KRS-One
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Krisna Parker better known by his stage names KRS-One (an acronym for Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone), and Teacha, is an American
rapper
. At the 2008 BET Awards
, KRS-One was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for all his work and effort towards the Stop the Violence Movement
as well as the overall pioneering of hip hop music
and culture.
, Brooklyn
, New York
during the summer of 1965. Parker left home at 14 to become an MC and Philosopher, coming to live at a homeless shelter
in the South Bronx where he was dubbed Krishna by residents because of his interest in the Hare Krishna spirituality of some of the antipoverty workers. By the time he met youth counselor Scott Sterling
, he was also writing graffiti as KRS-One (Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone). Together he and Sterling, a.k.a. DJ Scott La Rock eventually created Boogie Down Productions, releasing their debut album, Criminal Minded
, in 1987. KRS-One has been a vegetarian since his youth.
In 1985, Scott La Rock, a friend of producer/writer Kenny Beck (2 The Limit, Octavia - Pow Wow Records and Mine All Mine, Cashflow - Polygram Records) asked Beck to do a record he had written for his brother Kevin Goldbeck. Since the record was not quite finished being produced yet for Sleeping Bag Records
and Scott had a real affinity for the sty-lings of Krs-one, Kenny Beck decided to form a group around the three, Kevin (freshly released from New York State Prison), Scott and Krs-one. Their name was 12:41, given that moniker by Beck as that was the time they had completed the final mix. All three plus Beck can be heard rapping on the record. Scott, ever the social worker asked Beck to do this as a way out of the shelter for his friend Krs-one. Of course Kris and Scott wanted to concentrate on their own Boogie Down Crew but first they had to go through this. No one was paid for this project and the small amount budgeted by the label for the product prior to Scott La Rock's and Krs-one's involvement barely covered recording costs. This is why producer David Eng, Snow (Informer) and Inspector Gadget writer and studio owner of Bayside Sound (Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, UTFO was brought in. The original song was written, produced and recorded by Kenny Beck and royalties and claims are being pursued for all parties involved. It was this project that educated Kris and Scott as to the importance of being producers of their music, as well as the artists, so at this point they decided to change the name of their own Boogie Down Crew to Boogie Down Productions.
At the close of 1987, the B.D.P lifestyle got real when Scott La Rock was killed trying to settle a dispute in the Bronx. This 'shocked' the Hip Hop community and, once again, rap and violence became a topic in the mainstream press. The rap community thought Boogie Down Productions was over but this only led to new plans for KRS-One. In 1988, KRS-One left B. Boy Records to sign with Jive Records
and "By All Means Necessary" was released. Rap music was under a mainstream microscope and KRS-One now was able to release what he and Scott always dreamed about, an album that gave rap a different image. His first video on Jive Records was for "My Philosophy", a song that re-established his presence in the rap world.
KRS-One began his recording career as one third of the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions, or BDP, alongside DJ Scott La Rock and Derrick "D-Nice" Jones
. They met during a stay KRS-One had at the Bronx Franklin Avenue Armory Shelter. La Rock (real name Scott Sterling) worked as a social work
er there. The duo would begin to create music. After being rejected by radio DJs Mr. Magic
and Marley Marl
, KRS-One would go on to diss
the two and those associated with them, sparking what would later be known as The Bridge Wars
. Additionally, KRS had taken offense to "The Bridge", a song by Marley Marl's protege, MC Shan
(later on, KRS One produced an album with Marley Marl in 2007); the song could be interpreted as a claim that Queensbridge was the monument of Hiphop, though MC Shan has repeatedly denied this claim. Still, KRS "dissed" the song with the BDP record "South Bronx"; next, a second round of volleys would ensue with Shan's "Kill That Noise" and BDP's "The Bridge Is Over". KRS-One, demonstrating his nickname "The Blastmaster", gave a live performance that devastated MC Shan, and many conceded he had won the battle. Many believe this live performance to be the first MC battle
where rappers attack each other, instead of a battle between who can get the crowd more hyped.
Parker and Sterling decided to form a rap group together, initially calling themselves "Scott La Rock and the Celebrity Three". That was short-lived, however, as the two peripheral members quit, leaving Parker (now calling himself KRS-One) and Sterling. They then decided to call themselves "Boogie Down Productions", "Success is the Word", a 12-inch single produced by David Kenneth Eng and Kenny Beck was released on indie Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records (under the group name "12:41") but did not enjoy commercial success.
Boogie Down Productions released their debut album Criminal Minded in 1987. The album, whose cover pictured BDP draped in ammunition
and brandishing guns, is often credited with setting the template for the burgeoning genres of hardcore and gangsta rap
. Scott La Rock was killed in a shooting later that year, after attempting to mediate a dispute between teenager and BDP member Derrick "D-Nice" Jones
and local hoodlums.
During this time KRS-One also gained acclaim as one of the first MCs to incorporate Jamaica
n style into hip-hop. Using the Zung gu zung melody, originally made famous by Yellowman
in Jamaican dance halls earlier in the decade. While KRS-One used Zunguzung styles in a more powerful and controversial manner, especially in his song titled "Remix for P is Free", he can still be credited as one of the more influential figures to bridge the gap between Jamaican music and American hip-hop.
Following the fatal shooting of Scott La Rock in 1987, KRS was determined to continue Boogie Down Productions through the tragedy, releasing the album By All Means Necessary
in 1988. He was joined by beatboxer
D-Nice, rapper Ramona "Ms. Melodie" Parker
(whose marriage to Kris would last from 1988 to 1992), and Kris's younger brother DJ Kenny Parker, among others. However Boogie Down Productions would remain Kris's show, and their content would become increasingly political through their subsequent releases Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop
, Edutainment
, Live Hardcore Worldwide
and Sex and Violence
.
KRS-One was the primary initiator behind the H.E.A.L. compilation and the Stop the Violence Movement
; for the latter he would attract many prominent MCs to appear on the 12-inch single "Self Destruction". As Parker adopted this "humanist", less defensive approach, he turned away from his "Blastmaster" persona and towards that of "The Teacha", although he has constantly used "Blastmaster" throughout his career.
After five largely solo albums under the name "Boogie Down Productions," KRS-One decided to set out on his own. On his first solo album, 1993's Return of the Boom Bap
, Parker worked together with producers DJ Premier
, Kid Capri
and Showbiz
, the latter providing the catchy-yet-hardcore track "Sound of da Police
". His second album, 1995's KRS-One
, featured Channel Live
on "Free Mumia", a song in which they criticize Black Civil Rights Activist C. Delores Tucker
among others. Other prominent guest stars on KRS One included Mad Lion
, Busta Rhymes
, Das EFX
and Fat Joe
.
In 1991, KRS-One appeared on the alternative rock
group R.E.M.
's single "Radio Song
", which appeared on the band's album Out of Time
, released the same year.
In 1992, Bradley Nowell
from Sublime
featured an acoustic song named "KRS-One" with his voice and DJ's samplers.
In 1995, KRS organized a group called Channel Live
, whose album Station Identification
he produced most of, along with Rheji Burrell
and Salaam Remi
.
