One half of pioneering East Coast hip hop crew Gang Starr, emcee Guru has reportedly fallen on severely ill health recently to the point where his condition had deteriorated so aggressively that he slipped into a coma.

According to news reports from HipHopWired and T.R.O.Y, the Boston rapper Guru (better known Keith Elam away from the mic) was said to have slipped into a comatose state after suffering a heart attack.

Whilst more comprehensive details about Guru’s condition remain scant at this stage it’s clear that the news has already effected the hip hop community, with Twitter feeds and message boards already lighting up with sympathetic messages for the rapper who broke new ground with his Gang Starr partner DJ Premier at the turn of rap’s golden age.

Update: Guru has emerged from the coma following heart surgery and has issued a statement to say that he’s “doing fine”.