30 Facts About KRS-One

KRS-One rose to prominence as part of the hip-hop group Boogie Down Productions, which he formed with DJ Scott La Rock in the mid-1980s.

KRS-One began releasing records under his own name in 1993.

KRS-One is politically active, having started the Stop the Violence Movement after La Rock's death.

KRS-One is a vegan activist, expressed in songs such as "Beef".

KRS-One is widely considered an influence on many hip-hop artists.

KRS-One had a troubled childhood, suffering severe beatings from his American stepfather John Parker when the family lived in Harlem.

KRS-One engaged in the street art activity graffiti under the alias KRS-One.

KRS-One founded the Temple of Hip Hop, a group dedicated to preserving and expanding hip-hop culture and spirituality.

KRS-One began his recording career as one third of the hip-hop group Boogie Down Productions alongside DJ Scott La Rock and Derrick "D-Nice" Jones.

Additionally, KRS-One had taken offense to "The Bridge", a song by Marley Marl's protege, MC Shan.

Still, KRS-One "dissed" the song with the BDP single "South Bronx".

KRS-One, demonstrating his nickname "The Blastmaster", gave a live performance against MC Shan, and many conceded he had won the battle.

KRS-One was the first emcee to be holding a 9mm on the album cover, and Scott La Rock was killed in a shooting later that year after attempting to mediate a dispute between teenager and BDP member D-Nice and local hoodlums.

KRS-One is credited as one of the more influential figures to bridge the gap between Jamaican music and American hip-hop.

KRS-One said that Jive Records and Radio 1 did not support him, but finished by saluting Westwood with "you know you're my man".

KRS-One moved to southern California, and stayed there for two years, ending his relationship with Jive Records with A Retrospective in 2000.

KRS-One has collaborated with other artists including Canadian rap group Hellafactz, Jay-Roc N' Jakebeatz and New York producer Domingo.

KRS-One featured on the posse cut "Mega Fresh X" by Cormega on his album Born and Raised.

KRS-One was featured as the voice of Chris Cringle in Nike's Most Valuable Puppets commercials.

KRS-One performed in May 2010 at SUNY New Paltz at their annual "Rock Against Racism" concert.

KRS-One narrated the 2011 film Rhyme and Punishment, a documentary about hip-hop artists who have done jail time.

KRS-One travelled there by cruise ship, as he hates flying.

In December 2020, KRS-One released his 23rd solo album Between da Protests.

KRS-One asserted that due to hip-hop's intangible nature, it cannot be documented using conventional historical methods.

KRS-One argued that approaching history from a physical perspective confines individuals to their color, ethnicity, and race.

KRS-One's son Kris Parker was born on 1992 and is an aspiring music producer and DJ known as Predator Prime.

KRS-One supported Republican Ron Paul for president during his 2012 run.

KRS-One stated that Republican candidate Jeb Bush had "some pretty cool" ideas, but added "they're not our ideas".

KRS-One stated that he meant that people cheered that the establishment had taken a hit, not that people were dying or had died.

KRS-One discussed, among other things, the Don Imus scandal and the use of profanity in hip-hop.