In 1997, Parker surprised many with his release of the album I Got Next
. The album's lead single "Step into a World (Rapture's Delight)", containing a sample of punk
and New Wave
group Blondie
, was accompanied by a remix featuring commercial rap icon Puff Daddy; another track was essentially a rock song. While the record would be his best-selling solo album (reaching #3 on the Billboard 200
), such collaborations with notably mainstream artists and prominent, easily recognizable samples took many fans and observers of the vehemently anti-mainstream KRS-One by surprise. However, in August 1997, Parker appeared on Tim Westwood
's BBC Radio 1
show and vociferously denounced the DJ and the radio station more generally, accusing them of ignoring his style of hip hop in favor of commercial artists such as Puff Daddy. Although having not been in the UK since 1991, due to the fact he does not fly, he claimed "to be in touch with the people", and said that "they weren't feeling Westwood, he's a sell out and has sold his soul to the dark side." This sparked controversy in the UK since Radio One was one of the main supporters of the single "Step Into My World" and caused the album to be his best selling. Parker has since visited the UK, most notably in May 2007, in a performance at the Royal Albert Hall where he once again dissed Tim Westwood in a freestyle.
In 1999, there were tentative plans to release Maximum Strength; a lead single, "5 Boroughs", was released on The Corruptor
movie soundtrack. However, Parker apparently decided to abort the album's planned release, just as he had secured a position as a Vice-President of A&R
at Reprise Records
. The shelved album was again scheduled to be released in 2008, but ultimately an unrelated album entitled "Maximum Strength 2008" was released in its place. He moved to southern California, and stayed there for two years, ending his relationship with Jive Records
with A Retrospective in 2000.
Parker resigned from his A&R position at Reprise in 2001, and returned to recording with a string of albums, beginning with 2001's The Sneak Attack
on Koch Records
. In 2002, he released a gospel
-rap album, Spiritual Minded
, surprising many longtime fans; Parker had once denounced Christianity
as a "slavemaster
religion" which African-Americans should not follow. During this period, KRS founded the Temple of Hiphop, an organization to preserve and promote "Hiphop Kulture". Other releases have since included 2003's Kristyles
and D.I.G.I.T.A.L., 2004's Keep Right, and 2006's Life
.
The only latter-day KRS-One album to gain any significant attention has been Hip-Hop Lives, his 2007 collaboration with fellow hip hop veteran Marley Marl
, due in large part to the pair's legendary beef
, but also the title's apparent response to Nas
' 2006 release Hip-Hop Is Dead
. While many critics have commented they would have been a lot more excited had this collaboration occurred twenty years earlier, the album has been met with positive reviews. KRS One has appeared on several songs with other artists, due to this he has received 9 Gold and 7 Platinum plaques.
KRS One has collaborated with several artists including Canadian Rap group Hellafactz, Jay-Roc N' Jakebeatz and New York producer Domingo
among other. He and Domingo publicly squashed their beef that started over financial issues and released a digital single to iTunes on November 25. The single titled "Radio" will also feature Utah up and comer Eneeone and is dedicated to underground MC's that don't get the radio airplay they deserve. In 2009 KRS One guest starred on several albums including Arts & Entertainmen on the song "Pass the Mic" by fellow Hip Hop veterans Masta Ace & Ed O.G and featured on the posse cut "Mega Fresh X" by Cormega
(alongside with DJ Red Alert
, Parrish Smith
, Grand Puba
, & Big Daddy Kane
) on his album Born and Raised.
KRS One and Buckshot announced that they would be collaborating on an album set to be released in 2009. The first single, ROBOT, was released on May 5, 2009. The music video was directed by Todd Angkasuwan
and debuted as the New Joint of the Day on 106 & Park on September 4, 2009. The album leaked on the Internet on September 9, 2009 and released album was released on September 15, 2009. It debuted at #62, making it on The Billboard 200 selling around 8,500 copies its first week and was met with generally positive reviews. Steve Juon of RapReviews.com gave the album a flawless 10 out of 10, claiming "Buckshot and KRS have achieved something rather remarkable here - an album I can't find a single fault with. There's not a bad beat, there's not a whack rhyme, there's not a collaborator on a track that missed the mark, and the disc itself is neither too short nor too long."
In 2010 KRS One was honored along with Buckshot by artists Ruste Juxx, Torae & Skyzoo, Sha Stimuli
, Promise, J.A.M.E.S. Watts and Team Facelift to name a few on their mixtape 'Survival Kit' which is an ode to the 2009 album Survival Skills by KRS One and Buckshot. The mixtape was released for free download on DuckDown.com. The album features new version of KRS classics 'South Bronx', 'Sound Of Da Police' and 'MC's Act Like They Don't Know' as well as new versions of well known Buckshot songs and 'Past Present Future' from the Survival Skills album. The MC Fashawn stated in his verse on MC's Act Like They Don't Know that 'I did it to make Kris smile I figured he'd appreciate it'
Most recently, KRS One was featured as the voice of Chris Cringle in the new Nike
Most Valuable Puppets commercials. KRS One performed in May 2010 at SUNY New Paltz for their annual "Rock Against Racism" concert. KRS One also narrated the 2011 film Rhyme and Punishment, a documentary about Hip-Hop artists who have done jail time.
and black
communities.
During a concert by Boogie Down Productions
and Public Enemy a young fan was killed in a fight. Coming soon after the shooting death of his friend and fellow BDP member Scott La Rock
, KRS-One was galvanized into action and formed the Stop the Violence Movement. Composed of some of the biggest stars in contemporary East Coast hip hop
, the movement released a single, "Self Destruction", in 1989, with all proceeds going to the National Urban League
. A music video was created, and a VHS
cassette entitled Overcoming Self-Destruction - The Making of the Self-Destruction Video was also released.
"Self-Destruction" was produced by KRS-One and D-Nice
of Boogie Down Productions (Hank Shocklee of the Bomb Squad is credited as an associate producer).
The Temple of Hip Hop maintains that Hip Hop is a genuine political movement and culture, as it has been accepted by the United Nations
as a culture. The Temple of Hiphop calls on all Hip Hop fans to celebrate Hip Hop Appreciation Week, occurring in the third week of May. It encourages DJs and MCs to teach people about the culture of Hiphop, to write more socially conscious songs, and radio stations to play more socially conscious hip hop. Hip Hop Appreciation Week is celebrated on the third week of May each year.
Hip Hop History Month (November), founded by the Universal Zulu Nation, is also recognized.
magazine as saying that "we cheered when 9/11
happened". The comment drew criticism from many sources, including a pointed barb by the New York Daily News
that called Parker an "anarchist
" and said that "If Osama bin Laden
ever buys a rap album, he'll probably start with a CD by KRS-One."
Parker responded to the commotion surrounding his comments with an editorial written for AllHipHop.com, stating:
In late 2005, KRS was featured alongside Public Enemy's Chuck D
on the remix of the song "Bin Laden" by Immortal Technique
and DJ Green Lantern
, which blames American neo-conservatives, the Reagan Doctrine
and U.S. President George W. Bush
for the World Trade Center attacks, and indicates a parallel to the devaluation, destruction, and violence of urban housing project communities.
On April 29, 2007, KRS-One again defended his statements on the September 11 attacks when asked about them during an appearance on Hannity's America on the Fox News network stating that he meant that people cheered that the establishment had taken a hit, not that people were dying or had died. He also discussed amongst other things, the Don Imus
scandal and the use of profanity in Hip-Hop.
about his book "The Gospel of Hip Hop", KRS-One said:
These comments have been referred to by numerous media outlets such as the AV Club who comment that "KRS-One writes 600-page hip-hop bible; blueprint for rap religion" and "KRS-One has never been afraid to court controversy and provoke strong reactions. Now the Boogie Down Productions legend has topped himself by writing The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument, a mammoth treatise on the spirituality of hip-hop he hopes will some day become a sacred text of a new hip-hop religion".
and SMT Studios.
