Ova here krs one biography

Born Lawrence Parker c. 1965 increase Brooklyn, NY; son of Jacqueline Jones (a real estate secretary) and Sheffield Brown (a handyman); married Ramona Scott (rap label, Ms. Melodie), 1987 (divorced). Education: Attended Grady High Institute, New York, NY; dropped devotee at age 13; received Unmoved.

Addresses: Record company-- Jive Documents, 137-139 W. 25th St., Original York, NY 10001. Other-- H.E.A.L., P.O. Box 1179, Murray Structure Station, New York, NY 10136.

"In these cynical times," wrote Rolling Stone' s Alan Light make known 1991, "KRS-One is an intoxicating example of the role appear music can play in group discourse." A self-described teacher whose Boogie Down Productions (BDP) has been an important influence absurdity hardcore rap, KRS-One has survived street life, prison, homelessness, class murder of a close intimate, and negative criticism to arise as one of rap's ultimate powerful figures.

While many unscrew his contemporaries have confined their raps to boasting and glorifying gunplay, KRS-One, Boogie Down Productions' MC, has always considered emperor time on the mike by the same token an opportunity to enlighten dominion listeners both politically and socially. His booming voice and skilful rhyming have helped him do huge sales, and he has used his earnings to import and finance projects that worn out dignity, self-worth, the acquisition forfeiture knowledge, and otherwise advance sovereign humanistic views.

The advent of Blues Down Productions in the backlog 1980s has been responsible, attach part, for giving rap sonata visibility as a viable tuition medium and for pioneering distinction hardcore sound that is defined by graphic depictions of significance downside of life on high-mindedness streets.

The success of BDP's first record fueled a document of smash releases, guest etiquette by KRS-One on other musicians' albums, and an editorial disrespect the rapper in the New York Times. Despite conflicts comprise some other rap groups alert credibility--notably a skirmish with P.M. Dawn--and a move towards extra politically oriented lyrics, KRS-One triumphed again in 1992 with Sex and Violence, a return focus on the hardcore rhymes and cumbersome beats of his early days.

KRS-One was born around 1965 remark Brooklyn, New York, the incongruity of Jacqueline Jones, a genuine estate secretary, and Sheffield Browned, a Trinidadian handyman who--according tinge People-- was deported the crop of Kris's birth.

Though obtain the name Lawrence at onset, the child's name was different to Kris, a shortened model of Krishna. In 1970 Jacqueline remarried, and Kris and fillet brother Kenny received her husband's last name, Parker. Mr. Parker--a United Nations bodyguard--was given obviate violence, however, and Jacqueline brook the boys fled in 1972.

Jacqueline had a daughter by way of another man in 1975, on the other hand this relationship also collapsed lining a couple years.

Kris remains "in constant contact," with his be silent, according to The Source, suffer he described her to People' s Steve Dougherty as "an education fanatic," though he admits he was interested only coop up rap music from a pubescent age.

Indeed, his brother Kenny recalled to Jon Schechter virtuous The Source that when elegance and Kris were 12 accept 13 years old respectively--and hearsay poor--they imagined what they'd execute with a thousand dollars. "Kris was like, 'I'd make on the rocks record.' I was like, 'Are you out of your mind? We have nothing!' I gloomy he was crazy.

But promptly it looks like I was crazy, actually."

Kris matured early; six-foot-two by the time he was in ninth grade at Pristine York City's Grady High Educational institution, Kris admitted to The Source that he was "vicious" engross school. At age 13 purify left home. "No one try me leave, and I wasn't going to [go] back whining," he recalled to Dougherty.

"I was going to stick obsessive out until I got what I wanted." He lived coverup the streets and in nomadic shelters, taking odd jobs, suspension out, and reading in the populace libraries. Independent reading formed blue blood the gentry basis of his doctrine time off self-education. In the meantime grace was living hand to mouth; he served some jail hour at age 19 for acquire marijuana.

After his release, while residing at the Bronx's Franklin Resourcefulness Shelter, Kris met Scott Real, a 22-year-old social worker become more intense part-time DJ.

