Step in the Arena

Step In The Arena is the second album and major label debut album by legendary New York hip hop duo Gang Starr. The duo’s first release on the Chrysalis label, it is not only one of the group’s most acclaimed albums, but also considered to be among the greatest rap albums of all time. Its blend of Guru’s complex rhymes, diverse urban themes and DJ Premier’s raw production helped to define the 1990s gritty underground hip hop scene.

The album was supported by the singles “Just to Get a Rep,” “Who’s Gonna Take the Weight?,” “Lovesick,” and “Step in the Arena.” The album was critically acclaimed, earning the #1 spot on IGN’s list of the Top 25 Rap Albums and it was featured on The Source’s list of the Top 100 Rap Albums of All Time

In an interview with HipHopDX, DJ Premier talked about his production inspiration:

Step In The Arena is real important to me ‘cause it’s my first album that I produced the entire thing on my own without any help on the drum machine. So that’s very sentimental.

Guru was saying that I have to do more than just deejay on the records and do scratches. He said, “Just scratching on the records is not enough to get you paid half the money.” So that’s when I was like, “Well what else I gotta do?” He said, “You gotta make the beats, by yourself.” And I was like, “Alright. Well let me start practicing.”

Since we lived together, I used to just practice everyday – just looping on turntables the parts that I wanted. And I’d mark the records and set ‘em aside. Then when it came down to getting it crackin’ [for the Step In The Arena album], and we finally got a budget – ‘cause we had just left Wild Pitch Records [after No More Mr. Nice Guy] and got a budget with Chrysalis Records – I was able to now really, really work on my craft.