BET Hip Hop Awards
Urban Music Awards
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
. At the 2008 BET Awards
BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
, KRS-One was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for all his work and effort towards the Stop the Violence Movement
Stop the Violence Movement
The Stop the Violence Movement was begun by rapper KRS-One in 1989 in response to violence in the hip hop and African American communities.In 1988, during a concert by Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy, a young fan was killed in a fight. The killing occurred shortly after Scott La Rock, a...
as well as the overall pioneering of hip hop music
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and culture.
Biography
Lawrence Parker was born in FlatbushFlatbush, Brooklyn
Flatbush is a community of the Borough of Brooklyn, a part of New York City, consisting of several neighborhoods.The name Flatbush is an Anglicization of the Dutch language Vlacke bos ....
, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
during the summer of 1965. Parker left home at 14 to become an MC and Philosopher, coming to live at a homeless shelter
Homeless shelter
Homeless shelters are temporary residences for homeless people which seek to protect vulnerable populations from the often devastating effects of homelessness while simultaneously reducing the environmental impact on the community...
in the South Bronx where he was dubbed Krishna by residents because of his interest in the Hare Krishna spirituality of some of the antipoverty workers. By the time he met youth counselor Scott Sterling
Scott La Rock
Scott "La Rock" Sterling was the original DJ of the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions.-BDP:Sterling, a social worker, met rapper KRS-One in 1986 at the Franklin Men's Shelter in the Bronx where KRS lived. The pair, together with DJ D-Nice, formed Boogie Down Productions...
, he was also writing graffiti as KRS-One (Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone). Together he and Sterling, a.k.a. DJ Scott La Rock eventually created Boogie Down Productions, releasing their debut album, Criminal Minded
Criminal Minded
Criminal Minded by Boogie Down Productions is a highly influential hip hop album. Production on the LP is credited to 'Blastmaster' KRS-One and DJ Scott La Rock , but in interviews it has been revealed that an uncredited Ced-Gee of The Ultramagnetic MCs had a key role in crafting the sound of the...
, in 1987. KRS-One has been a vegetarian since his youth.
Boogie Down Productions
In the summer of 1984, KRS-One hit the music scene with a rap group called "Scott La Rock and the Celebrity Three" with a record called "Advance". In a time when most rappers rhymed about cars, jewelry, alcohol, and the latest dance, KRS-One was rhyming about nuclear war prevention. Scott La Rock and the Celebrity Three was composed of Scott La Rock, Levi167, MC Quality, and KRS-One. After legal problems with the head of the label, Scott La Rock and the Celebrity Three were released from their contract. In the winter of 1984, KRS-One wrote a song called "Stop The Violence" although by this time The Celebrity Three had broken up and only KRS-One and Scott La Rock remained. Because of the situation, the group was renamed The Boogie Down Crew.In 1985, Scott La Rock, a friend of producer/writer Kenny Beck (2 The Limit, Octavia - Pow Wow Records and Mine All Mine, Cashflow - Polygram Records) asked Beck to do a record he had written for his brother Kevin Goldbeck. Since the record was not quite finished being produced yet for Sleeping Bag Records
Sleeping Bag Records
Sleeping Bag Records is a defunct New York City-based old school hip hop and dance music independent record label that operated from 1981 to 1992...
and Scott had a real affinity for the sty-lings of Krs-one, Kenny Beck decided to form a group around the three, Kevin (freshly released from New York State Prison), Scott and Krs-one. Their name was 12:41, given that moniker by Beck as that was the time they had completed the final mix. All three plus Beck can be heard rapping on the record. Scott, ever the social worker asked Beck to do this as a way out of the shelter for his friend Krs-one. Of course Kris and Scott wanted to concentrate on their own Boogie Down Crew but first they had to go through this. No one was paid for this project and the small amount budgeted by the label for the product prior to Scott La Rock's and Krs-one's involvement barely covered recording costs. This is why producer David Eng, Snow (Informer) and Inspector Gadget writer and studio owner of Bayside Sound (Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, UTFO was brought in. The original song was written, produced and recorded by Kenny Beck and royalties and claims are being pursued for all parties involved. It was this project that educated Kris and Scott as to the importance of being producers of their music, as well as the artists, so at this point they decided to change the name of their own Boogie Down Crew to Boogie Down Productions.
At the close of 1987, the B.D.P lifestyle got real when Scott La Rock was killed trying to settle a dispute in the Bronx. This 'shocked' the Hip Hop community and, once again, rap and violence became a topic in the mainstream press. The rap community thought Boogie Down Productions was over but this only led to new plans for KRS-One. In 1988, KRS-One left B. Boy Records to sign with Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
and "By All Means Necessary" was released. Rap music was under a mainstream microscope and KRS-One now was able to release what he and Scott always dreamed about, an album that gave rap a different image. His first video on Jive Records was for "My Philosophy", a song that re-established his presence in the rap world.
KRS-One began his recording career as one third of the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions, or BDP, alongside DJ Scott La Rock and Derrick "D-Nice" Jones
D-Nice
D-Nice is the stage name of discjockey, beatboxer, rapper, producer and photographer who began his career in the mid-1980s with the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions.-Career:...
. They met during a stay KRS-One had at the Bronx Franklin Avenue Armory Shelter. La Rock (real name Scott Sterling) worked as a social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
er there. The duo would begin to create music. After being rejected by radio DJs Mr. Magic
Mr. Magic
John "Mr. Magic" Rivas, was an important figure in the world of hip hop radio.-Biography:Mr. Magic debuted in 1981 on WHBI-FM in New York City with the first exclusive rap radio show to be aired on a major station...
and Marley Marl
Marley Marl
Marlon Williams , better known as Marley Marl, is an American DJ and record producer, who is considered one of the most important and influential hip-hop producers in the history of hip hop.-Biography:...
, KRS-One would go on to diss
Diss track
A diss track or diss song is a song primarily intended to disparage or insult another person or group. While musical parodies and attacks have always existed, the trend became increasingly common in the hip hop genre as part of the hip hop rivalry phenomenon...
the two and those associated with them, sparking what would later be known as The Bridge Wars
The Bridge Wars
The Bridge Wars was a hip hop rivalry during the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s, that arose from a dispute over the true birthplace of hip hop music and retaliation over the rejecting of a record for airplay. The Bridge Wars originally involved The South Bronx's Boogie Down Productions, led by...
. Additionally, KRS had taken offense to "The Bridge", a song by Marley Marl's protege, MC Shan
MC Shan
MC Shan is an American rapper. He is perhaps best known for collaborating with Snow in "Informer", an international number one hit single.-Biography:...
(later on, KRS One produced an album with Marley Marl in 2007); the song could be interpreted as a claim that Queensbridge was the monument of Hiphop, though MC Shan has repeatedly denied this claim. Still, KRS "dissed" the song with the BDP record "South Bronx"; next, a second round of volleys would ensue with Shan's "Kill That Noise" and BDP's "The Bridge Is Over". KRS-One, demonstrating his nickname "The Blastmaster", gave a live performance that devastated MC Shan, and many conceded he had won the battle. Many believe this live performance to be the first MC battle
Battle Rap
Battle rap is a type of rapping that includes a lot of braggadocio content "combined with put-downs, insults, and disses against real or imaginary opponents"...
where rappers attack each other, instead of a battle between who can get the crowd more hyped.
Parker and Sterling decided to form a rap group together, initially calling themselves "Scott La Rock and the Celebrity Three". That was short-lived, however, as the two peripheral members quit, leaving Parker (now calling himself KRS-One) and Sterling. They then decided to call themselves "Boogie Down Productions", "Success is the Word", a 12-inch single produced by David Kenneth Eng and Kenny Beck was released on indie Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records (under the group name "12:41") but did not enjoy commercial success.