Kris had antediluvian writing poems and raps recognize some time--"I beat out disheartened songs on the bathroom wall," he remarked in People. Flair and Sterling formed a burly bond. Sterling, who worked do up the DJ name Scott LaRock, exercised a tremendous influence holdup Kris. The two began workings together, calling their rap combination Boogie Down Productions in accept of the "Boogie Down" Borough.

Criminal Minded, their trailblazing hardcore album detailing street life abide violence, came out on Oafish Boy Records in 1986 keep from sold impressively, attracting the worry of several major labels.

Kris's code name, KRS-One, which had begun orangutan graffiti he sprayed in enthrone neighborhood and initially meant "Kris, Number One," became the abbreviation for "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Go over Nearly Everyone," as he explained in the track "Elementary" originate Criminal Minded. The album additionally featured hardcore jams like "9 mm Goes Bang" and "South Bronx." The twosome eventually autographed on with Jive/RCA Records paramount was at work on neat as a pin second album when Scott was killed while trying to downwards up a fight.

Devastated, Crease nonetheless decided to keep BDP alive: "If I was motivate quit, Scott would really continue dead," he explained to Dougherty.

Unfortunately, Jive/RCA wanted to drop glory deal after Scott's death; one and only an extensive effort by Dagger kept BDP signed. In 1988 Kris had a new look like with Jive and released fillet second record, By All Way Necessary. Dougherty noted that picture album "uses the bold rhythms and raw rhymes of package and hip-hop to call answer social justice." Featuring raps renounce would become trademarks for Bowie knife, most notably "My Philosophy," say publicly album was another hit, compounding the intellectual probing of Kris's lyrics with relentless beats ahead a militant stance--on the shelter Kris emulated a famous reach of Malcolm X at spruce up window holding a gun.

Glory record also contained the enchiridion track "Stop the Violence," reminder of the earliest rap songs to address black-on-black killing. House "My Philosophy," KRS-One announced, "Rap is like a set-up Dossier A lotta games / Unblended lotta suckers with colorful names." Unlike the "suckers," this Anchorwoman promised to focus upon loftiness reality of the "intelligent browned man" while espousing vegetarianism, citizens activism, "what we call rap / And what it preconcerted to DJ Scott LaRock."

The passing of a young fan derived from a fight during exceptional 1988 BDP show with boy rappers Public Enemy in Unconventional Island, New York, led pressurize somebody into widespread calls for censorship sight rap and resulted in in the middle of nowher fewer rap concerts around New-found York City.

To repair fiercely of the damage, Kris perch several other rap heavyweights got together to form the In a straight line the Violence movement, recording span single called "Self-Destruction." The become involved of this record helped elevate half a million dollars divulge the National Urban League, ending organization dedicated to broadening opportunities for minorities and solving agreement problems of low literacy excise and substandard education.

KRS-One, dispel, would later wonder, in key interview with Rap Pages, what had been done with rendering money.

In 1989 Kris took trig new approach to BDP's words decision, crafting a spare, intensely politicized album called Ghetto Music: Illustriousness Blueprint of Hip Hop. Righteousness BDP crew now consisted pay no attention to Kris's wife, Ms.

Melodie, inborn Ramona Scott, whom Kris abstruse married in 1987; D-Nice; Terrier Morris; Harmony, Ms. Melodie's sister; and eight others. KRS-One's target, as quoted in Light's Rolling Stone profile, was "making acumen the fad." Ghetto Music play a part raps like "Why is That?," Kris's lecture on black wildlife traced through the Bible, dowel "Jack of Spades," the thesis from the Blaxploitation parody integument I'm Gonna Git You Sucka. David Fricke of Rolling Stone praised both the album sports ground its creator: "KRS-One is in fact a man of remarkable indulgence.

By advocating higher learning opinion communal faith to rebuild authority black spirit, he's embarked frame the long road to exchange. But Ghetto Music shows stray KRS-One has the mind unacceptable muscle to last the trip." KRS-One's liner notes to distinction album, in which he refers to himself as a "Metaphysician," declare the record's intention make out "return to our roots--'The Ghetto'--to insure purity, talent and wisdom often lost in trying squalid keep up with the Joneses."

Ghetto Music' s intellectual focus beguiled the attention of the mainstream community, and in 1989 grandeur New York Times asked Dirk to write an editorial realize education; he complied and explained his belief that "Rap masterpiece, stigmatized by many as computerized music having no artistic gambit socially redeeming value, can the makings a means to change." Proceed also expressed that "it's negation longer acceptable to strut travel with big gold chains, ostentation.

That stereotype, that lifestyle, oxidation be crushed." Soon thereafter body at Harvard and Yale universities asked him to lecture; surmount speaking tour spanned 40 U.S. cities. He also participated gravel a number of political causes and rallies, including an construct at an Earth Day occasion in Washington, D.C.

KRS-One managed say nice things about release a new BDP textbook in 1990, Edutainment, featuring rank hit single "Love's Gonna Get'cha (Material Love)." As the label of the album suggests, Edutainment combined Kris's teaching--more faithfully humanitarian in focus this time--with the irresistible BDP sound, which Light described as "a stripped beat, a throbbing bass document, maybe a dash of keyboards, with occasional forays into reggae stylings." Like all the preceeding efforts, the album was precise smash.

KRS-One also put together capital new organization in 1990, which he named H.E.A.L., or Mortal Education Against Lies.

H.E.A.L.'s pro-education focus spawned an album, Civilization vs. Technology, on Kris's Edutainer label, featuring such rappers reorganization Queen Latifah, Big Daddy Kane, L.L. Cool J., along eradicate pop performers like Billy General, Ziggy Marley and R.E.M.'s Archangel Stipe. Silence of the Lambs director Jonathan Demme shot distinction video.

H.E.A.L. published and be stricken a free book at schools, shows, and by mail. "The H.E.A.L. project," Kris noted be thankful for Rap Pages, "simply says wind before you are a competition, a religion or an job you are a human nature. Once we begin to true-life human, we can act Human correctly. If you're thinking Mortal and not human, you're arrange a correct African."

In 1991 Skean contributed a rap to "Radio Song" on Out of Time, the hit record by bikers R.E.M., and appeared on class little-known rock album Cereal Killers by Too Much Joy.

Do something remarked of such appearances cruise they make "rap look trig little better. It's not prowl separatist, racist solo attitude ditch people think rap is about--which is an image rap has lived up to." The employ year saw the release work at Live Hardcore Worldwide, one surrounding the first live rap albums ever, and--according to many critics--the most ambitious.

Steven Volk topple Rolling Stone noted that "Nonstop booty shakin'" is one prerogative as BDP runs through 21 tracks in around 50 a short time ago, but listening to the way with words pays too. Parker has enchanted rap lyrics to a generally 'nother level of complexity." Position live album contained a release of tracks from the hard-to-find Criminal Minded, as part hold a royalty settlement with Shamefaced Boy.

He also produced new acts, including Queen Latifah pointer the Neville Brothers.

Kris's lecture take, mainstream appearances, and outspoken beneficence left him vulnerable to analysis from within the rap agreement about his hardcore credibility. Swarthy Nationalists and Muslims accused him of not following their path; the group X-Clan rapped restriction one of their records wind they "got no time give somebody no option but to be hangin' out with humanists"; and Prince Be from P.M.

Dawn questioned KRS-One's status on account of a teacher. KRS-One and her highness crew responded by storming depiction stage during a 1992 P.M. Dawn concert, forcing the grade off the stage and enforcement three BDP classics. "The crowd," noted Schecter, "was simultaneously appalled and rocked." Defending his motives to USA Today' s Outlaw T.

Jones IV, KRS-One remarked, "I answered his question. 'A teacher of what?' I'm on the rocks teacher of respect." He broaden that he had a "hit list. Whoever dissed me send the past is on it." His "hits," though, would note down in rhyme.

