Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality

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Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality - Wikipedia

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Jazzmatazz, Volume II: The New Reality

Studio album by

Guru

Released

July 18, 1995

Recorded

1994–1995

Studio

Main sessions

D&D Studios (New York, NY)
Firehouse Studio (New York, NY)

Additional sessions

Platinum Island Studios (New York, NY)
Matrix Studios (London, UK)
Echo Studios (Los Angeles, CA)
Unique Studios (New York, NY)
EMI Studios (London, UK)
The Hit Factory (New York, NY)
Brooklyn Sound (Los Angeles, CA)

Genre

Length

1:13:53

Label

Chrysalis

Producer

Neale Easterby (exec.)
Patrick Moxey (exec.)
Guru (also exec.)
Carlos Bess
DJ Premier
Mark Sparks
Nikke Nicole
Solsonics
True Master
Donald Byrd (add.)
Ronny Jordan (co.)

Guru chronology

Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1
(1993)

Jazzmatazz, Volume II: The New Reality
(1995)

Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3: Streetsoul
(2000)

Singles from Jazzmatazz Volume II (The New Reality)

"Watch What You Say"
Released: 1995
"Feel The Music"
Released: 1995
"Lifesaver"
Released: 1996

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	^[4]
Los Angeles Times	^[2]
Muzik	^[3]
(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide	^[5]
The Source	^[6]
Spin	7/10^[7]

Jazzmatazz, Volume II (The New Reality) is the second solo studio album by American hip hop musician Guru. It was released on July 18, 1995, through Chrysalis Records as the second installment of the rapper's Jazzmatazz album series.

Recording sessions took place at D&D Studios and at Firehouse Studio in New York, with additional recording at Platinum Island Studios, Unique Studios and The Hit Factory in New York, at Matrix Studios and EMI Studios in London, and at Echo Studios and Brooklyn Sound in Los Angeles. Production was handled by Guru himself, along with the Solsonics, Carlos Bess, DJ Premier, Mark Sparks, Nikke Nicole and True Master.

It features a large number of contributors, including Big Shug, Branford Marsalis, Courtney Pine, Dee C Lee, Donald Byrd and Ronny Jordan, who previously appeared on the first Jazzmatazz album, as well as Bahamadia, drummer Bernard Purdie, Chaka Khan, Freddie Hubbard, Ini Kamoze, Jamiroquai, Kenny Garrett, Kool Keith, Lucien Revolucien, Meshell Ndegeocello, Mica Paris, Ramsey Lewis, Reuben Wilson and Shara Nelson among others.

In the United States, the album peaked at number 71 on the Billboard 200 and number 16 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

The album also peaked at No. 8 on the Swiss Hitparade, at No. 12 on the UK Albums Chart (also No. 2 on the UK R&B Albums Chart), at No. 19 on the Sverigetopplistan, at No. 24 on the Offizielle Top 100, at No. 25 on the Official New Zealand Albums Chart, at No. 28 on the Ö3 Austria Top 40, at No. 30 on the Dutch Album Top 100 and at No. 39 on the ARIA Charts.

