KRS-One, originally a member of the hip hop crew Boogie Down Productions, is known for setting the path for both hardcore rap and socially conscious political rap.
Youth and early career
Born Lawrence Parker in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn in 1965, the future KRS-One grew up with his brother Kenny and their single mother in assorted inner city neighborhoods of Brooklyn and the Bronx. According to interviews with The Source Magazine, one fateful day when he was 12 years old, he and his brother Kenny prepared a pan of flavored rice, which was to be the family's dinner for the evening. The hungry pair ate the whole thing, and when their mother came home from work, she kicked them out of the apartment in a fit of anger. They stayed away for two days before younger Kenny decided to go back home, while Lawrence opted not to return. He spent the better part of the next seven years homeless, much of it at local libraries.
In his late teen years, Lawrence Parker fell in with some illegal drug dealers and became a courier. Using a bread delivery truck as a cover, Parker and his partner drove around town to make drops. During one of their trips, a police car pulled up behind them with flashing lights. Parker's partner panicked, and led the cops on a chase for several miles which ended with the truck crashing and the two being apprehended. At the trial, the judge made the commentary that the only reason the police had initially tried to pull them over was because they had private plates on a commercial vehicle, there was no original intent to search for drugs.
Parker, still a minor, claimed he was a ward of the state, and got sent to a juvenile home for his sentencing, after which he was moved to a Covenant House youth homeless shelter. It was there that he met Scott Sterling, a recent college graduate who just started working at the shelter as a social worker. Parker discovered that Sterling moonlighted as a hip hop DJ under the name Scott La Rock. By this time, Parker had earned the nickname "Kris" from the relationship he had developed with local Hare Krishnas that evangelized near the shelter. Heavily influenced by Eastern philosophies, he was also an aspiring rapper, and practiced routines in verbal spars with the other shelter residents.
Parker and Sterling, along with two other fellows, 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 release on indie Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records (under the group name "12:41") did not enjoy commercial success. Soon after, the pair approached another NY indie, Rock Candy Productions, for a deal. As it turns out, the entertainment company was allegedly a front for a pornography operation, but Parker and Sterling convinced the boss to front them the money to record an album, under the newly created subsidiary label, B-Boy Records. After a few 12-inch single releases, the Criminal Minded album finally surfaced in 1987.
Criminal Minded featured many dis tracks that attacked other hip hop emcees and tracks about street crime ("wa da da deng wa da da da deng, listen to my nine millimeter go bang"). KRS One and La Rock appeared on the cover of the album holding firearms, a controversial precedent that would be followed by many rap artists in the years to follow. Musically, the album was based around James Brown samples and reggae influences. They also sampled hard-rock band AC/DC on "Dope Beat". During these years, KRS-One was also famously involved in a hip hop battle 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.
Later career and emphasis on political issues
Following the fatal shooting of Scott La Rock in 1987, Boogie Down Productions (BDP) became increasingly political. KRS One was the primary motivation behind the HEAL compilation and the Stop the Violence Movement. KRS One attracted many prominent emcees to appear on the 12-inch single "Self Destruction." As 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 the backronym "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone".
On his first solo album, 1993's Return of the Boombap, 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", a political protest song about Mumia Abu-Jamal, an imprisoned African-American and Black Panther member who a vocal group of activists on the political Left claim is innocent of the crime of which he was convicted. Other prominent guest artists on KRS One included Mad Lion, Busta Rhymes, Das EFX and Fat Joe.
In 1997, Parker surprised many with his release of the album I Got Next. The record included a remix of the single "Step into a World" which featured a sample from the 1970s rock group Blondie by commercial rap icon Puff Daddy. "Heartbeat", featuring Angie Martinez and Redman, was based on the old school classic "Feel the Heartbeat" by the Treacherous Three. These collaborations with notably mainstream artists took many fans and observers of the vehemently anti-mainstream KRS One by surprise. However, in August 1997 KRS One 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 favour of commercial artists such as Puff Daddy.
In 1999, there were tentative plans to release an album called "Maximum Strength"; a lead single, "5 Boroughs", was released on The Corruptor movie soundtrack. However, KRS 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. KRS moved to southern California, and stayed there for two years, finally ending his relationship with Jive Records with A Retrospective in 2000. The next year, he resigned his position at Reprise and in 2001 The Sneak Attack was released 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. He founded the Temple of Hiphop, and released a new album, Kristyles, in mid- 2003, which was preceded by KRS-One: The Mixtape. In the summer of 2004 he released Keep Right.
KRS One's latest CD Life, was released in June 2006, and another CD, Adventures in Emceein on Koch Records is slated for later in the year. KRS has also confirmed for his next album of new material, expected to be out in 2007, he will be working with Marley Marl.
September 11 comments and ensuing controversy
In 2004, KRS engendered a controversy when he was quoted in a panel discussion hosted by New Yorker Magazine as saying that Blacks "cheered when 911 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 furor surrounding his comments with an editorial written for AllHipHop.com. In it, Parker said "I was asked about why hiphop has not engaged the current situation more (meaning 911), my response was 'because it does not affect us, or at least we don’t perceive that it affects 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 affected 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..."
