Here’s a video press kit for Gang Starr’s Step In the Arena. Serving as the follow up to their debut album No More Mr. Nice Guy, Step In The Arena is where Gang Starr’s sound was truly established.
In their cover story from The Source’s April 1994 issue written by Ronni Ro, DJ Premier says “I really look at Step in the Arena as the first album. I look at No More Mister Nice Guy as almost just a demo, an introduction ‘cause it was just the beginning and stuff really hadn’t evolved.”
The group is well known for their usage of Premier’s Jazz samples and Guru’s street narratives as heard on the “Just to Get a Rep.” Guru explains “‘Just to Get a Rep’ deals with the subject that’s universal to a lot of big cities, urban environments, around the country, around the world that’s of young people trying to do something just for a reputation, brothers out there they’re looking for a way to get out.”
This album was given 3.5 mics in The Source’s February 1991. “Step In The Arena” is like, for us it means step into our musical format, in to our atmosphere,” Guru says.
-Joe-Louis Mccray
Check out the video press kit below: