Group Home – The Realness from raised fist propaganda on Vimeo.

Group Home featuring Blackadon & Black (of Brainsick Mob), produced by Cash Flow. Directed by Jeff Pliskin.

DJ Premier Blog gets the drop on the title track to Group Home’s upcoming Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal LP.

LISTEN: Group Home – “G.U.R.U.” (feat. Jeru The Damaja) (MP3)

Group Home – “G.U.R.U.” (feat. Jeru The Damaja) (MP3)

Lil’ Dap and Melachi The Nutcracker, known to DJ Premier disciples as the dynamic duo Group Home, will be dropping their new album titled “Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal” on September 28th. This dedication to the legendary lyricist GURU, who left this level of existence on April 19th, will feature Lord Jamar of Brand Nubian, Jeru The Damaja, and Guru himself on a special unreleased track.

Gang Starr Foundation duo consisting of Lil Dap & Melachi the Nutcracker are back with a brand new album for the 2010!! This came out of nowhere considering the fact we haven’t heard from these guys in about a decade. Turns out, Melachi the Nutcracker just got out of jail, after being locked up for about ten years or so. The album is slated to drop towards the end of September and will be called “Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal”. Fitting name in ode to the recent passing of Guru from Gang Starr. Hopefully they will get some DJ Premier tracks and that it comes out correct.

Where one would see Primo’s absence as a detriment, Lil Dap & Melachi buckle up and use it to their advantage. Without Primo to relay on this Brooklyn based tag-team is forced to show their own merit, and in the process use their distinctive flows to squash any ideology that they were merely riding the coattail’s of hip-hop’s producer extrordinaire.

The LP’s blazing preamble “Tear Shit Down” sets the tone for the Group Homes resurgence in two very important ways. First, it is a statement that Agallah is more then up to the challenge of filling Primo’s shoes. Handling a majority of the production chores, Agallah provides GH an assemblage of basic, yet utterly efficient beats to breakdown. While not as esteemed as the man he is supplanting, Agallah’s production serves as the LP’s backbone, and an unwavering source of consistency for the duration of this project. Second, “Tear Shit Down” is one of many tracks handled exclusively by Lil Dap, which is a surprisingly recurring theme throughout. While the GH is better represented when Dap’s raspy voice is interwoven/punctuated with the Nutcracker’s under appreciated flow, Dap proves a worthy solo threat. Showing maturation not only as an emcee, but as an enlightened ghetto philosopher, Dap peels through a cluster of equality driven tracks “Keep Rising”, “Street Life” & “Game Recognize Game”. Although a non-participant for almost half of the disc’s tracks, Melachi gets off when afforded the opportunity, as he and his partner in rhyme bludgeoning the rugged, Alchemist  (keeps cranking out bangers) blessed “Stupid MF’s”. Proving that life is the ultimate teacher, Dap & Melachi show how time has refined their outlook, “Make It In Life” & “Oh Sweet America”. In a show of solidarity, Guru and Premier revitalize their previous bond with “The Legacy”, while Guru also chimes in for a Brooklyn bounce session “Be Like That”, which jacks Ice Cube’s “Ghetto Bird”.

While Dap & Melachi are minimalist poets, and their styles are far from complicated, both show a confident swagger that went unnoticed on their debut. The Group Home have not only returned, they have resurrected their careers, sometimes you never realize how much a group is missed, until they remind you.