KRS One

Lawrence Krisna Parker (born August 20, 1965), known throughout his career by several monikers including Kris Parker, KRS One, The Blastmaster and The Teacha, is a rapper born in Park Slope, Brooklyn. He ran away from home at a young age and wound up in the Bronx. Young Kris Parker first adopted his most famous pseudonym when writing graffiti (bombing) in his neighbourhood of the Bronx - he would sign his artwork as KRIS-One, which later became KRS-1, or KRS-ONE (an acronym for Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone). Together with DJ Scott La Rock, he formed Boogie Down Productions. Their debut album - Criminal Minded - contained mainly dissing records and tracks about crime ("wa da da deng wa da da da deng, listen to my nine millimeter go bang"), based around James Brown samples and reggae influences. During these years, KRS-One was also famously involved in a rap battle (a beef) with MC Shan, of Queensbridge. KRS objected to MC Shan calling Queensbridge the home of hip hop, and attacked him viciously on a seminal battle rap, The Bridge Is Over. KRS is a highly respected figure in the hip hop community and is often referenced in works by other hip hop artists.

Following the fatal shooting of Scott La Rock in 1987, Boogie Down Productions became increasingly political. KRS One was also the mastermind behind the HEAL compilation and the Stop the Violence Movement that has its own manifesto with the 12" "Self Destruction" featuring many popular rappers. As Kris Parker adopted this more-conscientious, less-violent approach, he stopped calling himself The Blastmaster (his battle rap nickname), and instead began calling himself The Teacha, turning the nickname KRS-ONE into an acronym (Knowledge Reigns Supreme - Over Nearly Everyone).

On his first solo album, KRS worked together with producers DJ Premier (Gang Starr), Showbiz and Kid Capri. The catchy yet very hardcore track "Sound of da Police" is featured on this album. His second album, KRS One featured Channel Live on the track "Free Mumia" as well as Mad Lion, Busta Rhymes, Das EFX and Fat Joe. Surprisingly enough, 1997's "I Got Next" included a remix of the new hit "Step into a World" (with a sample from Blondie's "Rapture") by commercial rap icon Puff Daddy. "Hearbeat", featuring Angie Martinez and Redman, was based on the old school classic "Feel the Heartbeat" by the Treacherous Three.

After many BDP albums and the solo albums, Jive Records decided to drop KRS, and his 2001 album was released on Koch. In 2002, he released a gospel-rap album, Spiritual Minded, surprising many longtime fans since he had once criticized Christianity as being a "slavemaster religion" which African Americans should not follow. He founded the Temple of Hip-Hop, and released a new album, Kristyles, in late 2002, as well as a new mixtape of classics and a few new tracks, KRS-One: The Mixtape. He has most recently released Get Right in the summer of 2004.

In 2004, KRS engendered a controversy in a interview with New Yorker Magazine where he was quoted as saying Aftrican Americans "cheered when 911 happened". However, KRS One later refuted these comments by saying they were taken out of context. In an interview (http://www.allhiphop.com/editorial/?ID=218) with Allthingshiphop.com he said "I was asked about why Hiphop has not engaged the current situation more (meaning 911) my responds (sic) was “because it does not affect us, or at least we don’t perceive that it effects us, 911 happened to them”. I went on to say that “I am speaking for the culture now; I am not speaking my personal opinion”. I continued to say; “911 effected them down the block; the rich, the powerful those that are oppressing us as a culture. Sony, RCA or BMG, Universal, the radio stations, Clear Channel, Viacom with BET and MTV, those are our oppressors those are the people that we’re trying to overcome in Hiphop everyday, this is a daily thing. We cheered when 911 happened in New York and say that proudly here. Because when we were down at the trade center we were getting hit over the head by cops, told that we can’t come in this building, hustled down to the train station because of the way we dressed and talked, and so on, we were racially profiled. So, when the planes hit the building we were like; mmmm justice.” And just as I began to say “now of course a lot of our friends and family were lost there as well” but I was interrupted."

Contents

1 Discography 1.1 Boogie Down Productions 1.2 Solo Albums 2 Guest Appearances 3 Cameos and Roles in Movies 4 External links

Discography

Boogie Down Productions

• Criminal Minded (1987)
• By All Means Necessary (1988)
• Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop (1989)
• Edutainment (1990)
• Live Hardcore Worldwide (1991)
• Sex and Violence (1992)

Solo Albums

• Return of the Boom Bap (1993)
• KRS One (1995)
• I Got Next (1997)
• The Sneak Attack (2001)
• Spiritual Minded (2002)
• Kristyles (2003)
• KRS-One: The Mixtape (2003)
• The Kristyle (Reissued on new label with new songs) ["To have everything, keep radiating in spirit through your love everday."] (2003)
• Digital (2004)
• Keep Right (2004)

Guest Appearances

• "Clobberin' Time/Pay The Price" by Sick Of It All from Blood, Sweat, And No Tears (1989)
• "Radio Song" by R.E.M. from Out of Time (1991)
• "The Jam" by Shabba Ranks (1991)
• "Rough..." by Queen Latifah on Black Reign (1993)
• "East Coast-West Coast Killas" by Dr. Dre from Dr. Dre Presents...The Aftermath (1996)
• "C.I.A. (Criminals In Action)" Zack De La Rocha, KRS-One, The Last Emperor on Lyricist Lounge Vol. 1 (1999)
• "Return of Hip Hop" by DJ Tomekk on The Return of Hip Hop (2001)

Cameos and Roles in Movies

• "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" (1988) - KRS One and BDP walk behind Jack Spade performing his theme music
• "Who's the Man?" (1993) - Rashid
• "SUBWAYstories: Tales from the Underground" (1997) - Vendor
• "Rhyme & Reason" (1997) - Himself
• "Boricua's Bond" (2000) - ?
• "2Pac 4 Ever" (2003) - Narrator
• "Beef" (2003) - Himself
• "Hip-Hop Babylon 2" (2003) - Himself
• "Soundz of Spirit" (2003) - ?
• "Beef 2" (2004) - Himself
• "And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip-Hop" (2004) - Himself
• "Hip-Hop Honors" (2004) - Himself
• "Keep Right DVD" (2004) - Himself

External links

• Temple of Hip-Hop (http://www.templeofhiphop.org)
• Article on KRS's 9/11 comments (http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/1014krs14-ON.html)de:KRS-One