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..."
Can't Stop Won't Stop
KRS-One Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Babylon come but they undercover
They never really want me stop sell ganja
(They just wanna take a cut of what you make so far)
But I'm not having it, I load the SLR
Pack the ganja boom They break down the door
Pop-pop T'ree shots, exchanged at close range
Out of three Babylon, me hit one in the brain
I exchanged four shots, I drop and feel pain
but I'm not hit, into the bathroom I crawl
I look out the window, it's a one story fall
I'm falling, hit the ground and start crawling
Soon I'm walking 'round, blending in with the crowd
Another day, I got away, I gotta fix this problem someday
But the very next day
Can't stop, won't stop selling mad izm
All competition I gots to get wit 'em
Me nah go jail and me nah go prison
(Take it to his face kid, dis him)
Can't stop, won't stop selling mad izm
All competition I gots to get wit 'em
Me nah go jail and me nah go prison
(Take it to his face kid, dis him)
I'm in another herb gate like a superstar
Eleven A.M., things are safe so far
I used to worry 'bout the competition on the block
But now the competition on the block is the cops
And even block watch doesn't know where we lay
Well ("Open up It's the D.E.A.")
Aww man, just when I went for more lead
The door opens up, I got a glock to my forehead
("Get down Get on the floor") I felt the stick, I thought I was dead
But I woke up instead in a cell laying on my bed
I lay back down, then I heard the crack sound
Two D.T.'s came in and laid they glocks down
One was whistling a love song, as he put some gloves on
I thought to myself, damn something's wrong
Boom bap Boom bap against my head
I fell back on the bed, down to his feet
The pain was insane but the hit was sweet
Cause these dumb-ass cops punched me right by the heat
The glock, two shots, three shots they screaming
Then someone said ("Hey wake up kid, you're dreaming")
I said, "Yo dreaming? That nightmare was hell"
But as I look around, I was still in my cell
Damn, I got myself caught up in a jam
The D.T. that woke me up was like, WHAT?
I wiped the saliva, off my mouth
The D.T. said.. ("Let's make a deal") No doubt
No question, now we started up the session
No need for guessing, yes they want my supplier
I said, what makes you think there's anyone higher?
He said.. ("Don't be a God damned liar")
You killed three D.T.'s yesterday, you heard me
But still the cops you knocked off yea was dirty
Now the whole investigation is federal
We want you to point out, the rest of the cops that are criminal
He continued to say, you can't think it through
This whole drug game is BIGGER than you
Follow our plan man and you'll be free
Let me explain one thing so you can see, we
Can't stop, won't stop selling mad izm
All competition I gots to get wit 'em
Me nah go jail and me nah go prison
(Take it to his face kid, dis him)
Can't stop, won't stop selling mad izm
All competition I gots to get wit 'em
Me nah go jail and me nah go prison
(Take it to his face kid, dis him)
Now I'm back in the herb gate, all wired up
Constantly thinking about being tied up
Snap out of it, I'm thinking, "Damn we like elves
The federal and local cops got wars with themselves
and I'm in the middle, and can't solve the riddle.
My nose is runny" ("Let me get a 20")
A 20 of the green or a 20 of the brown?
("Gimme the whole pound, clown, or duck down")
God damn, God damn, here we go again
But this time I'm set up by my federal friend
Suddenly I hear ("Yo, move from the door")
Followed by the shot sounded like a four-four
After the violence, then there was silence
Then I heard.. ("Hey yo it's us, open up the door")
But rule number one in this game is self-reliance
So I picked up the mini-mac in case they wanted more
The door opened up, the feds said what up?
They was sticking you up, so they had to get bucked
Suddenly a sense of trust came over me
I thought to myself, "Well soon I'll be free"
But as I turned around, I heard the gun go click
I said wait, but it was too late
In KRS-One's "Can't Stop Won't Stop," the lyrics talk about the singer's experience as a ganja seller who tries to avoid getting caught by police. Despite facing a lot of challenges and danger, the singer suggests he will not stop selling his goods. In the first verse, he describes the challenges of selling pure ganja, including the police undercover who are trying to take a portion of his earnings. He decides to protect his business by rifles and thereby injuring three Babylon (police). In the second verse, as the police come again, he realizes the competition is now the police, hence he is afraid of getting caught. He ends up making a deal with the police to stay free and continue selling the ganja.
