Real time flies by as quickly as dog years in the hip-hop community, which has constantly reinvented and reinvigorated itself with the use of ever-newer beats, rhythms and samples.

So when Gang Starr's DJ Premier and Guru returned to the hip hop scene this year with the release of "Moment of Truth," the duo realized it had to step it up in order to keep pace with all the young talent that's emerged since the group's last record, 1994's "Hard to Earn."

"I know that I gotta bring something new to the table," Guru explained, "and I know that my style's gotta evolve and elevate and step-up my game in order to compete."

"It's kinda like being [Michael] Jordan or [Karl] Malone," he continued, comparing the group's situation to that of veteran NBA players and the challenges presented by rising stars. "You're still a threat to the younger players, but to be a threat, you gotta study them and interact with them."

"So, I gotta lot of cats who I'm down with that are much younger than me," Guru said, "we freestyle together so I can keep my skills up to par. DJ Premier and I both have that serious fear of falling off."

Gang Starr will release the third single off of "Truth" on July 14 with "The Militia," which features guest vocals from Big Shug and Freddie Fox.

The rappers will then head out with Public Enemy, Busta Rhymes and Wyclef Jean for the Smokin' Grooves Tour, which launches on July 22.