KRS-One - any other fans here?

[Yazman]

Does anybody else here like KRS-One? He's one of my favourite rappers.

If you haven't heard of him, he's a more underground sort of rapper (although he's widely known) and his style is more of an oldschool, boombap sort. He's also fairly political, not as political as say, Immortal Technique or The Coup, but he does do some songs on politics and religion sometimes.

I like these lyrics, from his song "The Truth", just a sample. Click the spoiler tag to read.

Listen to the lyric as the negative is shrinkin
It's shrinkin out your life when you decide to change your thinkin
One of the first things we gotta switch around of course
Is Jesus Christ, and him dying on the cross
You're looking at the cross, surrounded in it's mystery
With Jesus on the cross in a, total misery
Now seperate Jesus from the cross so you can see
The truth about the cross, and the cross's history
The cross was created by the Roman government
It's only purpose and use, is cap-i-tal punishment
But Jesus Christ, was all about the revolution
While the cross was used as Jesus Christ's execution
See what if Jesus Christ, was hung upon a tree
Upon every church wall, that's exactly what you'd see
If Jesus Christ, was shot in the head with no respect
We'd all have little gold guns around our neck
If Jesus Christ was killed in electic chair, now get it
You'd be knealing to the electric chair with Jesus, still in it
You gaze upon the cross, and you see the execution
You yell stop the violence but the cross you're still using

[Jimmie Higgins]

I never liked his flow, but I did respect him... at least until he went off the rails with libertarian conspiracy shit.

[Yazman]

KRS-One isn't a libertarian, where did you hear that? He did blame the US government's long-term actions for september 11th, 2001, but who among us doesn't? I assume thats what you're referring to (the media controversy about what he said about it) but if you look at what he actually said there was nothing conspiratorial about it.

[Jimmie Higgins]

Maybe he isn't, but libertarians claim he is a libertarian now and he also has started freestyling about Obama's "socialism" and here he is speaking with Alex Jones:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB20Cc86cnU&feature=channel_page

[Yazman]

Hmm. Thats bizarre, especially given he has usually sided with us in the past. I know KRS has used any outlet he possibly can to speak about what he wants to, maybe they're just being opportunistic and claiming him as one of their own.

That is certainly odd though. But yeah love KRS all the same.

Another song I really like is from his recent album with Buckshot, the song on there "Robot" ripping on mainstream rappers being manufactured and sounding fake (autotune etc), I love KRS's verse:

This ain't a diss to nobody's art
'cause Afrika Bambaataa really gave it a start
You go back in the history of rap man
And you'll see classic jams like Planet Rock and Pac Jam
Go online, look up Kraftwerk
Everything we doin is past work
We already wore that hat, those pants and that shirt
So do you man if that works!!
But we really here to talk about all the copies
Cause when it comes to hip-hop, we the orthodoxy
Cats poorly copy, copy sloppy
In that section, young people should not be!
There used to be a time, when you were writing your rhyme
You observed the rule of no bitin
No imitatin, no hate and no fakin
We started breakin, so we could STOP fightin
Get enlightened - I battle you, you battle me
The crowd judges the originality
It's not about a salary
It's all about describing the reality that's grabbin me accurately

[Jimmie Higgins]

Hmm. Thats bizarre, especially given he has usually sided with us in the past. I know KRS has used any outlet he possibly can to speak about what he wants to, maybe they're just being opportunistic and claiming him as one of their own.:lol:Yeah, and don't forget to take whatever a conspiracy-oriented libertarian says with a grain of salt.


That is certainly odd though. But yeah love KRS all the same.Why not - I love some artists with even stranger views... like 5%er views for example.

[Yazman]

Why not - I love some artists with even stranger views... like 5%er views for example.

HAHA yeah. I understand what you're saying here quite well, being a fan of Metallica (some pretty reactionary political views).

[Pirate Utopian]

KRS-One is good.

Weird he complains about "socialism" seeing as he did make anti-capitalist statements on older songs like Who Are The Pimps?

Stick up!!!
All gwan put your hands up in de air
and turn around with your face to the ground
Stick up!!!

Here we go
Who are the pimps? Who are the pimps?
Wimps, sitting behind a desk
You only get a glimpse of the action or reaction
when you don't respond to them TAXING
You fuck a lot when you're tax exempt
Like with the church, the rules were somehow bent
The more money you make, the more money you can have
You lose your mind after a while trying to just
grab and grab and grab and grab and grab
until the pimps roll around real mad, what they say?
"Pick up that money hoe!"
You done all the work, but now a part of the show
You're a hoe, you pimped all around real fresh
Got letters on they chest spelling I, R, S
And they be taxing, asking, sitting back relaxing
Pimping asian, european, blacks and chicano
Hah hah! But they can't pimp a wino
Why? Because a wino don't want nuttin
It's when you try to get ahead they start frontin
Capitalism -- the system of pimps and hoes
I'm sorry that's the way it goes
In this particular system everyone's a slave
Racist is how they want us to behave
White Johnny, be fighting black Michael
Both are blind to the system's sick cycle
In a circle psychotically they slay each other
with a grin, because of color of a skin
"Pick up that money hoe!" (3X)

Now we don't want to get you all alarmed
A little education never did you no harm
When Africa's free the African will be free
Capitalism says we're ALL in slavery
They're not looking at the color of a human brother
April 15th they're looking at your mother!
"Pick up that money hoe!"
You work all week, and now your money has to go
to a pimp, and it's you that limp
They cut your check and take a tenth
Don't wanna hear no lip, about support of family
Cause on a piece of paper that's a fantasy
They don't care if you're in a bad mood
Your wife needs shoes, your kids need food
Uh-uh, pick up that money honey
The pimps so serious they're funny!
They'll look you straight into your face
and tell you that your money's going to a good place
Like Social Security or Welfare
But if you go to the Bahamas you'll see them all there
"Pick up that money hoe!" (4X)

[MolotovLuv]

I really like his political stuff, especially the collaboration he did with Zach de la Rocha and Last Emperor. The track is CIA, if you havn't heard it you should check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDVs8ixHnUg

[Y Chwyldro Comiwnyddol Cymraeg]

And of course this gem....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VRZq3J0uz4

[Yazman]

WOOP WOOP, thats the sound of the police. WOOP WOOP thats the sound of da beast.

[FreeFocus]

Yeah, I'm a fan of KRS-One. He's a legend. Check out his collab called Classic with Kanye, Rakim, and Nas. Sound of da Police and Step Into a World are two of my favorites.

[Madvillainy]

KRS-1 is literally insane, but he does have a few good songs. Criminal Minded is a great album.

[Y Chwyldro Comiwnyddol Cymraeg]

Yeah, I'm a fan of KRS-One. He's a legend. Check out his collab called Classic with Kanye, Rakim, and Nas. .

That is a craking tune! The video witht he graffiti is nice aswell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDCDrcZK4NE

[Yazman]

Hah, interesting he did a collab with Kanye after he was saying he doesn't like Kanye's style. I remember an interview with KRS where he said he didn't like Kanye passing his music off as rap because he thought it was too "fancy" and not boombap enough.

[Pirate Utopian]

Is that DJ Premier in the beginning?

[Liberateeducate]

I like him Dead prez and Public enemy

[Sasha]

Is that DJ Premier in the beginning?

yup...

[Chimurenga.]

I like Return of the Boom Bap and self-titled. I lost interest after that and I still haven't listened to the Boogie Down Records. Worth checking out?

[Madvillainy]

I like Return of the Boom Bap and self-titled. I lost interest after that and I still haven't listened to the Boogie Down Records. Worth checking out?

Yeah the BDP stuff is much better than his solo albums....

[Nwoye]

he's fuckin sweet.

[Y Chwyldro Comiwnyddol Cymraeg]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxyYP_bS_6s

[Yazman]

Has anybody heard his new album with Buckshot (KRS One & Buckshot - Survival Skills the album's called)? Fuck it has some good collabs. There's one called "Runnin' Away" with Immortal Technique, there's one called "Think Of All The Things" with K'Naan. There's one with Slug from Atmosphere called "We Made It", "Oh Really" ft. Talib Kweli, and "Robot" w/ Havoc from Mobb Deep is a good track too.

Good shit.