Boogie Down Productions released their debut album Criminal Minded in 1987. The album, whose cover pictured BDP draped in ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
and brandishing guns, is often credited with setting the template for the burgeoning genres of hardcore and gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
. Scott La Rock was killed in a shooting later that year, after attempting to mediate a dispute between teenager and BDP member Derrick "D-Nice" Jones
D-Nice
D-Nice is the stage name of discjockey, beatboxer, rapper, producer and photographer who began his career in the mid-1980s with the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions.-Career:...
and local hoodlums.
During this time KRS-One also gained acclaim as one of the first MCs to incorporate Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n style into hip-hop. Using the Zung gu zung melody, originally made famous by Yellowman
Yellowman
Yellowman is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay, widely known as King Yellowman...
in Jamaican dance halls earlier in the decade. While KRS-One used Zunguzung styles in a more powerful and controversial manner, especially in his song titled "Remix for P is Free", he can still be credited as one of the more influential figures to bridge the gap between Jamaican music and American hip-hop.
Following the fatal shooting of Scott La Rock in 1987, KRS was determined to continue Boogie Down Productions through the tragedy, releasing the album By All Means Necessary
By All Means Necessary
By All Means Necessary is the second album from hip hop group Boogie Down Productions, released in 1988, on Jive Records. After the murder of DJ/Producer Scott La Rock in 1987, MC KRS-One moved away from the violence that dominated their debut Criminal Minded and began to write socially conscious...
in 1988. He was joined by beatboxer
Beatboxing
Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. It may also involve singing, vocal imitation of turntablism, and the simulation of horns, strings, and other musical instruments...
D-Nice, rapper Ramona "Ms. Melodie" Parker
Ms. Melodie
Ms. Melodie was an emcee married to KRS-One in 1988, and was associated with his group Boogie Down Productions until the couple's divorce in 1992....
(whose marriage to Kris would last from 1988 to 1992), and Kris's younger brother DJ Kenny Parker, among others. However Boogie Down Productions would remain Kris's show, and their content would become increasingly political through their subsequent releases Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop
Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop
Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop is the third album from Boogie Down Productions. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on September 25, 1989.-Track listing:-Instrumental credits:...
, Edutainment
Edutainment (album)
Edutainment is the fourth album from Boogie Down Productions. It is an album whose lyrics are based around afrocentricity and socio-political knowledge. It has 6 skits/interludes known as 'exhibits' that all talk about or relate to Black people. Many skits feature Kwame Ture a leader of the U.S....
, Live Hardcore Worldwide
Live Hardcore Worldwide
Live Hardcore Worldwide is the only live album by Boogie Down Productions. It features tracks from all of Boogie Down Productions' first four albums and a few new tracks. In his review for The Source Chris Wild wrote "BDP fans should buy this album...
and Sex and Violence
Sex and Violence (album)
Sex and Violence is the final album released by hip hop group Boogie Down Productions. The next year, 1993, the group's lead member, KRS-One, would begin recording under his own name....
.
KRS-One was the primary initiator behind the H.E.A.L. compilation and the Stop the Violence Movement
Stop the Violence Movement
The Stop the Violence Movement was begun by rapper KRS-One in 1989 in response to violence in the hip hop and African American communities.In 1988, during a concert by Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy, a young fan was killed in a fight. The killing occurred shortly after Scott La Rock, a...
; for the latter he would attract many prominent MCs to appear on the 12-inch single "Self Destruction". As Parker adopted this "humanist", less defensive approach, he turned away from his "Blastmaster" persona and towards that of "The Teacha", although he has constantly used "Blastmaster" throughout his career.
Solo career
Return of the Boom Bap
Return of the Boom Bap was KRS-One's first official solo album, released in 1993 on the Jive Records label. It peaked on the Billboard 200 charts at position 37 on October 16, 1993. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums...
, Parker worked together with producers DJ Premier
DJ Premier
Christopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru...
, Kid Capri
Kid Capri
David Anthony Love, Jr , also known by his stage name Kid Capri, is an American musician.He was born in the Bronx, New York City, New York, USA....
and Showbiz
Showbiz and A.G.
Showbiz and A.G. are an American hip hop duo from The Bronx, New York City. Showbiz is a producer and A.G. is a rapper. The two debuted on Lord Finesse's Funky Technician album in 1990. Show and A.G...
, the latter providing the catchy-yet-hardcore track "Sound of da Police
Sound of da Police
"Sound of da Police" is the second and final single from rapper KRS-One's first solo album, Return of the Boom Bap. The song begins with KRS-One whooping twice to evoke a police siren ; this recurs several times throughout the song. This song was used in the trailer for Cop Out...
". His second album, 1995's KRS-One
KRS-One (album)
KRS-One is the second album released by hip hop artist KRS-One under his own name. The album was originally meant to be titled Hip-Hop Vs. Rap, as can be seen in the early The Source's and Rap Pages reviews, which also reveals that a few tracks were scrapped at last minute in addition to the change...
, featured Channel Live
Channel Live
Channel Live is an American hip hop duo composed of Hakim Green and Vincent "Tuffy" Morgan, which recorded for Capitol Records and Flavor Unit Records....
on "Free Mumia", a song in which they criticize Black Civil Rights Activist C. Delores Tucker
C. Delores Tucker
C. DeLores Tucker was a U.S. politician and civil rights activist best known for her participation in the Civil Rights Movement and stance against gangsta rap music.-Early life:...
among others. Other prominent guest stars on KRS One included Mad Lion
Mad Lion
Oswald Priest, better known as Mad Lion, is a dancehall, ragga musician and rapper. He frequently collaborates with fellow hip hop artist KRS-One — most recently on a DVD promoting the Temple of Hiphop...
, Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
, Das EFX
Das EFX
Das EFX is an American hip hop duo. It consists of emcees Skoob and Dray...
and Fat Joe
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena , better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad....
.
In 1991, KRS-One appeared on the alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
group R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
's single "Radio Song
Radio Song
"Radio Song" is the fourth single released by R.E.M. from their 1991 album Out of Time, where it appeared as the opening track.Singer Michael Stipe once said that he hoped everyone had enough sense of humor to realize that he was "kind of taking the piss of everyone," himself included.Stipe also...
", which appeared on the band's album Out of Time
Out of Time (album)
Out of Time is the seventh album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on Warner Bros. Records in 1991. With Out of Time R.E.M.'s status grew from that of a cult band to a massive international act. The record topped the album sales charts in both the U.S...
, released the same year.
In 1992, Bradley Nowell
Bradley Nowell
Bradley James Nowell was an American musician who served as lead singer and guitarist of the Californian band Sublime. He died at the age of 28 from a heroin overdose shortly before the release of Sublime's self-titled major label debut.Raised in Long Beach, California, Nowell developed an...
from Sublime
Sublime (band)
Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's...
featured an acoustic song named "KRS-One" with his voice and DJ's samplers.
In 1995, KRS organized a group called Channel Live
Channel Live
Channel Live is an American hip hop duo composed of Hakim Green and Vincent "Tuffy" Morgan, which recorded for Capitol Records and Flavor Unit Records....
, whose album Station Identification
Station Identification (album)
Station Identification is the debut album by Channel Live. The album was released on March 21, 1995, on Capitol Records and was produced by KRS-One, Rheji Burrell, and Salaam Remi...
he produced most of, along with Rheji Burrell
Rheji Burrell
Rheji Burrell is an American dance musician and music producer. With his twin brother Ronald , Burrell was responsible for creating experimental, deep house music in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
and Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi Gibbs, better known as Salaam Remi, is a hip hop producer and keyboard player, known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, and his reggae-tinged approach to production...
.
