KRS-One

Songwriter: KRS-One

Producer: Duane DaRock

[KRS-One]
We need unity in the community
KRS, hip-hop is one
Conscious, gangsters, hustlers
Man

[Hook]
Hiiiip-Hop; I'm livin for that
Hiiiip-Hop; I'm livin for that
Hiiiip-Hop; I'm doin it for
Hiiiip-Hop

[KRS-One]
Yo - we went from nuttin to somethin, bein real and not frontin
No one was givin us nuttin so we resorted to gunnin
Growin up and we comin, up the ladder not bummin
Dodgin warrants and summons, from the cops we were runnin
Goin to school not for nuttin they teachin lies and assumptions
And they tell us keep comin, comin to school now for what? When
Comin back to a system that's whack and really not runnin
Oh I'm sorry it's runnin, it's not PROPERLY runnin
It's a conspiracy hear me man it's got to be somethin
I can get guns faster than I can get an english muffin
And the black church ain't sayin nuttin
We on our own cousin, I'm stickin to this

[Hook]

[KRS-One]
I'm livin for this hip-hop, I'm spittin for this hip-hop
I'm givin to this hip-hop, my life is hip-hop
Culture, and y'all know that
Hip-Hop in the media, y'all know it's whack
But just like them dopefiends who keep comin back
Like the mayor of D.C., buyin Joey's crack
No disrespect to either one of them but look at that
Study the metaphors in this rap
We bigger than crack, but we keep buyin it
We bigger than rap, but we keep denyin it
Justice, equality, keep cryin it
But the only way to get it is to start applyin it
Fat Joe that's my bro shows 'nuff respect
Talib, that's my bro, shows 'nuff respect
50 Cent that's my bro he shows 'nuff respect
Common! That's my bro he shows 'nuff respect
Snoop Dogg is my bro showed 'nuff respect
Dead Prez that's my peeps yo 'nuff respect
Cassidy's an MC who shows 'nuff respect
Hip-Hop is one, don't forget
I'm stickin with this

[Hook]

[KRS-One]
I'm livin for that hip-hop culture, shape it like a sculpture
Touch it why don'tcha, touch it why don'tcha
Hip-Hop is yours and mine and that's fine
But hip-hop's culture ain't about just crime
You caught up in the image and, don't know they rhymes
You caught up in they bodies and don't know they minds
So I'm, here to bring the truth in the place
Like don't think Common won't punch you in your face~!
And don't think Talib won't hold the heat
To stop the violence you gotta know your street
You gotta know who Tanga Reed is
Fat Joe's a leader, Busta Rhymes a preacher
KRS-One's a teacher
But through Cassidy my lessons are quicker to reach ya
We one community
I'm talkin about unity, in other words you and me
I'm with this

[Hook] - 2X

The legendary MC from the South Bronx, New York, Lawrence “KRS-One” Parker has been steadily rapping since 1985. His name stands for “Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone”.

KRS came to rapping only by chance. In the Something from The Art of Rap documentary, he recalls watching an MC cypher when suddenly “a dude” randomly picked him out of the crowd and made fun of him. Feeling compelled to defend himself, KRS performed a little freestyle which impressed the crowd and eventually kicked off his rapping career.

His breakthrough onto the hip hop scene began with “The Bridge Is Over” – an answer record to the popular Queens rapper MC Shan’s song “Queensbridge”. From 1986 to 1992, KRS-One fronted the groundbreaking hip hop group Boogie Down Productions, scoring six top 20 hits on the US Rap Chart. In 1993, he began a solo career spanning three decades, racking up six more top 20 Rap Chart hits with “Sound of da Police”, “MCs Act Like They Don’t Know”, “Step Into A World” and “Men Of Steel” also achieving mainstream pop success on the Hot 100.

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