Step in the Arena explained

Step in the Arena
Type:	Studio album
Artist:	Gang Starr
Cover:	Stepinthearena.jpg
Released:	1990 (liner notes) January 15, 1991 (commercial release)
Studio:	Calliope Productions in New York, New York Firehouse Studios in Brooklyn, New York Such-A-Sound Studio in Brooklyn, New York
Genre:	East Coast hip hop
Length:	50:37
Label:	Chrysalis EMI 0946 3 21798 2 1 F2-21798
Producer:	DJ Premier Guru
Prev Title:	No More Mr. Nice Guy
Prev Year:	1989
Next Title:	Daily Operation
Next Year:	1992

Step in the Arena is the second studio album by hip hop duo Gang Starr, printed as a 1990 release,^[1] and commercially released on January 15, 1991. In 2007, it was named the greatest hip hop album of all time by IGN.^[2] HipHopDX called it "the album that cemented Gang Starr as a timeless tag team."^[3]

Background

Filmmaker Spike Lee was a fan of Gang Starr's debut No More Mr. Nice Guy, particularly the song "Jazz Music". As Lee was filming Mo' Better Blues at the time of the album's release, he felt the duo needed to expand on the song's theme - which became the single "Jazz Thing". Lee introduced them to a poem written by Lolis Eric Elie, which group member Guru converted to a rap, as the poem didn't rhyme. The song caught the attention of Chrysalis Records, who offered them a deal based on "Jazz Thing". However, DJ Premier said the label had gotten the wrong idea of the group, stating: "When they signed us, they thought we were going to do records like "Jazz Thing" all the time. When we were just doing that for Mo' Better Blues".^[4]

Critical reception

In his review for The Source, Reef wrote: "Step in the Arena stands alone on a musical level, yet it also remains true to hip-hop's underground heritage."

Legacy

In addition to IGN.com and HipHopDX's accolades, Step in the Arena was featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.^[5] In 1998, it was included in The Sources "100 Best Albums" list.^[6]

In popular culture

The song "Who's Gonna Take the Weight" was remixed by DJ Premier for use in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV.^[7] "Step In the Arena" was on the video games Skate It and Skate 2,^[8] and "Just to Get a Rep" was on .^[9]

Personnel

• Guru – rapping, production, mixing
• DJ Premier – beats, scratching, production, mixing
• Lisle Leete – piano, engineering
• Shlomo Sonnenfeld – engineering
• Yoram Vazam – engineering
• Howie Weinberg – mastering
• Marc Cozza – art direction, design
• Rick Patrick – logo

Charts

Singles

Year	Song	Chart position
		Hot Rap Singles
1990	"Just to Get a Rep"	5
1991	"Who's Gonna Take The Weight?"	9
	Lovesick	11
	"Step In The Arena"	5

Notes and References

1. Per album liner notes.
2. Web site: Top 25 Hip Hop Albums—Music Feature at IGN.
3. Web site: Paul. Arnold. TIMELESS: DJ Premier Revisits Gang Starr's "Step In The Arena". HipHopDX. January 25, 2011 . February 24, 2016.
4. Web site: Cho . Jaeki . DJ Premier Tells All: The Stories Behind His Classic Records . complex.com . Complex . 2018-11-03.
5. Book: Pickering, Andy . Gang Starr: Step in the Arena . 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . Dimery . Robert . . 2006 . 978-0-7893-1371-3 . 659.
6. 100 Best Albums . . 100 . January 1998 . December 7, 2010.
7. Web site: Music stations: THE CLASSICS 104.1. gta4.net . 2016-02-24.
8. Web site: EA Unveils Eclectic Soundtracks for Skate It and Skate 2. ea.com . 2008-10-23 . 2016-02-24.
9. Web site: Thrasher: Skate and Destroy. ea.com . 1999-06-12 . 2016-02-24.
10. Web site: Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing December 16, 1991. Bubbling Down Under. December 17, 2022.