Gang Starr release Step in the Arena

Their partnership was curious – with DJ Premier in New York and Guru in Houston, their debut was made exchanging tapes by post – but their second album made them icons. Premier's superlative production brought jazz firmly into the hip-hop sample lexicon, while Guru's languid flow and persuasive take on black nationalism helped bring rap's burgeoning political consciousness to curious outsiders as well as seriously impressing credibility-obsessed devotees.