Track listing

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro (Light It Up) / Jazzalude I / New Reality Style"	Keith Elam	Jez Colin	The Solsonics Guru (co.)	1:44
2.	"Lifesaver" (featuring Baybe and Lucien)	Elam A. Evans	Keith Elam Carlos Bess	Guru (co.) Carlos Bess (co.)	4:13
3.	"Living in This World" (featuring Sweet Sable)	Elam Nicole Miller		Nikke Nicole Guru (co.)	4:29
4.	"Looking Through Darkness" (featuring Mica Paris)	Elam	Elam Derek Harris	True Master Guru (co.)	4:48
5.	"Skit A (Interview) / Watch What You Say" (featuring Chaka Khan)	Elam Yvette Marie Stevens Damian Holland	Elam Branford Marsalis Chris Martin	DJ Premier Guru (co.)	4:38
6.	"Jazzalude II / Defining Purpose"	Elam	Colin Willie McNeil	The Solsonics Guru (co.)	1:02
7.	"For You" (featuring Me'Shell NdegéOcello)	Elam	Elam	Guru	4:10
8.	"Insert A (Mental Relaxation) / Medicine" (featuring Ini Kamoze and True Master)	Elam Cecil Campbell Derek Harris		Mark Sparks Guru (co.)	4:19
9.	"Lost Souls" (featuring Jay Kay)	Elam Jason Luís Cheetham	Elam Jamiroquai Bess	Carlos Bess Guru (co.)	4:12
10.	"Insert B (The Real Deal) / Nobody Knows" (featuring Shara Nelson)	Elam	Elam Norman Connors	Guru	3:58
11.	"Jazzalude III / Hip Hop As a Way of Life"	Elam	Colin McNeil Shawn Lee	The Solsonics Guru (co.)	1:17
12.	"Respect the Architect" (featuring Bahamadia)	Elam Antonia Reed	Elam	Guru	4:51
13.	"Feel the Music" (featuring Baybe)	Elam	Elam Ray Hayden	Guru	3:57
14.	"Young Ladies" (featuring Kool Keith, Big Shug and Patra)	Elam Keith Thornton Cary Guy Patra	Elam	Guru	4:12
15.	"The Traveler"	Elam Donald Byrd	Elam Donald Byrd	Guru Donald Byrd (add.)	4:01
16.	"Jazzalude IV / Maintaining Focus"	Elam	Colin	The Solsonics Guru (co.)	1:18
17.	"Count Your Blessings"	Elam	Elam	Guru	4:03
18.	"Choice of Weapons" (featuring Gus Da Vigilante and Dee C Lee)	Elam Deron Johnson		Guru	4:24
19.	"Something in the Past"	Elam	Elam	Guru	3:19
20.	"Skit B (Alot on My Mind) / Revelation" (featuring Bu)	Elam Steven Johnson	Elam Ronny Jordan	Guru Ronny Jordan (co.)	4:35
Total length:					1:13:53

Personnel

Keith "GuRu" Elam — vocals, arrangement, producer (tracks: 7, 10, 12–15, 17–20), co-producer (tracks: 1–6, 8, 9, 11, 16), mixing, executive producer

Vocalists

Kevin Williams — additional vocals (tracks: 1, 6, 11, 16)
A. "Baybe" Evans — vocals (tracks: 2, 13)
Lucien "Papalu" M'Baidem — vocals (track 2)
Ceybil "Sweet Sable" Jefferies — vocals (track 3)
Michelle "Mica Paris" Wallen — vocals (track 4)
Yvette "Chaka Khan" Stevens — vocals (track 5)
Me'Shell NdegéOcello — vocals (track 7)
Cecil "Ini Kamoze" Campbell — vocals (track 8)
Derek "True Master" Harris — vocals (track 8)
Jason "Jay Kay" Cheetham — vocals (track 9)
Shara Nelson — vocals (track 10)
Antonia "Bahamadia" Reed — vocals (track 12)
Cary "Big Shug" Guy — vocals (track 14)
Keith "Kool Keith" Thornton — vocals (track 14)
Patra — vocals (track 14)
Deron "Gus Da Vigilante" Johnson — vocals (track 18)
Diane "Dee C Lee" Sealy — vocals (track 18)
Andre "Panchi Da Wild Comanchi" Davis — additional vocals (track 18)
Steven "Bu"/"Hannibal Stax" Johnson — vocals (track 20)

Musicians

Marc Antoine — guitar (tracks: 1, 6, 11, 16)
Mike Bolto — Rhodes electric piano (tracks: 1, 6, 11, 16)
Jez Colin — bass (tracks: 1, 6, 11, 16)
Willie McNeil — drums (tracks: 1, 6, 11, 16)
Shawn Lee — drums (tracks: 1, 6, 11, 16)
Derrick Davis — alto saxophone & flute (tracks: 1, 6, 11, 16)
Jay Rodriguez — clarinet & flute (track 3)
Branford Marsalis — saxophone (track 5)
Meshell Ndegeocello — bass (track 7)
Kenny Garrett — saxophone (track 7), Rhodes electric piano (track 14)
Donald Byrd — trumpet (tracks: 8, 15)
Juan "DJ Redhanded" Cordova — scratches (track 8)
Stuart Zender — bass (track 9)
Wallace Collins — didgeridoo (track 9)
Darren "DJ D-Zire" Galea — scratches (track 9)
Jan Kincaid — piano (track 10)
Ramsey Lewis — Moog synthesizer & piano (track 12)
Brian Holt — bass (tracks: 12, 14), guitar & keyboards (track 17)
George "DJ Scratch" Spivey — scratches (track 12)
Paul "Sequence" Ferguson — piano & keyboards (track 13)
Reuben Wilson — organ (track 14)
Sean "DJ Sean-Ski" Harris — scratches (track 14)
Bernard Purdie — drums (track 17)
Dennis Mitchell — keyboards (track 18)
Courtney Pine — saxophone & flute (track 18)
Freddie Hubbard — trumpet (track 19)
Robert "Ronny Jordan" Simpson — guitar (track 20)

