Rapper Guru dies at 43

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Guru, the influential rapper known for his conscious and intellectual themes, his monotone delivery, and his combination of jazz sounds with hip-hop beats, has died after battling cancer, collaborators said. He was 43.

A statement from Solar on DJ Premier’s website says Guru, whose real name was Keith Elam, died Monday. Premier and Guru were members of the rap duo Gang Starr.

He was born near Boston and later moved to New York. His first album as a member of Gang Starr, ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy,’ was released in 1989.

He moved on as a solo artist and released ‘Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1’ in 1993.

We will have more later at latimes.com/obituaries.

--Associated Press