final days” but then went on to treat it as fact, even about his beef with Premier. Saying that Guru “was not prepared to let the matter drop from his death bed.” That’s great reporting, I only study journalism and even I did more research than the BBC.
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April 21st, 2010 at 11:38 am
WOW MM is no joke, my mother died from that 2 yrs ago… wow i had no idea he had multiple myloma
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April 21st, 2010 at 11:46 am
Solar is lying, Guru never made that supposedly last letter to his fans, family and friends….
For one the letter clearly states that Solar had power of attorney and he’s to make all decisions because he(guru) couldn’t make them for himself. Guru’s fam says Guru was in a coma until his passing right?? Now lets suppose that he wasn’t in a coma, how can someone who can’t make decisions for himself can write a final letter to everyone and also have so much animosity towards his ex-dj… Isn’t the point of dying to make peace with everything and everyone!!! But the point im making here is if your unable to take care of yourself how can you write a letter???? Things that make you go hmmmm!
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April 21st, 2010 at 11:53 am
i think solar gonna have to got to the wpp cause people dont like him in the east.
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April 21st, 2010 at 11:56 am
i mean ok lets say theirs for some reason y guru left everything to solar weather guru has had problems in his family or he doesnt trust his family or what ever,or maybe solar is lieing and is trying to steal everything guru has so his family doesnt get it,but again its hard to understand that guru talked to him to write that stuff while in a deep coma.people do mumble things while being in a coma but its mostly gibber jabber not all that stuff that solar said thats almost impossible im not all for the police i hate tham but i think they need to look into this cause this dude solar is doing sum creepy fishy things if that in fact what he is doing that everyone says hes doing is tru,but im about 85% sure that solar is up too sumthing cause if he wasent he would have done mad interviews and show proff of his claims.were ever guru is in the sky or what ever have you i hope hes well and more happy.
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April 21st, 2010 at 12:14 pm
Wow. This is on some high level snake shit.
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April 21st, 2010 at 12:14 pm
isn’t Guru’s dad or somebody a big district judge or something? Imagine the moxie to try to get over on somebody w/ those type of legal connections…
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Tochi Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 12:41 pm
seriously. WTF is really going on here?
I honestly don’t care anymore. How do I even know Guru is dead for sure? or didn’t pass away 2 months ago?
There’s just too much speculation.
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April 21st, 2010 at 12:15 pm
It always seems as if people make amends and peace towards the end. This guy Solar would not not even allow Guru the diginity of that.
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April 21st, 2010 at 12:23 pm
The Gza said it best; “It’s a huge loss when we lose a brother to the cells or coffin”. Gangstarr is underground hip hop at its finest. For all those who don’t have No more MR. Nice Guy to The Owners, do yourself and your kids a favor and pick up every Gangstarr album. It is our (the people who love hip-hop(not rappers)) duty to teach our children what hip hop is.
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Orangestar Happy Hunting Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 3:26 pm
“It is our (the people who love hip-hop(not rappers)) duty to teach our children what hip hop is”
well put, yes it is, cause so many younger folk haven’t a clue…”souls they sell to have mass appeal” “but never know the meaning of raw”
yeah young!!!!
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April 21st, 2010 at 12:48 pm
and also out of kno were to not let his mom or dad see him before his death while he had a little bit of life left in him is really foul sick and twisted.even if guru said those things to block someones family to not see their son before his death is somethimg out of his world,an its like solar wants gurus contracks under solars name cause they way he talked about premo was kinda weird dude.they need to get the old school goons and snach solar up and question him in the hiphop question room and what kind of beef did guru have with premo anyways ???never new their was one i kno they slit but just thought guru wanted dif beats u no
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April 21st, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Vultures feed on the dead and in my opinion that is what Solar is doing. This is the lowest form of vermin. He won’t even allow this man to rest in peace without trying to advance his own self-centered agenda to profit from tragedy. I can tell you that if he ever comes around the way in ENY there’s going to be problems for him. I only hope that someone catches him slippin’ and there are no cameras present and he’s dealt with accordingly. R.I.P. Keith “Guru” Elam and condolences to the Elam family. Hip-Hop let’s handle this disrespect!!!
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Miss Info Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 1:40 pm
I don’t agree that violence is the solution.
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Uptop Don Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 5:15 pm
nah Info…i digg the ghandi,mlk outlook on this but if it goes down as ugly as i forsee it going down…an asswhoopin, AT THE VERY LEAST is in order! word to what just blaze tweeted…dude needs to find witness protection program asap!
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DJ OhsoKool Reply:
April 21st, 2010 at 11:11 pm
“Got lost in Brooklyn so you had to lose it, just for frontin you got that ass waxed”
“When the East is in the house you should come equipped..”
- Jeru The Damaga
I doubt S-lar has any reason to come here to ENY at this point, and no violence is not the solution BUT; if he did get his ass waxed in ENY?.. I’d understand, and probably applaud.
