KRS ONE

KRS ONE - philosopher, activist, author and lecturer

The RED BULL BC ONE 2009 has the distinct honor of having philosopher, activist, author, lecturer and legendary MC KRS ONE aka Kris Parker performing at this year’s battle in the birth place of Hip Hop. Kris is looking forward to this night too, observing, “Competitions including BC ONE help to preserve the B-Boy/B-Girl tradition and develop the art form for future generations.”

Homeless before the age of 15, young Kris Parker understood early that Hip Hop was a cultural force beyond just beats and rhymes. He met social worker (and his future DJ), Scott “LaRock” Sterling at the Franklin Armory Men’s Shelter, quickly forming a friendship that would later manifest into Boogie Down Productions, one of the most important early Hip Hop acts.

KRS ONE has released a solid catalog including nineteen full-length albums over his 25-year career along with a star-studded list of collaborations with hundreds of artists including Michael Stipe, Ziggy Marley, Zach de la Rocha and Busta Rhymes. His songs have been used in countless soundtracks and compilations, including the 2007 Grammy nominated “Classic,” collaboration with Kanye West, Nas, Rakim and DJ Premier.

Looking back, KRS ONE took inspiration from the jams that Kool DJ Herc and other DJ pioneers threw since 1973 saying, “It was Hip Hop itself and the events that accompanied the culture that inspired me to emcee.” With all due respect and love for all of the lyrical masters and their enormous contributions, Kris credits God as the greatest influence in his life.

KRS ONE is the founder of The Temple of Hip Hop, Human Education Against Lies and The Stop the Violence Movement. The latter is a collective of artists, activists, educators and entertainers exploring the roots of violence and working to promote the development of positive conflict resolution methods that can uplift our society instead of damaging it with the negative cyclical effects of violence. KRS ONE’s mission is to turn up the volume on peace through all of his initiatives while churning out head-splitting rhymes, preserving the legacy of Hip Hop culture and promoting knowledge in all its forms.

When asked if dancing was a viable form of conflict resolution, KRS ONE replies, “No! B-Boying itself cannot and never did resolve conflict. It was individuals like Afrika Bambaataa, Crazy Legs and others who demanded that our street conflicts be resolved through art. It is not the art that resolves conflict, it is the artist.”

The first B-Boys that KRS ONE ever saw were Rock Steady Crew, who also happen to be his favorite. “I’ve been watching Crazy Legs since the early 1980s and the moves he would do are all the standard B-Boy/B-Girl routines of today,” says Kris. He goes on to compare the B-Boy/B-Girl scene of today to that of the 1970’s stating, “B-Boys/B-Girls are not as hungry as they were when Rock Steady started. The original B-Boy/B-Girl was superhuman. They did things that were humanly impossible and this is what made the breaker special. Today everyone’s basically biting the hottest moves and claiming the top-spot without having paid any dues. Original B-Boys from the 1970s and 1980s are always overlooked by the more prominent B-Boy/B-Girl competitions, even as hosts. This is why the RED BULL BC ONE is so important to the art, science and tradition of B-Boying/B-Girling. RED BULL BC ONE has an opportunity, even a responsibility, to tell the truth about the origins of B-Boying/B-Girling and preserve the art.”

He examines the commonalities that he, as a lyricist, shares with B-Boys/B-Girls, “Both require sportsmanship, courage, an even temper, and the need to have mastered your skill before attempting to enter any kind of competition.” In fact, KRS ONE adds, “The most important aspect to battling is to first make sure you will win. Do not enter a battle you are not sure to win. Secondly, don’t pick fights or be eager to battle just because you may have skill. Humility is the key to winning battles. The underdog always gets the sympathy of the crowd. The true master is humble and meek while she is KICKING YOUR ASS! Of course versatility, originality and high skill is essential. Prayer helps also.”

Believe it or not, KRS ONE finds MC battles to be depressing! He explains, “Having to destroy the reputation and believability of another great emcee or rapper is never a happy occasion and with every career that you destroy you must live with that karma for life. I never liked to battle because it is always the end for the other guy—MC Shan, Melle Mel, PM Dawn, The Poet, Nelly, and others. I love Hip Hop! All of it! So when I am called into battle it is always a sad moment for me. It is usually someone that I actually respect that I have to take out.”

Fans might also be surprised to learn that KRS ONE finds the foundational dance form of Popping best suited for him because of his long arms and his height, but since he is training his youngest son to be a B-Boy, he’s been doing more floor moves.

Dancers who have worked or toured with KRS ONE include pioneer B-Boys: The Twins, legendary crews New York City Breakers and Rock Steady; world renowned street hitters The Breeze Team and Float Committee, and phenomenal strutters from San Francisco Demons of the Mind. When not touring with a crew, KRS ONE invites practitioners of Rocking, Locking, Popping and B-Boying/B-Girling to the stage to perform during his sets.

Currently in the studio with a laundry list of legends, KRS ONE is producing a 20-Year Anniversary Stop the Violence Album to be released in 2009. While music and activism will always be his foundation, KRS ONE is also an accomplished public speaker. His unique intellectual outlook is sought-after, and his inspiring lectures include topics such as the power of creating one’s own future, the history and business of Hip Hop music and the importance of learning to resolve conflicts nonviolently. In addition to an outstanding music career and public speaking resumé, KRS ONE has written two books, The Science of Rap (1996) and Ruminations (2003), and most recently his masterwork, The Gospel of Hip Hop.

If there were ever a President of Hip Hop Culture, it would be KRS ONE; the legend, the leader.

“When Hip Hop started in 1973, it wasn’t about repping your block, it was about repping yourself. The block, the hood, your borough, etc. was only the backdrop in the explanation of your SELF. Hip Hop is about self-expression. From the very beginning Hip Hop was all about the ability to self-create…The difference today is that many rappers are ‘reppin hoods’ that they are not really from nor actually support. Today, a lot of people are just bitin’ and shoutin’ out any hood that seems to have a little heat at the moment. Hip Hop is global now, so the repping of one hood is actually obsolete at the moment. Most Hiphoppas are globally-minded today. We are more omni-hood than local these days.” - KRS ONE