In 1997, Parker surprised many with his release of the album I Got Next
I Got Next
I Got Next is emcee KRS-One's third official solo album. It remains his best-selling album to date, receiving the RIAA certification for Gold-level sales....
. The album's lead single "Step into a World (Rapture's Delight)", containing a sample of punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
group Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
, was accompanied by a remix featuring commercial rap icon Puff Daddy; another track was essentially a rock song. While the record would be his best-selling solo album (reaching #3 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
), such collaborations with notably mainstream artists and prominent, easily recognizable samples took many fans and observers of the vehemently anti-mainstream KRS-One by surprise. However, in August 1997, Parker appeared on Tim Westwood
Tim Westwood
Timothy Westwood is an English DJ and presenter of radio and television. He also presents the UK version of the MTV show Pimp My Ride...
's BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
show and vociferously denounced the DJ and the radio station more generally, accusing them of ignoring his style of hip hop in favor of commercial artists such as Puff Daddy. Although having not been in the UK since 1991, due to the fact he does not fly, he claimed "to be in touch with the people", and said that "they weren't feeling Westwood, he's a sell out and has sold his soul to the dark side." This sparked controversy in the UK since Radio One was one of the main supporters of the single "Step Into My World" and caused the album to be his best selling. Parker has since visited the UK, most notably in May 2007, in a performance at the Royal Albert Hall where he once again dissed Tim Westwood in a freestyle.
In 1999, there were tentative plans to release Maximum Strength; a lead single, "5 Boroughs", was released on The Corruptor
The Corruptor
The Corruptor is a 1999 American action thriller film directed by James Foley, and starring Chow Yun-fat and Mark Wahlberg.-Plot:NYPD Lieutenant Nick Chen is one of New York City's police officers and is head of the Asian Gang Unit...
movie soundtrack. However, Parker apparently decided to abort the album's planned release, just as he had secured a position as a Vice-President of A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
at Reprise Records
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
. The shelved album was again scheduled to be released in 2008, but ultimately an unrelated album entitled "Maximum Strength 2008" was released in its place. He moved to southern California, and stayed there for two years, ending his relationship with Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
with A Retrospective in 2000.
Parker resigned from his A&R position at Reprise in 2001, and returned to recording with a string of albums, beginning with 2001's The Sneak Attack
The Sneak Attack
The Sneak Attack is rapper KRS-One's fourth solo hip hop album. It was released in March 2001. This was his first released on Koch Records. The track "B-Side " actually opens side "C" of the vinyl edition, although the intro was probably intended for the b-side of a cassette tape...
on Koch Records
Koch Records
E1 Music , the primary subsidiary of E1 Entertainment LP, is the largest independent record label in the United States. It is also distributed by the Universal Music Group in Europe under the name E1 Universal...
. In 2002, he released a gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
-rap album, Spiritual Minded
Spiritual Minded
Spiritual Minded is rapper KRS-One's fifth official album. It was released in January 2002 on Koch Records. KRS-One's Christian lyrical content came as a surprise to fans and critics, as he had previously written songs critical of Christianity and organised religion. The album also makes references...
, surprising many longtime fans; Parker had once denounced Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
as a "slavemaster
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
religion" which African-Americans should not follow. During this period, KRS founded the Temple of Hiphop, an organization to preserve and promote "Hiphop Kulture". Other releases have since included 2003's Kristyles
Kristyles
Kristyles is rapper KRS-One's sixth album. It was released in April 2003 by Koch Records. It features production by Da Beatminerz, DJ Revolution and KRS-One's brother and long-time collaborator DJ Kenny Parker. The song "Ya Feel Dat" doesn't appear on some versions of the album.-Track...
and D.I.G.I.T.A.L., 2004's Keep Right, and 2006's Life
Life (KRS-One album)
Life is the fourteenth album released by KRS-One, and the eight after abandoning the Boogie Down Productions name. The album is a collaboration with little known production team The Resistance.-Track listing:-Instrumental Credits:...
.
The only latter-day KRS-One album to gain any significant attention has been Hip-Hop Lives, his 2007 collaboration with fellow hip hop veteran Marley Marl
Marley Marl
Marlon Williams , better known as Marley Marl, is an American DJ and record producer, who is considered one of the most important and influential hip-hop producers in the history of hip hop.-Biography:...
, due in large part to the pair's legendary beef
The Bridge Wars
The Bridge Wars was a hip hop rivalry during the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s, that arose from a dispute over the true birthplace of hip hop music and retaliation over the rejecting of a record for airplay. The Bridge Wars originally involved The South Bronx's Boogie Down Productions, led by...
, but also the title's apparent response to Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
' 2006 release Hip-Hop Is Dead
Hip-Hop Is Dead
Hip Hop Is Dead is the eighth studio album by American rapper Nas, released December 15, 2006 on Def Jam Recordings. His first album for the label, it was co-financed by Nas's previous label, Columbia Records, which once distributed for Def Jam...
. While many critics have commented they would have been a lot more excited had this collaboration occurred twenty years earlier, the album has been met with positive reviews. KRS One has appeared on several songs with other artists, due to this he has received 9 Gold and 7 Platinum plaques.
KRS One has collaborated with several artists including Canadian Rap group Hellafactz, Jay-Roc N' Jakebeatz and New York producer Domingo
Domingo (producer)
Domingo Padilla, better known as Domingo, is a producer from New York of Latin origin. He has produced for some of hip hop's most respected and well-known artists.-Albums:*Domingo Presents—Behind the Doors of the 13th Floor compilation...
among other. He and Domingo publicly squashed their beef that started over financial issues and released a digital single to iTunes on November 25. The single titled "Radio" will also feature Utah up and comer Eneeone and is dedicated to underground MC's that don't get the radio airplay they deserve. In 2009 KRS One guest starred on several albums including Arts & Entertainmen on the song "Pass the Mic" by fellow Hip Hop veterans Masta Ace & Ed O.G and featured on the posse cut "Mega Fresh X" by Cormega
Cormega
Cory Mckay , better known as Cormega, is an American emcee best known for his vivid and poignant narratives about inner-city life.- Early life :...
(alongside with DJ Red Alert
DJ Red Alert
DJ Red Alert is a disc jockey on 98.7 Kiss-FM, N.Y.C., and has been recognized as a hip hop pioneer...
, Parrish Smith
PMD (rapper)
Parish J. Smith , better known as PMD , is an east coast rapper from Smithtown, Long Island and one-half of EPMD....
, Grand Puba
Grand Puba
Maxwell Dixon is an emcee best known as a member of the group Brand Nubian.-Biography:He made his debut with the group Masters of Ceremony. Its album Dynamite was hailed by critics, but probably due to lack of sales, the group soon disbanded, and Puba emerged as the lead emcee of Brand Nubian...
, & Big Daddy Kane
Big Daddy Kane
Antonio Hardy better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MC's in Hip Hop...
) on his album Born and Raised.
KRS One and Buckshot announced that they would be collaborating on an album set to be released in 2009. The first single, ROBOT, was released on May 5, 2009. The music video was directed by Todd Angkasuwan
Todd Angkasuwan
Todd Angkasuwan is a music video and documentary film director.-Biography:Angkasuwan grew up in Riverside, California and has been making films since he was 9 years old. After college, he worked as a television news reporter for ABC, CBS and Fox...
and debuted as the New Joint of the Day on 106 & Park on September 4, 2009. The album leaked on the Internet on September 9, 2009 and released album was released on September 15, 2009. It debuted at #62, making it on The Billboard 200 selling around 8,500 copies its first week and was met with generally positive reviews. Steve Juon of RapReviews.com gave the album a flawless 10 out of 10, claiming "Buckshot and KRS have achieved something rather remarkable here - an album I can't find a single fault with. There's not a bad beat, there's not a whack rhyme, there's not a collaborator on a track that missed the mark, and the disc itself is neither too short nor too long."
In 2010 KRS One was honored along with Buckshot by artists Ruste Juxx, Torae & Skyzoo, Sha Stimuli
Sha Stimuli
Sha Stimuli, born Sherod Khaalis , is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York. He is known for his mixtape releases, beginning with Let Me Show You The Way in 2002, which earned him a spot in Source Magazine's Unsigned Hype section...
, Promise, J.A.M.E.S. Watts and Team Facelift to name a few on their mixtape 'Survival Kit' which is an ode to the 2009 album Survival Skills by KRS One and Buckshot. The mixtape was released for free download on DuckDown.com. The album features new version of KRS classics 'South Bronx', 'Sound Of Da Police' and 'MC's Act Like They Don't Know' as well as new versions of well known Buckshot songs and 'Past Present Future' from the Survival Skills album. The MC Fashawn stated in his verse on MC's Act Like They Don't Know that 'I did it to make Kris smile I figured he'd appreciate it'
Most recently, KRS One was featured as the voice of Chris Cringle in the new Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
Most Valuable Puppets commercials. KRS One performed in May 2010 at SUNY New Paltz for their annual "Rock Against Racism" concert. KRS One also narrated the 2011 film Rhyme and Punishment, a documentary about Hip-Hop artists who have done jail time.
Stop the Violence Movement
The Stop the Violence Movement was formed by KRS-One in 1988/1989 in response to violence in the hip hopHip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
and black
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
communities.
During a concert by Boogie Down Productions
Boogie Down Productions
Boogie Down Productions was a hip hop group that was originally composed of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, months after the release of BDP's debut album, Criminal Minded. The name of the group, Boogie Down, derives from a nickname for the...
and Public Enemy a young fan was killed in a fight. Coming soon after the shooting death of his friend and fellow BDP member Scott La Rock
Scott La Rock
Scott "La Rock" Sterling was the original DJ of the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions.-BDP:Sterling, a social worker, met rapper KRS-One in 1986 at the Franklin Men's Shelter in the Bronx where KRS lived. The pair, together with DJ D-Nice, formed Boogie Down Productions...
, KRS-One was galvanized into action and formed the Stop the Violence Movement. Composed of some of the biggest stars in contemporary East Coast hip hop
East Coast hip hop
East Coast hip hop is a regional subgenre of hip hop music that originated in New York City, USA during the 1970s. Hip hop is recognized to have originated and evolved first in the East Coast...
, the movement released a single, "Self Destruction", in 1989, with all proceeds going to the National Urban League
National Urban League
The National Urban League , formerly known as the National League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes, is a nonpartisan civil rights organization based in New York City that advocates on behalf of African Americans and against racial discrimination in the United States. It is the oldest and largest...
. A music video was created, and a VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
cassette entitled Overcoming Self-Destruction - The Making of the Self-Destruction Video was also released.
"Self-Destruction" was produced by KRS-One and D-Nice
D-Nice
D-Nice is the stage name of discjockey, beatboxer, rapper, producer and photographer who began his career in the mid-1980s with the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions.-Career:...
of Boogie Down Productions (Hank Shocklee of the Bomb Squad is credited as an associate producer).
Temple of Hip Hop
The Temple of Hip Hop is a ministry, archive, School, and Society (M.A.S.S.) founded by KRS-One. Its goal is to maintain and promote Hiphop Culture.The Temple of Hip Hop maintains that Hip Hop is a genuine political movement and culture, as it has been accepted by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
as a culture. The Temple of Hiphop calls on all Hip Hop fans to celebrate Hip Hop Appreciation Week, occurring in the third week of May. It encourages DJs and MCs to teach people about the culture of Hiphop, to write more socially conscious songs, and radio stations to play more socially conscious hip hop. Hip Hop Appreciation Week is celebrated on the third week of May each year.
Hip Hop History Month (November), founded by the Universal Zulu Nation, is also recognized.
September 11 comments
In 2004, KRS engendered a controversy when he was quoted in a panel discussion hosted by The New YorkerThe New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
magazine as saying that "we cheered when 9/11
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
happened". The comment drew criticism from many sources, including a pointed barb by the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
that called Parker an "anarchist
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
" and said that "If Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
ever buys a rap album, he'll probably start with a CD by KRS-One."
In late 2005, KRS was featured alongside Public Enemy's Chuck D
Chuck D
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour , better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.- Early life :Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York...
on the remix of the song "Bin Laden" by Immortal Technique
Immortal Technique
Felipe Andres Coronel , better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper of Afro-Peruvian descent as well as an urban activist. He was born in Lima, Peru and raised in Harlem, New York. Most of his lyrics focus on controversial issues in global politics...
and DJ Green Lantern
DJ Green Lantern
James D'Agostino , better known by his stage name DJ Green Lantern, is an American-Italian-Puerto Rican DJ and hip hop music producer from Rochester, New York. In 2002, D'Agostino was signed by Eminem to become the official DJ for Shady Records after DJ Head stepped down for undisclosed reasons...
, which blames American neo-conservatives, the Reagan Doctrine
Reagan Doctrine
The Reagan Doctrine was a strategy orchestrated and implemented by the United States under the Reagan Administration to oppose the global influence of the Soviet Union during the final years of the Cold War...
and U.S. President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
for the World Trade Center attacks, and indicates a parallel to the devaluation, destruction, and violence of urban housing project communities.
On April 29, 2007, KRS-One again defended his statements on the September 11 attacks when asked about them during an appearance on Hannity's America on the Fox News network stating that he meant that people cheered that the establishment had taken a hit, not that people were dying or had died. He also discussed amongst other things, the Don Imus
Don Imus
John Donald "Don" Imus, Jr. is an American radio host, humorist, philanthropist and writer. His nationally-syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, is broadcast throughout the United States by Citadel Media and relayed on television by the Fox Business Network.-Personal life:Imus was born in...
scandal and the use of profanity in Hip-Hop.
Gospel of Hip Hop comments
In an interview with AllHipHopAllHipHop
AllHipHop.com is a hip hop news website. It was founded in 1998. At five million visitors a month, it is the world's most popular hip hop website. Essence magazine has dubbed it "the CNN of hip-hop". In 2006, AllHipHop won the Rising Stars Award from Black Enterprise magazine. In 2007, PC Magazine...
about his book "The Gospel of Hip Hop", KRS-One said:
"I’m suggesting that in 100 years, this book will be a new religion on the earth... I think I have the authority to approach God directly, I don’t have to go through any religion [or] train of thought. I can approach God directly myself and so I wrote a book called The Gospel of Hip Hop to free from all this nonsense garbage right now. I respect the ChristianityChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, the IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, the JudaismJudaismJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
but their time is up.
...In a hundred years, everything that I’m saying to you will be common knowledge and people will be like, 'Why did he have to explain this? Wasn’t it obvious?'"
These comments have been referred to by numerous media outlets such as the AV Club who comment that "KRS-One writes 600-page hip-hop bible; blueprint for rap religion" and "KRS-One has never been afraid to court controversy and provoke strong reactions. Now the Boogie Down Productions legend has topped himself by writing The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument, a mammoth treatise on the spirituality of hip-hop he hopes will some day become a sacred text of a new hip-hop religion".
