KRS-One

Released: January 1, 1993

Songwriter: KRS-One

Producer: Kenny Parker KRS-One

You you can't can't be be ripping the mic the mic like do re me me
Measles are contagious like my lyrical pages
Ripping and flipping the mic
From back in the back in the days, these days it's kinda hectic, hectic
When these suckers don't respect it, check it
Flame on, I know the light is bright but keep on watching me
I'm stolen property, kicking the flavor to society
Police be clocking me, but logically they got to be
Cause they were taught that serious poetry would come from Socrates
But that ain't it, in 94 I'll kick the hit
If I was in front of Shakespeare, I'd battle the punk and take his shit
I'm not having it
Bust the narrative I come to give, listen
Rap is something you do, Hip Hop is something you live
The difference is kids nowadays, they got the video
Rappers don't need skills to build so they don't really know
Hear me yo, I'm four times on Arsenio
Got ten videos, but does that help me flow? No
That's why when I come to the show MC's act like they don't know
Cause they were too young to rock up in the disco
Frisco Disco, the disc is like a Nabisco
Chocolate chip cookie, don't fuck with me rookie
I'm rocking beats and with death defying feats
And I'm never squeaking, I'm always freaking when I'm speaking
Inside I'm keeping a statement for police and
I'm down for peace and but not turn the other cheek and
So this DJ, he gets down
Mixing records while they go...
Round and round, round we go
Two years ago a friend of mine
And Flash is gonna rock your mind
Welcome to the terror dome, the terror dome
I wonder if I take you home
E-F-F-E-C-T
A cool operator operating correctly
But back in the days I knew rap would never die
Too late baby bye bye in a batty boy head, head, head
Insane in the membrane
Take the train, take the train
M-E-T-H-O-D man...
...Hattan keeps on making it, Brooklyn keeps on taking it
We keep coming back with more and more hits
Party people
I came through the door, I said it before
Two years ago, super ho
If my train goes off the track
Pick it up, pick it up, pick it up back, back
Back to the grill again, the grill again
Friends
How many MC's must get dissed?
Before somebody says don't fuck with Kris
Hey! Ho! Keep on moving don't stop no...
...Body beats the Biz
Let's do the dance called the Pee Wee Herman
Hey, Erick Sermon, hey
You you get off my cloud
Go down baby, go down baby
The gods must be crazy
You ain't fresh, you ain't fresh, yeah

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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