08. mad crew
KRS-One Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the mic I get (mad)
On the beats I get (mad)
Yo,
[Chorus]
I got the
(Mad, mad crew up in the house)
I be chillin' wit the
I'm rollin' wit the
See, this is what I'm sayin' and I know you don't see this
Wack, underpriveledged MCs think they can see Kris
They watchin' too much television and they rocka
This ain't the TV show "Taxi," and I ain't Lotka
I break an MC off proper, yo don't check me
Ask your Moms and Pops, yo they respect me
But here you stand, tryin' to get yours, but gettin' nothin'
You probably can't spell "Boogie Down" or "Productions"
I play for jeeps, I play for keeps, I play for streets, believe me
Put down the microphone and consider a squeegie
You're rated PG
Again I win when I begin
I'm slammin' again, no win, try to comprehend
I don't bend
I ravage and damage
I'm wild like a savage, kickin' asses
Hot flashes, your style's with trash's
Stay out of my classes, PUNK
Stay out of my classes - yo
[Chorus]
Twinkle, twinkle to the little rap star
I got all type of MC tongue in a pickle jar
So here's a quick freestyle to my target:
My core audience, *fuck* the rest of the market!
'Cause I spark it, styles I loan shark it
Then break your legs if you try to chart it
I got heart, it
Doesn't take a lot to rock a record, get wit it
Some MCs can't rock for five minutes
Sorry, that's not the way to approach me
Use caution
I rip up lyrical crews and MCs often
You probably don't know this:
I give birth to MCs
And I also give abortions
I'll do a number to your body structure
You look like supper
And I'm that hungry motherfucker!
You don't want to be on the menu!
I'll end you, twist you up and bend you
Like Gestapo
Pick up the microphone and crush up MC like a taco
No, we're never sad because we nah deal with sorrow
That's why dem challenge me, jah man you know dem challenge trouble
Me are number one of me there is no double!
And you don't want no trouble
'Cause Blastmaster KRS is flashin' lyrics on the double
[Chorus]
Check
Me comin' on quick, me cominadance, now me a sing
KRS-One in a party, man me do me own ting
Nuff MC test, but you don't hear vowel one
All you hear is when the BDP crew slap them up
We have the champion belt and lyrical cup
Any DJ they want my title filled, no way now man step up
But when you lose, now understand you get fucked up
This ain't no game upon the mic
Me bring the noise to you like Chuck
[Chorus]
Kid Capri got the
Gang Starr got the
Ill Will got the
Flavor Unit got the
The chorus of KRS-One's "Mad Crew" is a proclamation of his skill and the reputation of the group he represents. He claims to have a "mad crew" that is with him at all times, urging the listener to know that he rolls with the best. KRS-One addresses the competition, calling out "wack, underprivileged MCs" who can't compete with him. He makes it clear that he is not interested in commercial success or pleasing mainstream audiences because he is the real deal. KRS-One lets it be known that he is not to be messed with on the mic or on the beats.
KRS-One uses metaphorical images to reinforce his lyrical prowess. He compares his domination over other MCs to a loan shark who breaks legs if people try to chart his style. He also speaks about his creative genius, creating new MCs and aborting others he considers unworthy. He declares that he is a champion with a lyrical cup and champion belt that DJs want to fill. The song ends with KRS-One referencing other influential rap groups that represent the fundamental skills of hip-hop.
Line by Line Meaning
So in the clubs I get (mad)
The singer becomes agitated when in clubs.
On the mic I get (mad)
The singer becomes agitated while performing rap.
On the beats I get (mad)
The singer becomes agitated while listening to music.
I got the
(Mad, mad crew up in the house)
I'm wit the
I be chillin' wit the
I'm rollin' wit the
The artist is surrounded by a group of angry people.
Wack, underpriveledged MCs think they can see Kris
Lesser skilled rappers have no chance against the artist.
This ain't the TV show "Taxi," and I ain't Lotka
The singer is not a fictional character and does not share their qualities.
I break an MC off proper, yo don't check me
The singer is an established rapper and should not be challenged.
You probably can't spell "Boogie Down" or "Productions"
The listener is not knowledgeable about hip hop culture.
Put down the microphone and consider a squeegie
The artist suggests that the listener should consider a career change.
You're rated PG
The listener's rapping style is very basic and not aggressive.
Again I win when I begin
I'm slammin' again, no win, try to comprehend
The singer is confident in their rapping abilities and has won many battles against other MCs.
I don't bend
I ravage and damage
I'm wild like a savage, kickin' asses
The artist is aggressive and not easily intimidated.
Hot flashes, your style's with trash's
Stay out of my classes, PUNK
The listener's style is not on par with the singer's and they should not attempt to compete with them.
Twinkle, twinkle to the little rap star
The listener is not taken seriously by the singer and is not a true rapper.
I got all type of MC tongue in a pickle jar
The singer has defeated many other MCs.
My core audience, *fuck* the rest of the market!
The artist does not care about appealing to mainstream audiences and is content with their current fan base.
I rip up lyrical crews and MCs often
The artist is known for consistently defeating other rap groups and individual rappers.
I give birth to MCs
And I also give abortions
The singer is responsible for creating and destroying other MCs.
You look like supper
And I'm that hungry motherfucker!
The listener is vulnerable and the singer sees an opportunity to defeat them.
No, we're never sad because we nah deal with sorrow
That's why dem challenge me, jah man you know dem challenge trouble
The artist is never unhappy due to their fearless nature, which is why they are often challenged.
Me are number one of me there is no double!
And you don't want no trouble
The artist is the best and most skilled rapper, and the listener should not try to compete with them.
But when you lose, now understand you get fucked up
This ain't no game upon the mic
If an MC challenges the artist and loses, they will suffer severe consequences.
Me bring the noise to you like Chuck
The singer brings excitement and energy to their raps, similar to the legendary musician Chuck D.
Kid Capri got the
Gang Starr got the
Ill Will got the
Flavor Unit got the
Various rap artists and groups are mentioned, possibly indicating alliances or rivalries in the hip hop community.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LAWRENCE KRSONE PARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind