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..."
Love's Gonna Get'cha
KRS-One Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
LOVE
That word love is a very serious thing and if you don't watch out I
Tell ya
That (Love's gonna get you) because a lot of people out here say "I
Love my
Car" or "I love my chain" or or "I'm I'm just in love with that girl
Over
Items
We gonna bump the beat a lil' something like this
I'm in junior high with a be plus grade,
At the end of the day I don't hit the arcade,
I walk from school to my moms apartment,
I got to tell the sucaks everyday "don't start it",
Cause where I'm at if your soft your lost,
To say on course means to roll with force,
A boy named Rob is chillin in a Benz,
In front of my building with the rest of his friends,
I give him a pound, oh I mean I shake his hand,
He's the neighborhood drug dealer, my man,
I go upstairs and hug my mother,
Kiss my sister, and punch my brother,
I sit down on my bed to watch some tv,
(machine gun fire) do my ears deceive me,
Nope, that's the fourth time this week,
Another fast brother shot dead in the street,
The very next day while I'm off to class,
My moms goes to work cold busting her ass,
My sisters cute but she got no gear,
I got three pairs of pants and with my brother I share,
See there in school see I'm made a fool,
With one and a half pair of pant you ain't cool,
But there's no dollars for nothing else,
I got beans, rice, and bread on my shelf,
Every day I see my mother struggling,
Now its time I've got to do something,
I look for work I get dissed like a jerk,
I do odd jobs and come home like a slob,
So here comes Rob he's cold and shivery,
He gives me two hundred for a quick delivery,
I do it once, I do it twice,
Now there's steak with the beans and rice,
My mother's nervous but she knows the deal,
My sister's gear now has sex appeal,
My brothers my partner and we're getting paper,
Three months later we run our own caper,
My family's happy everything is new,
Now tell me what the fuck am I supposed to do,
[Chorus]
That's why, (loves gonna get you)
(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)
You fall in love with your chain,
You fall in love with your car,
Loves gonna sneak right up and snuff you from behind,
So I want you to check the story out as we go down the line,
(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)
Money's flowing, everything is fine,
Got myself an Uzi and my brother a nine,
Business is boomin' everything is cool,
I pull about a g a week fuck school,
A year goes by and I begin to grow,
Not in height but juice and cash flow,
I pick up my feet and begin to watch tv,
Cause now I got other people working for me,
I got a fifty five inch television you know,
And every once in awhile I hear just say no,
Or the other commercial I love,
Is when they say, this is your brain on drugs,
I pick up my remote control and just turn,
Cause with that bullshit I'm not concerned,
See me and my brother jump in the BM,
Driving around our territory again,
I stop at the light like a superstar,
And automatic weapons cold sprayed my car,
I hit the accelerator scared as fuck,
And drove one block to find my brother was hit,
He wasn't dead but the blood was pouring,
And all I could think about was war and,
Later I found that it was Rob and his crew,
Now tell me what the fuck am I supposed to do,
Ya know that's why, (loves gonna get you)
(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)(love loves gonna get you)
(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)
(love loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)
That word love is very very serious(loves gonna get you)
Very addictive
My brothers out of it, but I'm still in it,
On top of that I'm in it to win it,
I can't believe that Rob would diss me,
That faggot, that punk, he's soft a sissy,
I'm driving around now with three of my guys,
The war is on and I'm on the rise,
We rolled right up to his favorite hang out,
Said hello and then the bullets rang out,
Some fired back so we took cover,
And all I could think about was my brother,
Rob jumped up and began to run,
Busting shots hoping to hit someone,
So I just stopped, and let off three shots,
Two hit him and one hit a cop,
I threw the gun down and began to shout,
Come on I got him it's time to break out,
But as we ran there were the boys in blue,
Pointing their guns at my four man crew,
They shot down one, they shot down two,
Now tell me what the fuck am I supposed to do,
(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)
(love loves gonna get you)
(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)
(love loves gonna get you)
(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you),
(loves gonna get you)
(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)
(love loves gonna get you)
Ya know a lot of people believe that that word
Love is real soft, but when
You use it in your vocabulary like your addicted to it it sneaks right up
And takes you right out. out. Out. Out. Out.
So, for future reference remember it's alright to like or want a material
Item, but when you fall in love with it and you start scheming and carrying
On for it, just remember, it's gonna get'cha
KRS-One's song "Love's Gonna Get'cha" is an eye-opening portrayal of the pitfalls of materialism and what can result from falling in love with possessions. The song speaks of a young boy who witnesses the grim realities of living in the inner city. The lyrics describe how the young protagonist sees his neighborhood drug dealer as a success story with his luxurious car, money, and fame. With no job prospects, the boy becomes the dealer's drug runner and begins to reap the rewards of the illegal drug trade. He spends heavily on expensive clothes and cars, and his materialism blinds him to the crime and danger surrounding him.
The song portrays the tragic consequences of falling in love with material things. The singer loses his brother and those closest to him due to a violent gang war fueled by drugs and power, leading him to question what he has done to himself and his family. The song's chorus drives home the message that love for material things can ultimately lead you to destruction.
Overall, KRS-One uses powerful storytelling in "Love's Gonna Get'cha" to send a message to society about the dangers of materialism and its consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Ya know that's why man I be telling you all the time man you know
I constantly emphasize the seriousness of love and its potential negative consequences.
That word love is a very serious thing and if you don't watch out I Tell ya That (Love's gonna get you) because a lot of people out here say "I Love my Car" or "I love my chain" or or "I'm I'm just in love with that girl Over There" so far all the people out there that fall in love with material Items We gonna bump the beat a lil' something like this
Love is a serious emotion, and if you're not careful, it can consume you. Many people develop an unhealthy attachment to material possessions and mistake it for love. This song aims to address that issue.
