Rapper Keith “Guru” Elam best known as part of the Legendary Gangstarr rap group, has passed away on Monday, April 19 after a long battle with cancer. He was 43 years old.
Solar, Guru’s partner, expressed sadness over the loss and sent this statement to All Hip Hop:
“The world has lost one of the best MCs and Hip-Hop icons of all-time — my loyal best friend, partner, and brother.
Guru has been battling cancer for well over a year and has lost his battle! This is a matter that Guru wanted private until he could beat it, but tragically, this did not happen. The cancer took him. Now the world has lost a great man and a true genius. [ SOURCE ]
CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST DOROTHY HEIGHT DIES
Dorothy Height, who as longtime president of the National Council of Negro Women was the leading female voice of the 1960s civil rights movement in the United States, died Tuesday. She was 98.
Height died at 3:41 a.m., said Howard University Hospital spokesman Ron Harris. No cause of death was given.
Height was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994 by President Clinton and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004. She was among a handful of key African-American leaders to meet with Obama at the White House recently for a summit on race and the economy.
my condolences to the family of the honorable Ms. Dorothy Height. A beacon of light in the civil rights movement and a champion for woman’s rights. I was honored to have met Ms. Height several years ago and she carried herself with the pride and grace of a true black woman. So today I honor her and what she has done fo…r me… personally, my people and my gender. May she rest in peace. ♥
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Wow two icons gone. RIP to both.
Rest In Peace Guru…, always were and always will be one of the true conscious rappers
Rest in Peace!!! The Good Ones Go FIRST.
Much respect to both, Rest In Peace
Does anyone know what type of cancer? I ask not to be a voyer but to note that cancer is not a disease we should believe can happened at an older age. He was only 43, we need to be viligant. Too many people are succumbing to this awful disease we all need to do something. God rest his soul and the thousands of people battling the disease.
Dorothy Height was a beautiful woman. She was the President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporate from 1946-1957. Soror Height contributed a lot to not only Delta but the black community. You will be greatly missed, but your legacy will continue. OO-OOOP!
“Greatness is not measured by what a man or a woman accomplishes, but by the opposition he or she has overcome to reach his goals.” ~ Dorothy Irene Height.
Rip Fellow Bostonian & Rip Ms. Dorothy Heights!
Dororthy Irene Height was the 10th National President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., helping to shape it into what it is today by leading us into civil rights activism! oooooo-ooop to my soror!
MUCH RESPECT TO BOTH AND RIP BUT IM LYIN IF IM SAYIN THAT PIC OF THAT WOMAN DIDNT SCARE ME A BIT WASNT EXPECTIN TO SEE AN OLD LADY
RIP, Dorothy Height.
RIP, to Guru and Dorothy Heights. Both Legendary.
Guru, was so young, and he will truly be missed. I admire his courage to keep his illness to those closest to him, as he continued his battle against cancer.
Guru R.I.P.
Rest in peace Guru, you were one of the best rappers out of the late 80′s and 90′s. Your genius will play on…
Much respect and condolences out to both families. May God comfort them, and may their souls RIP…
I’ve never heard of this rapper/rap group before. I have also never heard of Dorothy Height, but then again I was never a member of any sorority group. At least Ms Height lived a long life. RIP.
R.I.P SOROR DOROTHY HEIGHT
A GREAT LADY OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INC.
BUT ALSO A GREAT WOMEN PERIOD THAT WOMEN ALL OVER SHOULD ASPIRE TO BE LIKE! SHE WILL BE MISSED
Wow…such sad news about Guru God bless his family. Also blessings to Dorothy Height’s family. How wonderful to live such a long and productive life knowing that you’ve contributed so much to help our community. We need more people like her in our world today.
R.I.P. to both Guru and Dorothy.
It was a pleasure to have met Dorothy Height in New Orleans in July of 2009. I will always remember when she said, “Women may not always do what they WANT to do, but they will always do what they HAVE to do.”
God Bless…
R.I.P…. Sad times
that is sad
thank u GURU:)..thank u DOROTHY
u will be missed….
Not to be disrespectful but I didn’t know guru was gay… Rip to both
Blessings to Dorothy Height’s family , a Powerful Black Leader for all .
God Bless both families…I thought that for a while Guru was doing better…
I NEVER JOINED A SORORITY EITHER BUT I STILL KNOW WHO DOROTHY HEIGHT IS.
SHE WASN’T JUST INVOLVED WITH DELTA SIGMA THETA SHE WAS A CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SHE HELPED PAVE THE WAY FOR ALL OF THESE PEOPLE EVERYONE STANS FOR ON THIS SITE. IT’S SAD TO ME PEOPLE HAVE NEVER HEARD OF SOME OF THE GREATEST CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS BUT CAN TELL YOU BEYONCE’S ENTIRE LIFE STORY. SMH.