Production

The Solsonics — producers (tracks: 1, 6, 11, 16)
"Nikke" Nicole Miller — producer (track 3)
True Master — producer (track 4)
Chris "DJ Premier" Martin — producer (track 5)
Mark Sparks — producer (track 8)
Carlos Bess — producer (track 9), co-producer (track 2)
Donald Byrd — additional producer (track 15)
Ronny Jordan — co-producer (track 20)
Neale Easterby — executive producer
Patrick Moxey — executive producer

Technicals

Steve Gursky — engineering (tracks: 1, 6, 11, 16)
Carlos Bess — engineering (tracks: 2, 13, 17), mixing (track 9)
Joe Quinde — engineering (tracks: 3, 12)
Ben Jones — engineering (tracks: 4, 5, 9)
Eddie Sancho — engineering (tracks: 4, 7, 13, 18, 20), mixing (track 10)
Michael Chukes — engineering (tracks: 5, 7)
Ken "Duro" Ifill — engineering (track 7)
Robert Caprio — engineering (tracks: 8, 19)
Jason Ball — engineering (tracks: 10, 18)
Leo "Swift" Morris — engineering (tracks: 14, 15)
Yoram Vazan — engineering (track 17)
William "Bill-Dog" Dooley — engineering (track 19)
Kieran Walsh — engineering
Tony Dawsey — mastering
Jose "Choco" Reynoso — creative input (track 2)
Gordon Franklin — creative input (track 15)
Panchi Da Wild Comanchi — creative input (track 18)
Mike Rone — creative input (track 20)
Thierry Le Goues — photography
Henry Marquez — art direction
Duff Marlowe — A&R

Charts

Chart (1995)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[8]	39
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[9]	28
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[10]	30
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[11]	24
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[12]	25
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[13]	19
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[14]	8
UK Albums (OCC)^[15]	12
UK R&B Albums (OCC)^[16]	2
US Billboard 200^[17]	71
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[18]	16

References

^ "Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2 (The New Reality) - Guru | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
^ Cuda, Heidi Siegmund (September 16, 1995). "Album Reviews : In Brief : * Guru, "Jazzmatazz, Volume 2: The New Reality," Chrysalis/ EMI". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
^ Ashon, Will (July 1995). "Guru: Jazzmatazz Volume Two: The New Reality Chrysalis" (PDF). Muzik. No. 2. p. 68. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2022.
^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. Muze. p. 600. ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4.
^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. p. 322. ISBN 978-0-7432-0169-8.
^ Bell, Michelle (September 1995). "Record Report: Guru – Jazzmatazz II". The Source. No. 72. New York. p. 98. Archived from the original on January 25, 2000. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
^ Hunter, James (September 1995). "Spins Records". SPIN. Vol. 11, no. 6. SPIN Media LLC. p. 112. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
^ "Australiancharts.com – Guru – Jazzmatazz Vol. II - The New Reality". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
^ "Austriancharts.at – Guru – Jazzmatazz Vol. II - The New Reality" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Guru – Jazzmatazz Vol. II - The New Reality" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Guru – Jazzmatazz Vol. II - The New Reality" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
^ "Charts.nz – Guru – Jazzmatazz Vol. II - The New Reality". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
^ "Swedishcharts.com – Guru – Jazzmatazz Vol. II - The New Reality". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
^ "Swisscharts.com – Guru – Jazzmatazz Vol. II - The New Reality". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
^ "Guru Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
^ "Guru Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2021.

External links

Jazzmatazz Volume II (The New Reality) at Discogs (list of releases)

v t e Guru
Discography Gang Starr discography
Studio albums	Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 (1993) Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality (1995) Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3: Streetsoul (2000) Baldhead Slick & da Click (2001) Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures (2005) Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 4: The Hip Hop Jazz Messenger: Back to the Future (2007) Guru 8.0: Lost and Found (2009)
Compilation albums	The Best of Guru's Jazzmatazz (2008)
Mixtapes	Guru's Jazzmatazz: The Timebomb Back to the Future Mixtape (2007)
Songs	"Do It Any Way You Wanna" "Mass Appeal" "1/2 & 1/2"
Related	Gang Starr Grand Theft Auto III