Gang Starr - ‘Words I Manifest’ 12-Inch Test Pressing, Inscribed by Guru to Marley Marl

Gang Starr’s “Words I Manifest” was released by Wild Pitch Records in 1989 as a single from the group’s debut album, No More Mr. Nice Guy. This is a 12-inch test pressing from the Hub-Servall Record Mfg. Corp., in a plain black sleeve, with details filled out by hand, by Guru. One side reads “Gang Starr,” “Wild Pitch Records,” “DJ Premier in Deep Concentration” and “Here’s the Proof,” with “produced by DJ Premier & the Guru.” Beneath that is a personal line: “Peace Marly / Marl in Control.” It’s a greeting to Marley Marl, the Juice Crew producer, and a play on the title of his 1988 album In Control, Volume 1. The other side reads “Manifest (Remix),” with the same production credit. When a photo of this label surfaced online, DJ Premier reposted it to his Instagram stories with the comment: “Wow that’s some valuable shit right there and that’s definitely his handwriting.” Writing things out by hand was how Guru worked. In our interview on Hard to Earn, Premier remembers Guru printing track lists and pasting them on the wall, each title with a handwritten note beside it. Next to “Mass Appeal,” Guru wrote “Our First Single.” Read the full interview in “Mass Appeal” on Wax Poetics. Key details & collectability 12-inch Hub-Servall test pressing, both labels filled out by hand by Guru Gang Starr, Wild Pitch Records, “produced by DJ Premier & the Guru” Tracks written on the labels: “DJ Premier in Deep Concentration,” “Here’s the Proof” and “Manifest (Remix)” Personal inscription to Marley Marl: “Peace Marly / Marl in Control” DJ Premier publicly confirmed the handwriting as Guru’s A one-of-one object from the start of the Premier–Guru partnership