Boston rapper Guru and Texas producer DJ Premier came together in late-'80s New York and spent the next decade-plus defining '90s East Coast hip-hop. Early cuts like "Take It Personal" found Premier flipping a Skull Snaps breakbeat to gritty effect while Guru's relaxed monotone camouflaged his straight-ahead honesty. Songs like "Mass Appeal" bridged the gap between music and noise, spray-painting a rattling sonic backdrop that reflected modern urban life. By 2003, the jagged sample and hard-hitting drums on "Rite Where U Stand" proved the duo as coolly innovative as they were in their early days.