The song highlights the struggles of the Black community with the police and the corrupt system. The singer's experience portrays how the police target and interfere with the Black community's way of life. The singer decides to protect his business in the first verse, and in the second verse, he has shifted to thinking about how to evade the police, who are now his only challenge. KRS-One's song emphasizes that the system is undoubtedly working against people of color, and one can only succeed by facing the system head-on and forming alliances out of necessity.
Line by Line Meaning
Open a the herb gate selling pure ganja
Starting the day selling high-quality marijuana
Babylon come but they undercover
Police arrived but in disguise
They never really want me stop sell ganja
Police don't actually want to end drug dealing
(They just wanna take a cut of what you make so far!)
(They just want a portion of the profits)
But I'm not having it, I load the SLR
Defiantly preparing to defend the business with a rifle
Pack the ganja boom! They break down the door
Firing at the police as they break through the door
Pop-pop! T'ree shots, exchanged at close range
Multiple shots fired at close range
Out of three Babylon, me hit one in the brain
One police officer was shot in the head and killed
Pop-pop! Two shots hit the window pane
Two bullets hit the window
I exchanged four shots, I drop and feel pain
Firing four shots and experiencing pain
but I'm not hit, into the bathroom I crawl
Managing to avoid getting hit and crawling into a bathroom
I look out the window, it's a one story fall
Gazing out the window and seeing a one-story drop
I'm falling, hit the ground and start crawling
Falling and then crawling on the ground
Soon I'm walking 'round, blending in with the crowd
Eventually walking around unnoticed and fitting in
Another day, I got away, I gotta fix this problem someday
Escaping and realizing the need to resolve the issue
But the very next day
However, the next day
Can't stop, won't stop selling mad izm
Determined to continue selling marijuana
All competition I gots to get wit 'em
Competing with all others in the business
Me nah go jail and me nah go prison
Refusing to be arrested or serve time
(Take it to his face kid, dis him!)
(Directly face and disrespect one's competition)
I'm in another herb gate like a superstar
Feeling like a celebrity in another location to sell
Eleven A.M., things are safe so far
11am and things are unfolding without issue
I used to worry 'bout the competition on the block
Previously concerned with competition in the area
But now the competition on the block is the cops
Now the competition is police presence rather than other dealers
And even block watch doesn't know where we lay
Residents who usually observe don't know the location.
Well ("Open up! It's the D.E.A.!")
("D.E.A. here to search and investigate!")
Aww man, just when I went for more lead
Unfortunate timing when going to reload bullets
The door opens up, I got a glock to my forehead
Law enforcers entering, one pointing a gun to head
("Get down! Get on the floor!") I felt the stick, I thought I was dead
("Lie down! Floor now!") Receiving a hard hit and thinking of dying
But I woke up instead in a cell laying on my bed
Regaining consciousness in a prison cell
I lay back down, then I heard the crack sound
Lying down and hearing a cracking sound
Two D.T.'s came in and laid they glocks down
Two detectives enter and drop their guns
One was whistling a love song, as he put some gloves on
One detective preparing and whistling a love song
I thought to myself, damn something's wrong
Realizing that something doesn't feel right
Boom bap! Boom bap against my head
Receiving blows against the head
I fell back on the bed, down to his feet
Falling to the floor and at the detective's feet
The pain was insane but the hit was sweet
The pain was unbearable, but the detectives were hit too
Cause these dumb-ass cops punched me right by the heat
Getting punched near where the gun was previously hidden
The glock, two shots, three shots they screaming
More shots fired and shouting from them
Then someone said ("Hey wake up kid, you're dreaming!")
Then someone saying, "Wake up, you're dreaming!"
I said, "Yo dreaming?! That nightmare was hell"
Responding that it wasn't a dream but a nightmare
But as I look around, I was still in my cell
Realizing still in prison
Damn, I got myself caught up in a jam
Feeling trapped in a hard situation
The D.T. that woke me up was like, WHAT?!
Detective that tried to wake me up responds with surprise
I wiped the saliva, off my mouth
Cleaning saliva from mouth
The D.T. said.. ("Let's make a deal") No doubt!