I'm in junior high with a be plus grade, At the end of the day I don't hit the arcade, I walk from school to my moms apartment, I got to tell the sucaks everyday "don't start it", Cause where I'm at if your soft your lost, To say on course means to roll with force, A boy named Rob is chillin in a Benz, In front of my building with the rest of his friends, I give him a pound, oh I mean I shake his hand, He's the neighborhood drug dealer, my man, I go upstairs and hug my mother, Kiss my sister, and punch my brother, I sit down on my bed to watch some tv, (machine gun fire) do my ears deceive me, Nope, that's the fourth time this week, Another fast brother shot dead in the street, The very next day while I'm off to class, My moms goes to work cold busting her ass, My sisters cute but she got no gear, I got three pairs of pants and with my brother I share, See there in school see I'm made a fool, With one and a half pair of pant you ain't cool, But there's no dollars for nothing else, I got beans, rice, and bread on my shelf, Every day I see my mother struggling, Now its time I've got to do something, I look for work I get dissed like a jerk, I do odd jobs and come home like a slob, So here comes Rob he's cold and shivery, He gives me two hundred for a quick delivery, I do it once, I do it twice, Now there's steak with the beans and rice, My mother's nervous but she knows the deal, My sister's gear now has sex appeal, My brothers my partner and we're getting paper, Three months later we run our own caper, My family's happy everything is new, Now tell me what the fuck am I supposed to do,
I'm a junior high student struggling to make ends meet. My neighborhood is dangerous, and violence is common. Despite the difficulties, I value my family and try to support them by taking odd jobs. However, when Rob, a local drug dealer, offers me an opportunity to make money quickly, I reluctantly accept. The illegal activities provide a temporary improvement in our lives, but I am conflicted about the moral implications.
[Chorus] That's why, (loves gonna get you) (loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you) You fall in love with your chain, You fall in love with your car, Loves gonna sneak right up and snuff you from behind, So I want you to check the story out as we go down the line, (loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)
This chorus highlights the main message of the song, emphasizing how falling in love with material possessions can lead to negative consequences. Love will eventually catch up to you and cause harm if you prioritize materialism over more important aspects of life.
Money's flowing, everything is fine, Got myself an Uzi and my brother a nine, Business is boomin' everything is cool, I pull about a g a week fuck school, A year goes by and I begin to grow, Not in height but juice and cash flow, I pick up my feet and begin to watch tv, Cause now I got other people working for me, I got a fifty five inch television you know, And every once in awhile I hear just say no, Or the other commercial I love, Is when they say, this is your brain on drugs, I pick up my remote control and just turn, Cause with that bullshit I'm not concerned, See me and my brother jump in the BM, Driving around our territory again, I stop at the light like a superstar, And automatic weapons cold sprayed my car, I hit the accelerator scared as fuck, And drove one block to find my brother was hit, He wasn't dead but the blood was pouring, And all I could think about was war and, Later I found that it was Rob and his crew, Now tell me what the fuck am I supposed to do,
With the success of our illegal business, money starts flowing in. I become more powerful and influential, hiring others to work for me. However, the consequences of my actions become evident when violence erupts. My brother is injured in a shooting orchestrated by Rob, who I used to work with. I am left questioning my next move and the future of my endeavors.
Ya know that's why, (loves gonna get you) (loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)(love loves gonna get you) (loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you) (love loves gonna get you)(loves gonna get you)
This line reiterates the main theme of the song, reminding listeners that love, when misdirected towards materialism or harmful activities, will ultimately have negative consequences.
My brothers out of it, but I'm still in it, On top of that I'm in it to win it, I can't believe that Rob would diss me, That faggot, that punk, he's soft a sissy, I'm driving around now with three of my guys, The war is on and I'm on the rise, We rolled right up to his favorite hang out, Said hello and then the bullets rang out, Some fired back so we took cover, And all I could think about was my brother, Rob jumped up and began to run, Busting shots hoping to hit someone, So I just stopped, and let off three shots, Two hit him and one hit a cop, I threw the gun down and began to shout, Come on I got him it's time to break out, But as we ran there were the boys in blue, Pointing their guns at my four man crew, They shot down one, they shot down two, Now tell me what the fuck am I supposed to do,
Despite my brother leaving the illegal activities, I am still deeply involved and determined to succeed. When Rob disrespects me, I retaliate with violence, leading to a deadly confrontation. I manage to injure Rob and a police officer before realizing the gravity of the situation. As we attempt to escape, the police kill two members of my group. I am left questioning my actions and the consequences I must face.
Ya know a lot of people believe that that word Love is real soft, but when You use it in your vocabulary like your addicted to it it sneaks right up And takes you right out. out. Out. Out. Out. So, for future reference remember it's alright to like or want a material Item, but when you fall in love with it and you start scheming and carrying On for it, just remember, it's gonna get'cha
Many people consider love to be a gentle and tender emotion, but when taken to extreme levels of obsession, it can have devastating consequences. This serves as a cautionary reminder that while it's okay to appreciate material possessions, becoming consumed by them and resorting to unethical behavior for them will ultimately lead to downfall.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ACACIA WALTERS-WULFING, TALITHA WALTERS-WULFING, MONROE JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rcole718
KRS doesn't get the props he deserves as an elite storyteller.
@alissa6
Ice Cube put him in his top 5.
@karonbarwick541
KRS -One remains #1 to me
@90srapfan37
"I never won a Grammy, I won't win a Tony"
@ini6392
@King Kami just going to say that patna
@calvinfolan1736
Doesn't get his props? Where do you think 'The Teacha' name comes from?
@clashnytech
That whole album needs to be in the library of Congress.
@staejaye1910
Exactly!!!
@underdrifter
FACTS!!!
@LATOYABANK44
💯💯💯