Stepson's death
Randy Hubbard Parker, stepson of KRS-One, was found dead in his Atlanta, Georgia apartment on July 6, 2007 in an apparent suicide; he was 23. Simone Parker, KRS-One's wife and Randy's mother, released a statement on July 10 that stated her son's death was related to his continuous battle with "severe depression". The Fulton County Medical Examiner's office stated that Parker died of a gunshot wound to the head, and listed the cause of death as suicide. Parker was a graphic designer and fashion entrepreneur. A private memorial service was held on July 18 , which would have been his 24th birthday.Benefit for First Responders
KRS-One spoke at a hip hop benefit concert on September 12, 2009 to benefit the first responders of 9/11 he spoke of non violence to take back the country. The event was presented by the 9/11 group We Are Change based in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and SMT Studios.
Awards
VH1Vh1 Hip Hop Honors
Vh1 Hip Hop Honors is an annual event that airs on VH1. The television special honors old school and golden age hip hop rappers and contributors. It features live performances by most of the honorees along with new school artists who have been influenced by them...
- 2004, VH1 Hip Hop Honors
BET Hip Hop Awards
BET Hip Hop Awards
The BET Hip Hop Awards are an annual awards show, airing on BET, showcasing hip hop performers, producers and music video directors. The awards ceremony began in 2006, was held on November 12, 2006 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, was first aired November 15 and was hosted by comedian Katt...
- 2007, I am Hip Hop
- 2007, Lifetime Achievement
Urban Music Awards
Urban Music Awards
The Urban Music Awards is a HipHop, R&B, Dance and soul music awards ceremony launched in 2003 and now held in six countries annually.The awards ceremony is held annually by Invincible Media Group. The UMA's is now held in 6 countries annually...
- 2009, Living Legend Award
Discography
| Boogie Down Productions | Year |
|---|---|
| Criminal Minded Criminal Minded Criminal Minded by Boogie Down Productions is a highly influential hip hop album. Production on the LP is credited to 'Blastmaster' KRS-One and DJ Scott La Rock , but in interviews it has been revealed that an uncredited Ced-Gee of The Ultramagnetic MCs had a key role in crafting the sound of the... |
1987 1987 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1987.See also:Record labels established in 1987-January-February:*January 3 – Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame... |
| By All Means Necessary By All Means Necessary By All Means Necessary is the second album from hip hop group Boogie Down Productions, released in 1988, on Jive Records. After the murder of DJ/Producer Scott La Rock in 1987, MC KRS-One moved away from the violence that dominated their debut Criminal Minded and began to write socially conscious... |
1988 1988 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1988.-January-March:* January 1 – André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra plays its first concert.... |
| Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop is the third album from Boogie Down Productions. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on September 25, 1989.-Track listing:-Instrumental credits:... |
1989 1989 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1989.-Events:*January 14 – Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР exclusively in the USSR... |
| Edutainment Edutainment (album) Edutainment is the fourth album from Boogie Down Productions. It is an album whose lyrics are based around afrocentricity and socio-political knowledge. It has 6 skits/interludes known as 'exhibits' that all talk about or relate to Black people. Many skits feature Kwame Ture a leader of the U.S.... |
1990 1990 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990.-Events:*January 21 – MTV's Unplugged premieres on cable television with British band Squeeze... |
| Live Hardcore Worldwide Live Hardcore Worldwide Live Hardcore Worldwide is the only live album by Boogie Down Productions. It features tracks from all of Boogie Down Productions' first four albums and a few new tracks. In his review for The Source Chris Wild wrote "BDP fans should buy this album... |
1991 1991 in music See also:* 1991 in music Record labels established in 1991-Summary:The year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", becomes the most popular U.S. album of the year... |
| Sex and Violence Sex and Violence (album) Sex and Violence is the final album released by hip hop group Boogie Down Productions. The next year, 1993, the group's lead member, KRS-One, would begin recording under his own name.... |
1992 1992 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s.... |
| Solo Albums | Year |
| Return of the Boom Bap Return of the Boom Bap Return of the Boom Bap was KRS-One's first official solo album, released in 1993 on the Jive Records label. It peaked on the Billboard 200 charts at position 37 on October 16, 1993. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums... |
1993 1993 in music This is a summary of significant events in music in 1993.-January–February:*January 8 – The U.S. Postal Service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. The design was voted on in February 1992.... |
| KRS-One KRS-One (album) KRS-One is the second album released by hip hop artist KRS-One under his own name. The album was originally meant to be titled Hip-Hop Vs. Rap, as can be seen in the early The Source's and Rap Pages reviews, which also reveals that a few tracks were scrapped at last minute in addition to the change... |
1995 1995 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1995.- January–February :*January 18 – Jerry Garcia crashes his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California, USA, but is not injured in the accident.... |
| I Got Next I Got Next I Got Next is emcee KRS-One's third official solo album. It remains his best-selling album to date, receiving the RIAA certification for Gold-level sales.... |
1997 1997 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy... |
| The Sneak Attack The Sneak Attack The Sneak Attack is rapper KRS-One's fourth solo hip hop album. It was released in March 2001. This was his first released on Koch Records. The track "B-Side " actually opens side "C" of the vinyl edition, although the intro was probably intended for the b-side of a cassette tape... |
2001 2001 in music See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band.... |
| Spiritual Minded Spiritual Minded Spiritual Minded is rapper KRS-One's fifth official album. It was released in January 2002 on Koch Records. KRS-One's Christian lyrical content came as a surprise to fans and critics, as he had previously written songs critical of Christianity and organised religion. The album also makes references... |
2002 2002 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI... |
| Kristyles Kristyles Kristyles is rapper KRS-One's sixth album. It was released in April 2003 by Koch Records. It features production by Da Beatminerz, DJ Revolution and KRS-One's brother and long-time collaborator DJ Kenny Parker. The song "Ya Feel Dat" doesn't appear on some versions of the album.-Track... |
2003 2003 in music -January:* January – following an investigation by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and London detectives, police raids in England and the Netherlands recover nearly 500 original Beatles studio tapes, recorded during the Let It Be sessions. Five people are arrested... |
| Keep Right Keep Right Keep Right is KRS-One's seventh hip hop album under his own name, and thirteenth overall. Released in the summer of 2004 on Grit Records, for a short time it was bundled with a free DVD... |
2004 2004 in music See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol.... |
| Life Life (KRS-One album) Life is the fourteenth album released by KRS-One, and the eight after abandoning the Boogie Down Productions name. The album is a collaboration with little known production team The Resistance.-Track listing:-Instrumental Credits:... |
2006 2006 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band.... |
| Adventures in Emceein Adventures in Emceein Adventures in Emceein is the sixteenth album by rapper KRS-One, following his collaboration with producer Marley Marl on Hip-Hop Lives. The album was one of two KRS-One albums released in February 2008... |
2008 2008 in music 2008 was a huge year in music history with the emergence of pop superstars Lady Gaga and Katy Perry into the mainstream. Also, this is the year that is widely agreed upon by critics as the start of the fall of hip hop from the mainstream and the rise of Synthpop into the mainstream due to acts such... |
| Maximum Strength Maximum Strength -Track listing:All songs were written by KRS-One.#"Beware"#"Pick It Up"#"All My Men"#"Straight Through"#"Rockin' Til the Morning"#"The Kool Herc"#"Busy Bee Shout Out"#"New York"#"Hip Hop"#"Let Me Know"#"Nah"#"The Heat"... |
