[4] Rapper Guru died of cancer in April 2010, having not released an album with DJ Premier as Gang Starr since 2003's The Ownerz, seven years earlier.

[7] Despite the animosity between the two men, an agreement was reached (although Solar disputes this), and in early 2018, DJ Premier decided to put together a final album, creating new beats for the project over acappellas from Guru.

[9] Writing for Exclaim!, Riley Wallace praised the album as "a fluid, impeccably produced final goodbye" to Guru, and "a last curtain to a legacy group on its own terms.

"[11] Christopher R. Weingarten of Rolling Stone noted that "there are moments where it feels like one of the most beloved rap groups in history are picking up right where they left off", hailing "Family and Loyalty" as the highlight of the album.

[17] Will Lavin of NME called it "a special moment for hip-hop", however, he stated that "Sometimes, too, Guru's absence is a little too noticeable", noting that some tracks sound unfinished.