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April 21st, 2010 at 1:42 pm
DJ Premier on TimWestwood a few days ago.
http://www.youtube.com/timwestwoodtv
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April 21st, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Miss info thanx 4 putting up that link to Mr.Cee’s tribute…dope
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April 21st, 2010 at 2:07 pm
With all due respect, but I don’t think anything’s settled. As far as we know solar apparently did not allow family access to see Guru in hospital (according to previous reports). If this is so, how do they know he was in a coma till the end? What if Solar DID just follow orders? What if Guru DID pen the letter/s? What if there’s way more to this mess than what we think is up? Of course, things are looking off-beat, but we have NO info on the REAL inside scoop. just sayin’..I’ll suspend judgement till I know more.
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April 21st, 2010 at 3:05 pm
This is just simply sad.
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April 21st, 2010 at 3:05 pm
Foul on Solar if he pulled shade on a supposed friend.
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April 21st, 2010 at 4:51 pm
Ay, Solar if your reading this…they got special places in hell for people like you.
With that being said i have seen people in there death bed whether it was family or not. And i have never seen a person from my personal experience . Just try to exile a friend or family member during there final moments or days of breathing. Usually the first i have seen them do is try to make amends whether they was right or wrong. By the kinda of guy Guru presented himself to be. I can’t imagine half of what Solar is saying to be true.
Lets pretend for a moment if Guru did say that right? As his best friend and his power of attorney he should’ve know better then to release such a statement. When people are grieving and still are confuse about most of the situation. A real bestfriend would have at least ask that Guru rewrite it the statement without such disrespect.
Solar nothing but a spineless coward that continues to hide behind legal red tape and selfish motivated thoughts.
PS- Guru wasn’t even coincious during the whole duration of his time in the hospital?…
(No disrespect intended) I didn’t know dead men can talk …
GAMEOVER
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April 21st, 2010 at 7:05 pm
To be in a coma for some time puts a strain on your body, especially your throat to speak after having a tube removed after 2 months……..1) The brain has to reset your muscles, vocal cords need about 2-3 weeks to regain their form from humming to pitch 2) The disease itself takes so much from you. Your energy and focus let alone to dictate a letter that speaks (in my opinion) only about DJ premo and fundraiser is fishy. Think people as much pain he was in to wake up and dictate a I hate you so much deathbed letter without mentioning the ones you loved outside of the music biz is crazy. But as a fan of his music that spoke on the level of POSITIVITY and to think the last words from him seem to be NEGATIVE disturbs me. LET HIM R.I.P.
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April 21st, 2010 at 8:16 pm
I can’t see anyone, particularly a stand-up guy like Guru, usin a deathbed statement to keep a beef with Primo goin beyond the grave. Salute the God, and nuff respect to his family for the response.
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April 22nd, 2010 at 1:41 am
Solar, you have dug yourself a very VERY BIG Hole. Greed and envy of Primo ate at you so much (he is an impossible act to follow) that you come to this. You are the new cat forever living in Primo’s shadow and you will NEVER be part of true HIP HOP. You must have forgotten some of the Heavy Dudes and Real Goons that Goo used to hang with, not to mention his esteemed family members. I see pain in your future. I can think of at least 5 people who would give you some free sleep on sight and give a &*%! about the consequences. I’m not saying violence is the answer, but people grieving a great loss can do rash things, people who manipulate the helpless are not welll recieved and GURU was loved by MILLIONS of people including this goon right here.
Good luck.
GANG STARR forever
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April 22nd, 2010 at 2:40 am
Gangstarr Forever! RIP Guru… You are an OG in the Game and your legacy carries on Above the Clouds with Mass Appeal for the Code of the Streets… 4.20 will never be the same!
The West Coast and especially LA has mad love and respect for Guru and Primo…
We Love Gangstarr and DJ Premier Loves Guru and your anthology as a group and as individuals speaks for itself!
My condolences to the family and his child
Anything and anybody else is irrelevant at this point!
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April 22nd, 2010 at 6:45 am
QQn… I am just relating the FACTS!
It appears Solar is hiding a lot! and may have even blackmailed Guru into making him Power of Attorney as a way of not exposing their “Relationship” and the TRUE nature of Guru’s illness. PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING…
AIDS-Related Virus Linked To Common Bone Marrow Cancer MULTIPLE MYELOMA.
Researchers with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have identified a surprising culprit – an AIDS associated virus – which could play a critical role in triggering multiple myeloma, a malignant tumor found in bone marrow.
There is indeed a relationship between multiple myeloma and HIV. HIV stimulates the immune system. When the immune system is stimulated, it can on occasion take off in a cancerous fashion. Myeloma is a cancer of the cell that produces antibodies.
VA researchers believe the virus, Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), causes the bone marrow cancer by infecting non-malignant cells. The discovery has implications for therapy, prevention, and a possible cure for the disease.
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April 22nd, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Lets forget all the BS. One of the most conscious rapper that ever lived is dead. There will never be another Guru. Preemo, you handle every thing like a man is suppose to via your response. I will always have mad respect for Preemo and Goo! Take care Preemo and RIP Guru!!!
San Jose, CA
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June 29th, 2011 at 6:48 am
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