Guru is an alternative rapper, best known for his pioneering work in the fusion of jazz and rap. He got his start in Gang Starr and built up a sizable following by 1993, when he released his first solo album, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1. The album featured collaborations Donald Byrd, N'Dea Davenport , MC Solaar and Roy Ayers, while his second LP, , featured Ramsey Lewis, Branford Marsalis and Jamiroquai. Though the Jazzmatazz albums were commonly considered some of the best rap in the early 1990s, Guru's reputation suffered slightly with the mixed reviews of Streetsoul (2000) and Baldhead Slick & Da Click (2001).