2008 2008 in music 2008 was a huge year in music history with the emergence of pop superstars Lady Gaga and Katy Perry into the mainstream. Also, this is the year that is widely agreed upon by critics as the start of the fall of hip hop from the mainstream and the rise of Synthpop into the mainstream due to acts such... |
| Back to the L.A.B. Back to the L.A.B. Back to the L.A.B is an EP by KRS-One.... |
2010 2010 in music 2010 in music may refer to:*2010 in American music*2010 in Australian music*2010 in British music*2010 in Canadian music*2010 in European music *2010 in Irish music*2010 in Japanese music*2010 in New Zealand music... |
| Just Like That Just Like That Just Like That is a novel by Lily Brett about Holocaust survivors in the United States. Up to a point, it is autobiographical: The author was born in Germany in 1946 and came to Melbourne, Australia with her parents in 1948. She is married to painter David Rankin; they have three children and... |
2011 |
| Collaborative Albums | With | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Hip Hop Lives Hip Hop Lives Hip Hop Lives is the collaborative album from MC KRS-One and producer Marley Marl. This is a historical album in the sense that 20 years prior, KRS and Marley were bitter rivals involved in the legendary Bridge Wars... |
Marley Marl Marley Marl Marlon Williams , better known as Marley Marl, is an American DJ and record producer, who is considered one of the most important and influential hip-hop producers in the history of hip hop.-Biography:... |
2007 2007 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2007.-January:*January 1 - George Shearing is knighted for services to music in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Evelyn Glennie becomes a Dame... |
| Survival Skills Survival Skills Survival Skills is the collaborative album from MC KRS-One and Buckshot. The album was released on September 15, 2009 on Duck Down Records. It is the 18th album for KRS-One, and the fourth for Buckshot.The first single, ROBOT, was released on May 5, 2009... |
Buckshot Buckshot (rapper) Buckshot is an underground rapper, famous as the leader of Hip Hop supergroup Boot Camp Clik, and the group Black Moon. He has released one solo album, two with producer 9th Wonder, four albums with Black Moon and four albums with the Boot Camp Clik.- Biography :Born and raised in Brooklyn... |
2009 2009 in music The following is a list of notable events and releases in 2009 in music. Susan Boyle's album I Dreamed a Dream became the biggest selling album in the world for 2009, selling 8.3 million copies in five weeks; more than any other artist's in the whole year... |
| The Just-Ice and KRS-ONE EP Volume #1 | Just-Ice Just-Ice Just-Ice A former bouncer at punk clubs, Ice was one of the first of the New York MCs to embrace hardcore rap, and when he burst out of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, as Just-Ice, he gained instant notoriety. Muscle-bound, tattooed, aggressive—he resembled Mike Tyson in more than just looks—and with a... |
2010 2010 in music 2010 in music may refer to:*2010 in American music*2010 in Australian music*2010 in British music*2010 in Canadian music*2010 in European music *2010 in Irish music*2010 in Japanese music*2010 in New Zealand music... |
| Meta-Historical Meta-Historical - Chart Performance :The album peaked at #57 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart on Sept 18, 2010.... |
True Master True Master True Master is an American hip-hop producer and very occasional rapper. He is closely affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan and an original member of its production team, sometimes referred to as Wu-Elements. He derives his rap nom de plume from the martial arts movie of the same name... |
2010 2010 in music 2010 in music may refer to:*2010 in American music*2010 in Australian music*2010 in British music*2010 in Canadian music*2010 in European music *2010 in Irish music*2010 in Japanese music*2010 in New Zealand music... |
| Godsville Godsville Godsville is a collaborative album between MC KRS-One and Show, from Showbiz and A.G.. The album was released digitally on February 15, 2011 via D.I.T.C. Records; although the physical release didn't hit stores until May 8, 2011. It is the 21st album for KRS-One... |
Showbiz Showbiz and A.G. Showbiz and A.G. are an American hip hop duo from The Bronx, New York City. Showbiz is a producer and A.G. is a rapper. The two debuted on Lord Finesse's Funky Technician album in 1990. Show and A.G... |
2011 |
| Royalty Check | Bumpy Knuckles Freddie Foxxx Freddie Foxxx, also known as Bumpy Knuckles, is an American rapper and music producer from Long Island, New York.- Biography :... |
2011 |
| Return of the Boom Bip | DJ Premier DJ Premier Christopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru... |
2011 |
| KRS-One Presents | ||
|---|---|---|
| Artist | Title | Year |
| Greenie | It's All Good | 2010 2010 in music 2010 in music may refer to:*2010 in American music*2010 in Australian music*2010 in British music*2010 in Canadian music*2010 in European music *2010 in Irish music*2010 in Japanese music*2010 in New Zealand music... |
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | I'm Gonna Git You Sucka I'm Gonna Git You Sucka I'm Gonna Git You Sucka is a 1988 blaxploitation parody film written by, directed by and starring Keenen Ivory Wayans. Featured in the film are several black actors who were part of the blaxploitation phenomenon; including Jim Brown, Bernie Casey, Antonio Fargas and Isaac Hayes... |
himself |
| 1993 | Who's the Man? Who's the Man? Who's the Man? is a 1993 comedy film, directed by Ted Demme. The film stars Yo! MTV Raps hosts Doctor Dré and Ed Lover as its two main protagonists., it features dozens of cameo appearances from some of the top rap/hip-hop acts of the time, including Busta Rhymes, Eric B., House of Pain, Ice-T,... |
Rashid |
| 1997 | Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground Subway Stories Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground was a film made in 1997 and produced by Home Box Office for television. It began as a contest among New Yorkers who submitted stories about their experiences within the New York City Subway. HBO picked ten of the stories and cast mostly well-known or... |
Vendor |
| 1997 | Rhyme & Reason Rhyme & Reason (film) Rhyme & Reason is a 1997 documentary film about rap and hip hop. Documentary filmmaker Peter Spirer interviewed over 80 significant artists in rap and hip hop music... |
himself |
| 2000 | Boricua's Bond | |
| 2000 | Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme | himself |
| 2002 | The Freshest Kids | himself |
| 2003 | 2Pac 4 Ever | narrator Narrator A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for... |
| 2003 | Beef Beef (documentary) Beef is a 2003 film that documents the history of hip-hop feuds. The film's producers were Casey Suchan and Denis Henry Hennelly and the executive producer was Quincy Jones III... |
himself |
| 2003 | Hip-Hop Babylon 2 | himself |
| 2003 | Soundz of Spirit | himself |
| 2003 | 5 Sides of a Coin | himself |
| 2003 | MuskaBeatz | himself |
| 2004 | War on Wax: Rivalries In Hip-Hop | himself |
| 2004 | The MC: Why We Do It | himself |
| 2004 | Beef II Beef II Beef II is a sequel to the 2003 documentary Beef, which continued to document the history of rivalries in hip-hop and rap music... |
himself |
| 2004 | And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip-Hop | himself |
| 2004 | Hip-Hop Honors | himself |
| 2004 | Keep Right | himself |
| 2005 | Zoom Prout Prout | himself |
| 2006 | A Letter to the President | himself |
| 2007 | Bomb It Bomb It Bomb It is an international graffiti and street art documentary directed by award-winning director Jon Reiss and premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival... |
himself |
| 2008 | The Obama Deception The Obama Deception: The Mask Comes Off The Obama Deception: The Mask Comes Off better known simply as The Obama Deception is an American political documentary film written and directed by radio talk show host Alex Jones... |
himself |
| 2009 | Good Hair Good Hair Good Hair is a 2009 American comedy documentary film produced by Chris Rock Productions and HBO Films, starring and narrated by comedian Chris Rock. Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2009, Good Hair was released to select theaters in the United States by Roadside Attractions... |
himself |
| 2011 | Rhyme and Punishment | narrator |
Books
| Book | Year |
|---|---|
| Break the Chain KRS-ONE | 1994 |
| The Science of Rap (self published, 1996, out of print) | 1996 |
| Ruminations (Welcome Rain Publishers, July 25, 2003, out of print) | 2003 |
| The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument | 2009 |