R.I.P. DOROTHY HEIGHT MUCH RESPECT AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE. THE STRUGGLE IS FAR FROM OVER BUT MUCH EASIER FOR MY GENERATION THANKS TO PEOPLE LIKE YOU.
R.I.P. TO GURU AS WELL. I WAS A BIG FAN.
SIDE NOTE: WE CAN PUT A MAN ON THE MOON BUT WE CAN’T CURE CANCER? WHERE IS ALL THE MONEY GOING THAT IS SUPPOSEDLY GOING TOWARDS RESEARCH?
Rest in peace to both of our legends.
@ lkeu
It said dorothy height dies @ 98 but you weren’t expecting to see an old lady? wtf?
Condolences to both families.
OO-OOOPPPP Soror RIP, Thank you for your years of service to this nation, RIP, Guru, one of the best to ever do it.
R.I.P to both families, I really shocked about Guru though. I dont understand what went on with him and dj premier because he stated in a letter before he died he did not want premier to be involved in any tribute to him. Did any one else read that letter that was put out?
@LOL: Well it’s easier to know and tell people like Beyonce’s life story because she’s everywhere .. people like Dorothy Height are not out there like Beyonce so like CIRCA – I don’t think I’ve heard of her either.
–
I only know who Guru is because of the somewhat drama going on about his family not being able to see him in the past .. other than that I really don’t know any of his songs and didn’t know he existed until like two months ago. Sad though.
@ Ms Wade: Yes, I read that also. He also said that he didn’t want DJ Premier to be able to go on and use the name Gang Starr to tour or make more music (something to that effect).
RIP to both!!
I had the pleasure of meeting Dorothy Height. I met her and C. Delores Tucker at the same time in my hometown of Washington DC. I was 14yrs old (1994) I didn’t know exactly who they were except that C. Delores Tucker didn’t like Tupac (lol) . Ms. Height smiled at me and told me to look them both up. Then Ms. Tucker instructed her assistant to give me her information. She told me she wanted to hear from me within a week. I called her and she remembered me, she right them asked me what I had found out about her and Ms Dorothy Height, I began explaining. I was amazed at the things I learned from meeting them both. The world has lost an amazing person..
I feel for the generation coming up after me. Who will tell them to “look it up” and learn about our great leaders. The person above said it right ” they know Beyonce” you should know a great civil rights activist. And to correct the above person that said “Beyonce is everywhere”. For a 98yr old women Ms. Height was everywhere from charity events, gala’s, summits, participating in forums, ect..
Elevate people!!! we can’t move forward as one unless we know and understand our past..
Rest in Peace to the deceased…
What kind of cancer was it? I googled but all reports just say cancer. In this day and age what is the shame in revealing what type of cancer it is? Knowing what cancer it is could help other black men with the awareness.
Back in the day people used to say “cancer” when it was really aids.
we lost 2 legends no doubt.my prayers go out to the families.i feel so honored to have been born during a time to to have seen the awesome work both of these amazing people gave to black culture
they will be missed for sure
@ 33
It was probably prostate cancer. That seems to be common among black men.
@33 you sound ignorant. Do you believe he was gay and died of HIV/AIDS?
Both legends, RIP.
Sad, R.I.P All this money all these so call smart people, no cure for cancer. Both families are in my prayers.
So sorry to hear about Guru RIP to a great MC
I know i said this in the previous thread, before this one was up…. Have to say it again, R.I.P GURU and Dorothy Height. Gone but Never forgotten. My prayers go out to both families. I still can’t believe Guru was fighting with cancer for a little over a year. So sad.
Thank you Dorothy Height for fighting for our rights. Respect to anyone who gives that much of a damn to give up their life to fight for others. Not too many are brave enough to do so.
Thank you Guru for giving us Hip Hop classics with DJ Premiere. One of the best to do it and never got the props you deserved while alive.
You both will be missed
@ Real Talk
When somebody dies, you don’t say certain things right after the person dies. Didn’t your mother and grandmother tell you about that? smdh
@27
DID U THINK ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY FOR ME NOT TO SEE THE TITLE? I WAS IN ANOTHER TOPIC AND WHEN I CLICKED REFRESHED ‘HOME’ I JUST SCROWLED DOWN TO SEE THE NEWZ CONCERNIN GURU. DIDNT SEE THIS WOMAN WAS ALSO THERE. SO QUICK TO JUDGE.
