I was in the barber shop a couple of weeks ago and they were bumpin’ BDP’s Ghetto Music at the request of my barber. So during our conversation about how ill Kris is, and the current state of hip hop I got the idea of doing a Radio.Blog featuring KRS-ONE. You already know that I rate him as the G.O.A.T.
For those of you who aren’t very familiar with Kris’ music here’s your chance to take a listen. Many of the new school rappers could learn a lot from studying Kris’ work — substantial lyrics, switching styles, enunciation, breath control, how to rock a live show, etc.
Update: These tracks are now gone. Check out a newer Radio.Blog post.
Some comments on many of the tracks:
- 7 Dee Jays – This posse joint is one all time favorites. You have D-Nice, Heather B, Harmony, Melody and Jamal-Ski chattin’ his ass off.
- 9mm Goes Bang – Do I even need to say anything about this one? An all-time classic with the ill reggae groove.
- Black Cop – That’s right, you remember this shit. You know you used to lose your damn mind when heard that beat come on. And check the lyrics.
- Build and Destroy – Kris kicked mad knowledge on this song part of which was a dis of X-Clan:
What have you done, besides critique KRS-One?
I create organizations
Without organization, there’ll be no black nation
What the fuck are you really saying?
You ain’t a human while your music’s boomin anti-human I’m assumin
If you ain’t human you’re a beast
The white man could be the devil all the day, that’s the least
What are you doing for yourself black man?
Trying hard to be the original man – who?
The first man, with the first tan, on the first land
with the first clan, who gives a damn???!
In history KRS is WELL advised
But it’s something that my brain won’t memorize
I don’t base my whole life on memory
I base my life on my spirit and body chemistry
Africa is the home of humanity
Which makes the African a humanist, challenge me
You gotta learn not to be so concerned
with the original man, and see the criminal man, yeah!
The now man, with the now plan, with the now tan
with the right now genocide master plan
Damn! We gotta think about stopping this
God is not any black man on the land; God is consciousness
When you understand this you’ll see Kris
Until then, you can get dissed
I’m not your prophet, messiah, minister, or savior
Chill with that ill behavior
I zero in like a laser
You’re cuttin your wrists with a razor
I got all type of flavors
Yes I am the original teacher
You gotta study the Qu’ran, Torah, Bahavaghita
The Bible, Five Baskets of Buddha Zen
And when you’ve read them shits, READ them shits again!
But watch what you’re repeatin
If you don’t know the history of the author
you don’t know what you’re reading!
Yeah I’m still the original
Leaving MC’s lyrically miserable
Their criminal syllables are minimal, show me respect BOY
Cause I build and destroy!Straight fire! And how appropriate is this twelve years later:
Too many Teachers in the class spoil the class
After awhile you got blabbering fucking fools
That’s worse than always talking about sex, let’s build
It ain’t enough to study Clarence 13X
The white man ain’t the devil I promise
You want to see the devil take a look at Clarence Thomas
Now you’re saying, “Who?” like you a owl
Throw in the towel, the devil is Colin Powell
You talk about being African and being black
Colin Powell’s black, but Libya he’ll attack
Libya’s in Africa, but a black man
will lead a black man, to fight against his homeland
An accomplice to the devil is a devil too
The devil is anti-human, who the hell are you? - Dope Beat – Along with that dope guitar riff… another classic.
- House Nigga – Pure knowledge once again. Check the lyrics.
- I’m Still #1 – The title says it all. This is from his live CD. I was floored the first time I heard him do that freestyle:
It’s goin’, it’s goin’, it’s goin’, it’s gone
Your heart has left because Kris is strong
And mighty, undefeated, I mean it
Pick up the album, turn it over and read it
Written, produced, directed and mixed
Get off the tip, or get off the many tips
Pick a tip, any tip, get off of it
I’ve got ridiculous rhymes about bussin’ it
You sit at home with a pen & a pad
Going ‘dad, mad, glad, bad, sad’
That style is from ’78
A little late
So make a tape of the great
Blast Master poetic
Your record sounds pathetic…
Oh, I mean demo tape
I’ll give you credit…
- Jack of Spades – Gotta have your theme music. 🙂
- Health, Wealth, Self – Kris on that metaphysical tip.
- Higher Level – I’ve always loved the groove of this track. And of course Kris is flowing at his best and kickin’ knowledge about “your oppressor’s religion“
- KRS-ONE Attacks – A nice little DJ mix.
- Outta Here – ‘Boogie Down was performin’ and they ain’t no joke…’
- Sound of Da Police – Check it:
Now here’s a likkle truth
Open up your eye
While you’re checking out the boom-bap, check the exercise
Take the word “overseer,” like a sample
Repeat it very quickly in a crew for example
Overseer
Overseer
Overseer
Overseer
Officer, Officer, Officer, Officer!
Yeah, officer from overseer
You need a little clarity?
Check the similarity!
The overseer rode around the plantation
The officer is off patroling all the nation
The overseer could stop you what you’re doing
The officer will pull you over just when he’s pursuing
The overseer had the right to get ill
And if you fought back, the overseer had the right to kill
The officer has the right to arrest
And if you fight back they put a hole in your chest!
(Woop!) They both ride horses
After 400 years, I’ve _got_ no choices!
The police them have a little gun
So when I’m on the streets, I walk around with a bigger one
(Woop-woop!) I hear it all day
Just so they can run the light and be upon their way
- Uh Oh – A song for all the little knuckleheads out there.
- Like a Throttle – Oh shit! Check the flow, the lyrics! I love when he breaks into that reggae shit and then says ‘woah, woah, woah… let’s get back to the hip hop’ Straight fire!
- Love’s Gonna Get’Cha (Material Love) – Another great track, the dope beat and tells a great story about materialism. “I do it once, I do it twice, now there’s steak with the beans and rice”
- My Philosophy – Dare I say that if you don’t know at least the first 10 lines or so of this song (up to ‘right up to your face and dis you’) by heart you don’t know shit about hip hop?
- P is Free – ‘When I’m in Queens we rulin hip hop’. Gotta love all that reggae shit. Bo!
- Poetry – Sometime less is more. I’m love some intricate, layered production a la Dr. Dre or the Neptunes, but this is hard to beat. Just a drum machine, some scratching and a poet.
- Reggae Medley – KRS live in concert flowing over nothing but reggae riddims. Nuff said.
- South Bronx – Classic.
- The Eye Opener – “Jesus Christ, a me say, Jesus Christ… Jesus Christ was Black! The Europeans rewrote the Bible and they use it as a fact.” Another live track over a timeless reggae riddim.
- Why is That? – “You don’t teach white kids to be black” They just don’t make them like this any more. This is Kris at his absolute best.
- You Must Learn – I’ve got to find the remix of this song. That joint was off the damn chain. Black history in a song — the embodiment of edutainment.