Gang Starr‘s 1994 masterpiece Hard To Earn is set to be reissued on vinyl as part of UMe’s Vinylphyle series. The album, which features the all-time cut “Mass Appeal,” has been remastered on 2LP 180g vinyl and features liner notes from Eddie “Stats” Houghton.
Each Vinylphyle release is pressed at the world-class audiophile vinyl record pressing plant RTI, and packaging seeks to honor the impact of these albums with new liner notes, tip-on wrapped gatefold jackets, and more.
Gang Starr, the duo of Guru and DJ Premier, were already at the top of their game when they released their fourth album, 1994’s Hard to Earn. It followed two other iconic, undeniable golden age classics, 1990’s Step In the Arena and 1992’s Daily Operation. Upon its release, Hard to Earn was a certified smash, charting within the top 25 on the Billboard 200 and landing at No.2 on the rap chart.
While celebrating the 25th anniversary of the album back in 2019, the legendary DJ Premier spoke with Billboard about how the album came to be. He dove into the sonics and production of the project, noting that he and Guru wanted to establish a new direction on the album. When asked about what came to mind 25 years later, Premier said: “The change in my sound, because we were always categorized as only using jazz samples. It seemed like the media at that time was pigeonholing us into, almost like James Gandolfini playing Tony Soprano — like, where you could see him in any other movie, and he’s still Tony Soprano.
“Guru was the reason why [his collaborative solo series] Jazzmatazz was born, because he always said that he wanted to protect the Gang Starr name and brand by showing that the versatility lies in Gang Starr, where Jazzmatazz has a certain focus. And that’s why I said, ‘Well, you know what? You do that project, and I’ll stick with producing on the side’ — and then we always reunite to do another album.”
Buy the Vinylphyle edition of Gang Starr’s Hard To Earn here.