Detective proposes a deal to be made
No question, now we started up the session
No hesitation, the negotiation begins
No need for guessing, yes they want my supplier
Detectives confirm the desire to know the source
I said, what makes you think there's anyone higher?
Asking what makes them believe there's someone above me
He said.. ("Don't be a God damned liar!")
He responds with hostility to denial
You killed three D.T.'s yesterday, you heard me
Claims of the murder of three detectives the previous day
But still the cops you knocked off yea was dirty
Recognizing that the killed detectives were corrupt
Now the whole investigation is federal
The investigation now has federal involvement
We want you to point out, the rest of the cops that are criminal
Requesting to expose other illegal detectives
He continued to say, you can't think it through
Advising that it's pointless to resist or think it over
This whole drug game is BIGGER than you!
The drug business extends far beyond one person
Follow our plan man and you'll be free
Offering a way to be released from prison
Let me explain one thing so you can see, we
Giving an explanation to convince
Now I'm back in the herb gate, all wired up
Back to drug dealing but feeling paranoid
Constantly thinking about being tied up
Continuously worried about being set up by law enforcement
Snap out of it, I'm thinking, "Damn we like elves!
Thinking of an analogy, using elves to represent marijuana dealers
The federal and local cops got wars with themselves;
The different groups of law enforcement are fighting among themselves
and I'm in the middle, and can't solve the riddle.
Feeling stuck in the middle and unable to solve the problem
My nose is runny" ("Let me get a 20!")
Requesting drugs while having a runny nose
A 20 of the green or a 20 of the brown?
Asking whether marijuana or heroin is being requested
("Gimme the whole pound, clown, or duck down!")
("I want a pound or you'll face trouble!")
God damn, God damn, here we go again
Feeling frustrated and upset with the situation
But this time I'm set up by my federal friend
Realizing a betrayal by the friend who had made a deal
Suddenly I hear ("Yo, move from the door!")
Hearing someone at the door who may be dangerous
Followed by the shot sounded like a four-four
Hearing a gunshot that may be from a .44 caliber gun
After the violence, then there was silence
After the noise and disturbance, it becomes quiet
Then I heard.. ("Hey yo it's us, open up the door!")
Hearing someone who she recognizes and knows can be trusted
But rule number one in this game is self-reliance
Understanding that it's important to rely on oneself in this business
So I picked up the mini-mac in case they wanted more
Picking up a weapon in case of further danger
The door opened up, the feds said what up?
Opening the door and seeing federal agents
They was sticking you up, so they had to get bucked
Referring to previous events where there was a conflict with law enforcement
Suddenly a sense of trust came over me
Feeling a sense of trust with the federal agents
I thought to myself, "Well soon I'll be free!"
Believing that freedom will soon be obtained
But as I turned around, I heard the gun go click
As the situation begins to look better, realizing a new danger
I said wait, but it was too late
Trying to stop what was going to happen, but being unsuccessful
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Larry Muggerud, Lawrence Krsone Parker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Christian Dean
Not only do I respect this man as an MC, but I genuinely look up to this man. When I go through hard times, I listen to his music, look his interviews, and learn from his teachings. I would love to sit in on one of his lectures and shake his hand.
Ditc 210
Word.Rap is something we do HipHop is something we live!
Alex Knox
Attack your life, the way this man attacks the mike!!
SaucierCarton16
Real hip hop never dies...simply a legend...
Mr Muàmar
This song is insane a masterpiece.
waters1993
this track is extremely good. KRS can do gansta rap just as well as he does conscious hip hop. Good ending to the story as well
Denistone Tiger
This is Kris at his intense best!
Hip Hop & South Bronx ambassador extraordinaire for more than 30 years now!!
RIP Scott La Rock
35nomoon
You know you heard the true sound of real hip hop when someone has 20+ yrs of dope lyrics like KRS-One. Bullshit rappers today should give notice the to master of lyrics and be learned. LONG LIVE OLD SCKOOL HIP HOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Zian055
Am not much into hiphop anymore, but KRS-One makes me realize that hiphop ain't the shit you see on MTV, but pure. KRS-1 is that pure.
Merijn van keulen
one of the best tracks ever