The Ownerz (2003)

For 15 years, Gang Starr have been cred-obsessed workhorses of the hip-hop underground. They set the template for anthemic street rap -- Guru's sandpapered vocals conveying authority over DJ Premier's sublime scratched-up-soul sample beats. On Ownerz, that stubbornness is both virtue and vice: ''Skills'' and ''Rite Where U Stand'' show the group's formula can still sizzle, but on the more mundane tracks -- ''Nice Girl, Wrong Place,'' ''Zonin''' -- Gang Starr sound comfortable, and that's the last thing they'd want.