Wow R.I.P to all…. I don’t know what kind of cancer he had, but I heard that Guru had AIDS…. what many people don’t realize is that there is a cancer that is caused by AIDS, it was how AIDS was discovered initially as oncologists were encountering a type of “deadly” cancer …. many people, tell everyone that it’s cancer, because it is, in a sense, but the root cause of the cancer is AIDS!
Much RESPECT to Dorothy Heights what a lost….like someone said above Thank You! Thank you for fighting for us
I’m also sadden by hearing about Guru….R I P brotha …..I luv, luv! him as an artist for real… I still listen to the music to this day! that’s timeless…. from the ex girl to the next girl…next…much respect to him as well.
Who cares!!! My boyfriend thinks the same with me. He- is eight years older than me, lol. We met online at an age gap dating site[_www. A G E R O M A N C E com_]—a nice and free place for Younger- Women and Older Men, or Older Women and Younger Men, to interact with each other. Maybe you wanna check out or- tell your friends
—I see people asking why man can’t find a cure for cancer, AIDS and disease…!
—It’s not like money and research can perform miracles. Breakthroughs in medicine
—and science come when God allows them to come. We can’t buy or research our
—-way out of the mess we got into when Adam sinned. Only God can cure the
—-things that kill us. And, as a just God, I don’t believe he will cure cancer as long
—-as we smoke and drink. He won’t cure SDTs a long as people are promiscuous.
—-He won’t cure birth defects as long as we have “baby mammas”. He won’t end
—-world hunger as long as we are greedy. He won’t end war as long as men hate
—-and discriminate. He won’t cure obesity and diabetes as long as we gorge
—-ourselves while others go hungry. He won’t cure ignorance as long as we don’t
—-study to shew ourselves approved. He won’t end Nuclear proliferation as long as
—-people lack vision and compassion. God will heal the world in His own time and
—-no amount of money is gonna change that. He said, “If my people, which are
—-called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and
—-turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin,
—-and will heal their land.” The best thing we can do is come clean. It has become
—-common practice for celebrities to state the cause of death as something other
—-than what it really is. They say it was cancer or heart failure or pneumonia or
—-respitory distress syndrome. I’m suprized no one has thought to use H1N1. I wish
—-I could have said all this after he RIP, but the CL topic will be gone by morning.
@Meat, Wow! How true is all that you just said! Thank you!!
R.I.P. to both and may they rest in peace but I have an honest question and I hope no one takes this the wrong way….the message left by Guru’s best friend says that he was his “partner.” Was he his business partner or his lifetime partner (lover)? I hope I’m not out-of-pocket for asking this but I just want some clarification. Thank you so much.
RIP to both legendary people in our community.
Rest In Peace, Guru and Dorothy Height. <3
OK WHY IS EVERYONE ACTING AS IF GURU COULDN’T BE GAY??? IT DOES HAPPEN PEOPLE. IN FACT THERE ARE MANY MANY MANY OTHERS THAT YOU WOULD NEVER SUSPECT IN THE HIP HOP COMMUNITY AND BEYOND. IT DOESN’T TAKE AWAY FROM THE FACT THAT HE WAS TALENTED AND WILL BE MISSED.
@ Lkeu
& you are so quick to always want to pop off. Simmer down and release the caps lock. It isn’t about you right now.
Thank you so much Mr. Dorothy Height for paving the way for us. May you rest in peace and your legacy will live on. @meat you better preach!! So true what you said. I don”t know the Hip artist but my condolences go out to both families.
Why didnt Guru just put it in a will and an advance directive. I mean your last letter should be more about other things. It made you think he may have had some unsettled issues in his heart, which is not good right before death. AIDS or cancer, who really knows. You can be gay if you choose, just not good thing to meet God and be gay or with any other active sin like that.
It doesnt matter what people say is an okay lifestyle to live because people didnt create people in the sense of human beings, God did. God tells us what’s a right and wrong lifestyle and it is our choice but we lose when we choose the wrong one. God is God, not people. And he left a Good Book so no one can guess at it.
Wow what a terrible loss. My heart really goes out to the families of Guru & Dorothy Height (OO-OOOPPPP Soror!) You were truly a blessing!
THANK YOU….RIP
I am very disturbed at some of the comments on Guru. It’s sad that he is no longer here, but more disturbing is that people are still ignorant like it’s 1980 or something, people waket the f&*k up. Aids is not a homosexual disease anymore, anyone homosexual or heterosexual can contract this deadly disease. That’s why it kill me some broad can go on Maury show and have 10 guys being tested to see if they fathered her baby and no one thinks about the fact that these folks can and I’m sure alot are passing around Hiv and Aids. Folks need to wake up, I’m sure he (Guru) meant his business partner. Rip GURU and Dorothy Height….
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