By Ismael AbduSalaam
Although two months removed from their latest effort (Guru 8.0: Lost and Found), former Gangstarr frontman Guru and producer Solar are just getting warmed up in promoting the LP through a world tour.
Marketing themselves as the “#1 Hip-Hop/Jazz act on the planet,” the group has recently completed shows in Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, and London.
While the reception back home has been mixed, Guru explained that their experimental sound has been enthusiastically embraced overseas.
"Every concert on the tour has been sold out. This is considerably the biggest world tour of any independent Hip-Hop act/label this year,” Guru detailed. "Our killer Hip-Hop/Jazz set produced by Solar has consistently proven without a doubt that we have the best Hip-Hop/Jazz show on the planet."
Building on an audience first cultivated over a decade ago with the Jazzmatazz series, Guru elaborated that the duo’s fans reflect the diverse influences heard in the music.
"The cool thing was that our audience is so vastly mixed and includes many 7 Grand supporters of varied ages, generations and backgrounds," Guru stated. "We work our show so that no one is left out. Whether you're into straight ahead Jazz, Pop, R&B or Hip-Hop, there's a musical experience for everybody. This is Hip-Hop/Jazz in its purest blend."
Even with these various blends of music and culture, Solar clarified that the foundation of the music remains and will always be Hip-Hop.
"Our goal with 7 Grand is to continue to be vital catalyst in keeping Real Hip-Hop alive for the future by bridging the generation gap and blending genres," Solar explained. "My partner Guru is known for his groundbreaking Jazzmatazz album series where he collaborated with the likes of Chaka Khan, Herbie Hancock, Isaac Hayes, Erykah Badu, The Roots, Macy Gray and David Sanborn, so we've raised the bar for Hip-Hop musically and we do that on-stage as well."
Overseas fans can catch Guru and Solar on these remaining European tour dates:
Haarlem, Netherlands (July 16 - Patranaat)
Berlin, Germany(July 17 - Astra) Stockholm,
Sweden (July 18 – Stockholm International Jazz Festival)