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..."
Here We Go
KRS-One Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm an emcee to the core
The core of an emcee
I spit more raw sixteens than many
The emcee rap terrain is not friendly
Haters, debaters, critics man, there's many
Rappers want to tempt me
I'm betting on them man you come up empty
The universe sent me with a rhyme dispersal
Cause you dissing the universe
We're universal
Follow your purpose, that'll never hurt you
Follow these corporations
Man they'll jerk you
I got work to do, I can't flirt with you
Hip-Hop, I am that word to you
I might sound absurd to you
But has it ever occurred to you
That I'll still lyrically murder you?
Run along, don't you have dirt to do?
True emcees never even heard of you
Even with a number one video
We never heard of you
You stole your shine like burglars do
I'm holding mine, I'll burn your crew
You rap
Emceeing's what you gotta learn to do
When people seek Hip-Hop
They don't turn to you
For the real man, there's only a few
That's KRS-One, one two, one two
Pass me the mic, here's what we gon' do
Yo, give all praises to Allah
Yo, raise emcees through Islam
And his word is bond, remain calm
Got love for his pops and moms
Give charity to neighborhoods
And show respect to the cops
Plus the thugs on the
Block to hollywood execs
A good man strive to be better
From good knowledge and wisdom
Over drugs and cheddar
We keep school in the cabinet
Attract people like magnets
Pragmatic when it comes to static
I study my mathematics
Help my friends in need
Aim to succeed, respect men all color
Race and creed
Don't just strive, know who he is
I strive to be it
My father's the king, I'm a prince
That's how I see it
Travel revolutionary roads
Live by samurai code
Got Chi kung, my skin tough as the toad
Who am I? How can doubt deny
That I am what I am
Descended from the most high
Metamorphosis metaphysical
We building better physical
We see shine and design
Therefore he's not invisible
Proceed and heard everywhere
From a spec of dust to a follicle of hair
To a rogue wave in the ocean
To a molecule of air, he's there
Microscopic to the cosmic
Puts every force on object
Whether you're 'nostic, catholic, gothic
Or the prophet we deal with mathematics
We can subtract or add it divide it
Multiply or breaking down the fractions
From a cloud of blood and
Sperm cell we flashing
The biochemical equation
Walk and talk with reaction
One two, one, one two, one two
Pass me the mic, here's what we gon' do
Pass me the mic, here's what we gon' do
(Hahah, check it, suuuuuu)
Yo, one two, one, one two, one two
Pass me the mic, here's what we gon' do
Pass me the mic, here's what we gon' do
KRS-One's song Here We Go explores the struggles and challenges that come with being a rapper. The lyrics speak of his journey through the music industry while struggling to keep his head above water. In the opening lines, he repeats the phrase "here we go" to express the cyclical nature of the industry and the constant struggle to maintain his success. He explains that he does not consider many people his friends, revealing the isolation that often comes with fame.
KRS-One also speaks to the difficult consequences of his past mistakes and poor decisions. He describes his ongoing efforts to make things right and seek redemption for his sins. Despite this, he still feels like he is surviving but not thriving, with nobody to turn to for support during his most difficult moments of grief.
The song also touches on themes of loyalty and respect. KRS-One makes it clear that he is willing to do whatever it takes to support his "brothers," and will not hesitate to take action against those who disrespect his crew or his craft. He acknowledges the importance of staying humble, recognizing that his success could be taken away at any moment.
Overall, Here We Go presents a melancholic, reflective tone as KRS-One grapples with the complexities and challenges of his life as a rapper. The lyrics provide a glimpse into the emotional and personal struggles that often go unrecognized in the music industry.
Line by Line Meaning
Here we go, here we go once again
Starting all over again
I don't call these people my friend
I don't trust these people
Been on this long road writing my wrongs for my sins
Been trying to fix my mistakes for a long time
You don't wanna call these people your friend
You shouldn't trust these people either
Don't know how I'm still surviving, but not breathing
I don't know how I'm still going despite not really feeling alive
Nobody in my corner to confide in while I'm grieving
I have no one to talk to as I deal with my pain
I been working for it, niggas tryna act like that I made it
I've been working hard for it, while others are acting like I'm already successful
Still be at the store, just waiting for you to tell me I'm the greatest
I'm still waiting for recognition and approval from others
I let these niggas cop it now, I guess I'll cop it later
I'll let them have it for now, but I'll get mine at some point
Know my niggas with me, stepping like a Kappa or a Theta
My friends are with me, walking with the confidence of fraternity members
Do it for you twice, If I call you brother, ain't no favors
I'll do it for you twice if you're my brother, and I don't expect anything in return
Nigga play, we had to line him up, and give that boy a taper
We had to teach him a lesson and give him a haircut
I been flexing on these niggas in the most humblest way
I've been showing off, but in a subtle and humble way
Got to stay humble 'cause I know that I could lose it all today
I have to stay humble because I know that everything could be taken away from me at any moment
She ain't tryna ride for real, I like my bitches from the bottom
She's not really loyal, I prefer women who come from humble beginnings
When Kobe told me get him, I say bro you know I got 'em
When Kobe asked me to handle something, I told him I had it under control
I been feeling down, man I hate talking 'bout my problems
I've been feeling sad but I don't like talking about my issues
'Lil Kenn died, told him that I love him when I saw him
My friend Lil Kenn has passed away, but I was able to tell him I loved him before it happened
Donnie died, went and got it tatted on my body
Another friend, Donnie, has passed and I got a tattoo to remember him by
This shit hurt my soul, 'bout to turn rapping to a hobby
This pain is affecting me deeply and it's making me want to give up my music career
(yeah-yeah)
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind