By Tom Sinas

Daily Arts Writer

Throughout the last decade, Guru has been solidifying his stature as one of hip-hop's most important MCs. Whether it be collaborations with beat master DJ Premier or his own pet projects, Guru's rich vocal timbre and unflappable flow are the hallmark of his work.

The latest offering by Mr. Guru is the third in a series of projects known as Jazzmatazz, which attempt to bring together jazz and hip-hop aesthetics via the use of jazz instrumentalists, MCs and hip-hop production techniques. The project made a big splash with the first release in 1994 but lost a bit of steam due to a watered down follow-up album. Thankfully for hip-hop fans, the third time's the charm.

With Streetsoul, we see Guru abandon his strict adherence to jazz infused grooves and horn loops to do what he does best: Kick some hard-nosed rhymes over strong beats and melodic hooks. The increased intensity of the production is a much better match for Guru's style and often sounds a bit reminiscent of his work with DJ Premier in Gang Starr. Listening to this record, one gains an appreciation for Guru's uncanny ability to balance self-boasting with socially conscious content without sounding preachy.

Like many hip-hop records of late, Streetsoul boasts a myriad of guest stars. Fortunately, these guests don't get lost in the shuffle of the production. Instead, each track succeeds in capturing the character of the particular guest artist while providing ample support for the man of the hour. From Angie Stone's supreme melodic styling on "Keep Your Worries" to The Roots militant rhymes on "Lift Your Fists," the guest artists really shine here. Even the dissonant keyboard funk by Herbie Hancock on "Timeless" provides some great color while avoiding the US3-esque pitfall of acid-jazz nausea.

Between forthcoming releases from Reflection Eternal, De La Soul and Erkyha Badu, this season promises to be a busy one for hip-hop. But it would be a mistake for one to gloss over Streetsoul. It's solid hip-hop by one of the best practitioners of the art.

Grade: A-