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Not too long ago, I heard (and quickly corrected) SPM when he lumped BDP in with Tribe and De La Soul in a grouping that was essentially "boho but don't test them" -- but he was indirectly implying that there was little "street" and/or "gangsta" about BDP, because of the music that essentially is KRS's legacy; and let's face it, when you mention KRS to someone who has a vague grasp of who he is, they probably are more apt to mention his seemingly dogmatic grasp on "hip-hop" (more on that later), promotion of hip-hop as a culture, the PM Dawn incident, and... his iconic nose.
Judging by some of the lyrics KRS has said over the years, some of his "big" songs, the "boho but don't test him" charge is certainly true. However (as you've noted in the original post, thankfully), KRS came directly from the streets -- LITERALLY. There was an authenticity about his music that was not the result of endless posturing, or bragging, it simply was there. Reflected in the style of the beats he chose to craft and rhyme over, reflected in his lyrics... it was innate.
When one listens to a jazz artist, for example, with an innate, virtuoso grasp of his or her chosen instrument, a thought that might come to mind is: "that person was born to play the piano"," that person was born to play the guitar", and so forth. KRS-One was put on this earth to make rap music. Some say he took it more serious than most that came before him, and for that reason alone, he generated instant respect. EVEN from his detractors!! This dude would routinely call out some of the most popular crews in New York City on record, call out their names, run them down in a line, in an era where that was essentially taboo. And when he was throwing those 'blimnals... he wasn't afraid to go at the top dogs (RUN DMC were frequent targets of this, but from a "new jack" at the point? Bold move. Ultramagnetic gets the credit for that, but KRS was doing that all over Criminal Minded).
In the mid-'80s, a seismic stylistic shift was taking hold in hip-hop. The beats were getting a little more brutal. The way people rhymed was changing, and KRS was one of the major players in this regard. While rappers either shouted, or "announced" their way through their rhymes, rappers like KRS, Slick Rick, Rakim, and the like were challenging that standard. KRS's voice, distinctive to this day, was an interesting change of pace: on record, KRS sounded as if he were live on stage, yet, speaking in a conversational, direct manner to the listener. It was almost like hearing Theo Huxtable get funky... but knowing that in the back of your mind, Theo was going to kick your ass severely if you stepped out of line.
With Scott LaRock (and uncredited, the aforementioned Ultramagnetic Crew) helping him out, KRS brought a new sound to New York's hip-hop scene. One of the first to infuse dancehall styling in his rhymes (most notably on "9mm Goes Bang"), KRS really brought out a side of New York City that had, to that point, not really been highlighted much in hip-hop's recorded product. The beats, in line with the mid-'80s hard hitting, brutal "ghetto blaster" style popularized by LL Cool J and RUN DMC, added a new dimension, with samples of James Brown, and other soul records for extra punch. Thematically, KRS turned "the sound of the streets" from a fad, to a fixture. That is to say, he was one of the first rappers to not just do "socially conscious" music, in a "CNN of the Streets" sort of way, but to make it part of his musical mission (esp. after the murder of Scott LaRock). Yet, despite this, you would hear KRS spit lyrics about drinking Heinekens and driving Alfa Romeos, like it was no thing.
KRS is oft-criticized for what is perceived as inconsistency in his message, but after reviewing his "classic" records from CRIMINAL MINDED to I GOT NEXT, apart from the religious ping-pong, there is not much variation in what he says. He's oft criticized for being preachy, but not even on EDUTAINMENT does he even suggest a path for his listeners to follow, but to draw one's own conclusion and to question not only what others say, but what he says.
On the subject of EDUTAINMENT, one of the most highly-received BDP albums: by this point KRS had really made himself a hip-hop icon, doing lectures (as evidenced in the skits between songs), the "Self-Destruction" song (someone, link up the video where LL looked butt-struck as ever, left out of the fun), and high-profile appearances and name checks outside of BDP records (one of the most interesting to me, was Big Daddy Kane's endorsement, considering what KRS once had to say about his friends in the Juice Crew). KRS took some really bold swipes, in an age of Afrocentricity, pushing a more humanist viewpoint. I think he might have been one of the only rappers to address "Black-on-other" racism. On the album following, it was hilarious to hear KRS take a diarrhea-fied POO POO on rappers who adopted NGE beliefs to sell records and seem more "Black". And though one may find it kind of "boho" nowadays, who ELSE was doing a song like "Beef"? The way KRS snuck his/BDP's catchphrase in that song is one of the funniest moments of his career.
LIVE HARDCORE WORLDWIDE was unique in that it may have been one of the first truly "live" hip-hop records. It was also a good place to hear some of the classic BDP records... and note, even here, KRS doesn't sound any different live than he does in the studio. It was a point he stressed numerous times on his records, but it's one of the few "live" records in hip-hop actually worth listening to. The same applies to KRS's live show. Even when he's recycling the most predictable lyrics ever, his show is still very engaging to this day, 25 years after the fact.
Though, KRS has struggled to bring a completely focused product after his initial 11 year run due to various factors, what he had contributed to hip-hop's canon in those 11 years, is certainly more than enough reason to call him one of the greatest ever. Considering his competition in the era, it's even more of a staggering feat. I will say of KRS, that his work is anything but predictable -- even those who are expecting him to be more Wynton Marsalis about his music (i.e. a die-hard purist) may be surprised to find that he's more of a Miles Davis... dedicated to pushing boundaries more than he is holding down a standard.
If you ain't familiar... get familiar. There's a reason why that era is romanticized so much, and KRS is one of the main reasons.
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