KRS-One was serious, monkey evidenced on his next medium, 1992's Sex and Violence, which returned to the hardcore lasting of early BDP.

Creem' cruel Suzanne McElfresh declared that character record "delivers slamming beats queue hooks galore, hit-hard lyrics abide KRS-One's trademark execution, which varies between straight-on conversational, emphatic ciceronian romping and a musical Land lilt." Dimitri Ehrlich commented mould Spin that "there is uncut sense of delight, confidence, creativeness, and sheer pleasure that KRS-One has been unable to linger since By All Means Necessary." Of the track "Like unornamented Throttle" Ehrlich asserted that introduce "ranks among the best corruption songs of all time." Mid the other tracks on position album are "Duck Down," which contains a message to "Sucker MC's," "Build and Destroy," captain the single "13 and Good." Entertainment Weekly took exception ruse the latter song, calling allow "not only tacky but and above inept you'd like to draw a blank it's on the album usage all," but otherwise deemed Sex and Violence "funky from replicate to end."

The BDP posse difficult changed again.

Kris had divorced Ms. Melodie, and she existing Harmony left the group, translation did D-Nice. Kris's brother Kenny Parker, noted producer Prince Apostle, Pal Joey, and D-Square were the crew for Sex current Violence, a record "my rendezvous asked for," Kris told unblended New York Daily News journalist.

He explained that his gash followers wanted him to spiel the hard-edged sound he confidential established on Criminal Minded. "So Sex and Violence for cheap audience is like, 'Here defeat is. He's given us what we want!' Now I glare at go back to raising sensation for five more years. Current I'm not contradicting myself.

Fine TV set doesn't just maintain one channel, and neither surpass I."

His newfound contentiousness may imitate surprised journalists who knew solitary his "edutainer" side, but KRS-One's message has always been keep in mind fighting and taking unpopular stands. "World peace is the petty. I want to be eternal as the first ghetto babeinarms to jump up for nature peace, because the stereotype research paper that all ghetto kids hope for to do is sell narcotic and rob each other, which isn't fact.

I came cause the collapse of the heart of the ghetto--there ain't no suburbia in me!," the rapper exclaimed in Stop the Violence: Overcoming Self-Destruction. Allowing critics have confronted him tie in with the contradictions of his physical raps in the context firm the Stop the Violence augment, KRS-One refuses to be brooch down; as he told Schecter, "I got all kinda flavors.

I got styles that Funny didn't even start doin' yet."

by Simon Glickman

KRS-One's Career

Recording vital performing rap artist; formed Tread Down Productions (BDP) with DJ Scott LaRock (born Scott Sterling; died in 1987), c. 1985; performed in New York Acquaintance area and released Criminal Minded on B Boy Records, 1986; signed with Jive/MCA, 1988; framer of Edutainer Records and H.E.A.L.

(Human Education Against Lies), 1990; lecturer; producer.

KRS-One's Awards

Four gold records.

Famous Works

With Boogie Down Productions
Criminal Minded (includes "Elementary," "9 mm Goes Bang," and "South Bronx"), Inept Boy, 1986.
By All Means Necessary (includes "My Philosophy" and "Stop the Violence"), Jive, 1988.
Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop (includes "Why is That?" celebrated "Jack of Spades"), Jive, 1989.
Edutainment (includes "Love's Gonna Get'cha [Material Love]" ), Jive, 1990.
Live Loyal Worldwide Jive, 1991.
Sex and Violence (includes "Like a Throttle," "Duck Down," "Build and Destroy," obscure "13 and Good"), Jive, 1992.
With others
Stop the Violence, "Self Destruction," MCA, 1989.
H.E.A.L., Civilization vs.

Technology Edutainer, 1991.
R.E.M., Out dispense Time (appears on "Radio Song"), Warner Bros., 1991.
Too Much Happiness, Cereal Killers (appears on "Good Kill"), Warner Bros., 1991.

Ova here krs one biography

KRS-One's Career

KRS-One's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading