Guru aka Keith Elam, one-half of the hip-hop duo Gang Starr, is reportedly in critical condition after suffering cardiac arrest. He is currently in a coma and awaiting surgery at a New York hospital. Guru and DJ Premier formed one of hip-hop's most enduring groups, mixing intelligent rhymes with jazz-sample beats. Together, they released six critically acclaimed records, the last one being 2003's battle rap-heavy The Ownerz. I still remember listening to Gang Starr's "You Know My Steez" for the first time in junior high. At the time, I was listening to a lot of garbage, but one chance encounter with Guru's smooth, monotone delivery and Premier's uncanny production style got me hooked to what I missed during the heyday of nineties hip-hop music. Guru always rapped with wisdom and intelligence, delivering hard-boiled battle raps as well as positive, spiritual messages. Even while doing so, he never sounded like he was proselytizing or being smug. "We had the right idea in the beginning. And we just need to maintain our focus and elevate. We what we do we update our formulas. We have certain formulas but we update 'em (oh right) with the times and everything y'know? So y'know the rhyme style is elevated, the style of beats is elevated, but it's still Guru and Premier. And it's always a message involved." Prayers go out to Guru, his friends and his family.