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Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates - Ta-Nehisi Coates is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues for TheAtlantic.com and the magazine. He is the author of the memoir The Beautiful Struggle. More

Born in 1975, the product of two beautiful parents. Raised in West Baltimore—not quite The Wire, but sometimes ill all the same. Studied at the Mecca for some years in the mid-’90s. Emerged with a purpose, if not a degree. Slowly migrated up the East Coast with a baby and my beloved, until I reached the shores of Harlem. Wrote some stuff along the way.

Some Preliminary Word On Guru

By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Mar 3 2010, 10:00 AM ET Comment

That word is that he's alive and expected to recover.

This news gives me a chance to rock one of my all-time favorite Gang-Starr cuts. It's funny, I remember reading a piece in The Source (by Chairman Mao, if I recall) on Premier, before this album came out. In the interview Premier touted this new Gang Starr joint with Jodeci. I remember think, "Damn, now Gang Starr done sold out too." Heh. Jodeci never sounded so hood.

I was in college when this came out, and amongst the shout-outs to the corner-bangers, I really appreciated hearing, "Whether you be in school, or in the libary\Wherever you are Baby Pah, realize that your essence is divine son\And let it shine son..." This is one of those joints that got me up in the morning and on that shuttle from Meridian.



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