Why Hip hop lost its respect.The rise and fall of KRS ONE.

South Bronx! the South!!! South Bronx!I remember it clear back in the fall of 1986 when Dj Red Alert first played a young unknown rapper from the South Bronx named Krs one.From the beginning I knew this guy was the real thing.His style was different from the rappers from Queens but he had skill.Matching his skill was an intelligence and a depth of knowledge that was unmatched from anything we had heard up until then.Hip hop back then was elevating to a level where learning and being good at grammar was the key.KRS,Poor Righteous Teachers and others were putting out lyrics that was elevating the thinking of the average young black and latino male back then.But what did we know back the?It was obvious that KRS read books more than I had so it seemed like everything he said was on point.In hindsight as I look back now this was dangerous.Sing and believing every word someone puts out is never good.As I and so many others who loved hip hop at one time and still do are discovering.Now the Kalagenesis saysThe Road to Hell is Often Paved with good intentionsI believe KRS One from the jump had good intentions when he sung about his philosophy.The problem is his life there are many imbalances and a narrow view of the world.This has caused him to have a limited career,and little success in a genre he helped build.From the start many were baffled at why he always takes the opposing view of any style, belief, religion,science,politic that is established.He never gives you and answer,but leaves you with questions.When you reject his questions left open he goes after you for not believing in the truth the he never established in the first place.An example of of this is when he came out with he song Black cop.Now to all of the many good brothers and sisters who put a uniform on everyday to make their communities safer he just created a safe haven for thugs,criminals and people who prey on their people.This is the same KRS who says he is the teacher.This and many other contradiction from the teacher led to the rise of gangster rap.Because of him not giving answers only leaving open questions led many to push the envelope into territory he could not compete.KRS one says one thing and does another.He said it is giving two sides,but to most people he seemed like a hypocrite.Now in the mid ninties their were people who were willing to give people the real thing a far as violence,drugs,guns,and black misery.Biggie Smalls was touted as a real thug someone who was what KRS said the media was misrepresenting hip hop with.He Biggie was saying yes I did all those things the stereotypes of the day KRS said he was not trying to reinforce.The response was KRS writing "Step into a World"In which he dissed commercial hip hop and the rise of Bad Boy records.Since it did not sell he did a remix a month later in which he dissed what he was saying the first time.That was 1997 and KRS'S career seemed to disappear.The problem is no one has ever challenged his claim to be number one or his right to call himself a teacher.This is the problem with hip hop it never gives answers but raises question and ask you to solve them right now.Hip hop is like a battered wife she wont leave her husband but ask why does he keep beating her.Many in hip hop use it as a means to escape reality of life and the hardship of being an adult in a tough unforgiving world.Hip hop failed to reach that point where knowledge,art,music could come together to uplift the thinking and mentality of our base level.
After years of silence KRS ONE recently has used his fame to speak out on some of the political issues of the day.After the September 11 attack while the country was in shock and grieving he decided to speak not for hip hop head but for Black Americans in general when he said"Most of us we happy that this happened to America,and we felt good"He later said he was misquoted and that he is not Anti American.I believe him he is not anti American,he is anti success.Anyone who is doing well in this world KRS will twist it to make that person the bad guy.He should be openly opposed to 50 cent and Soldja boy but he lets them make a mockery of real MC'S out of fear that he will be outcast from any events as a troublemaker.The artform that I once loved is gone forever and the vermin in the recording industry one day will pay.A few weeks ago we put an African American President in the White House.Barack Obama became the 44th President of the US.While we are all celebrating I knew someone was sitting back thinking of a way to be a spoiler,or a killjoy,guess who that was?It was KRS!Listening to him for so long I could predict his next move.He said the Obama is not Black only half Black!He then said he is an African also American?HUH!!That we should not be caught up in emotionalism!This is amazing KRS WILL BE THERE WHEN JESUS COMES BACK TELLING US WAIT WE SHOULD GO TO HELL, AND HEAR THE DEVIL OUT ON WHAT HE HAS TO SAY!The following is a video by KRS ONE NOTICE HE NOW WORKS FOR THE DEVIL HIMSELF 50 CENT ON SHADE RADIO.50 IS AN OBAMA HATER LIKE MOST IN THE SEWAGE CULTURE INDUSTRY WHO DO NOT WANT CHANGE.CHANGE MEANS AN END TO THEIR CAREERS

Slumping record sales may be a good thing for hip hop.

2007 was the year that the gloss, floss, and "status of a boss" image that made rap music so commercially successful in the early 1990s stopped impressing people so much. Suddenly, rap artists were forced to create real art -- or just hustle, hard -- to be heard.

Hip-hop, it seemed, was going out of fashion. It just wasn't cute anymore. Not after 'hood hero Michael Vick got caught dog fighting, and definitely not after we taught Don Imus to call the Rutgers women's basketball team a bunch of "nappy headed hos." The act had worn thin and consumers rebelled, deciding to go out and spend their money on better things than "Curtis," 50 Cent's latest album. Nevermind the prize-fight worthy hype for "Curtis" and a record sales war waged against Kanye West. By industry standards, the album was an utter flop, barely crawling past the 1 million mark. That's quite a contrast to the over 5 million sales on his last album.

This might have hurt 50's feelings -- and pockets -- had he not been making millions off of his "Formula 50" vitamin water venture, or his ever-popular G-unit clothing line. Because, you see, '07 was also the year of diversifying your game. Creating and finding more avenues for revenue was the mantra of the past year. That entrepreneurial spirit kept the game afloat in a time a when perpetually multi-platinum artists (multi-million unit pushers) had to scratch and crawl their way to gold (500,000 sales).

Rapper Jay-Z, who was also the president of Def Jam Records from 2005 to the end of 2007, started the year with a "back from retirement" album that was a critical and commercial flop, despite a marketing blitz that was the hip-hop equivalent of the "Spiderman 2" campaign. Undaunted, he returned to the studio months later to record and release a concept album and soundtrack to Denzel Washington's street hustler epic "American Gangster," which was received better by both critics and the record-buying public -- a shot at redemption he likely would not have gotten if he, as Def Jam president, didn't give it to himself. He's also co-owner of the New Jersey Nets, and is said to have just bought my favorite clothing line, Artful Dodger. Soulja boy, Hurricane Chris, Mims, and any other new artist with a hit would do well to follow these hustling examples.

But not all rappers are in it for the money. For years, Bay Area rap artists have been at the forefront of the independent music hustle. This has long been a region where one can be commercially successful and financially comfortable with a fan base of fewer than 50,000. For an independent artist, the money is quicker, more direct and more easily accountable, meaning that you can control your business with greater accuracy than most major labels. With the consignment deals most independent artists make with local record stores, they receive between half and two-thirds of the profits generated. Not to mention live shows, which are usually a major artist's bread and butter.

The risk in being an independent artist is higher. If you are not commercially successful, not only are you not making any money, but you're losing it. Not to mention the fact that your art will never be recognized on the same level as more mainstream artists -- so, no Grammies for you. But that is a small price to pay if you can sell one-third of 50 Cent's albums and still make big money. The Bay Area's E-40, San Quinn, Messy Marv, Tha Jacka, Keak da Sneak, Mr. F.A.B., Bavgate and Beeda Weeda are artists who, for the most part, have never been on a major label and are still eating fat. Some of these dudes own homes, and with Bay Area property values being some of the highest in the country, that should tell you something.

If major labels or mainstream America lose interest in hip-hop culture and rap music, it is of no consequence. In fact, this current recession in the hip-hop economy will be a good thing if it runs off all the rappers and potential moguls who only got into the game for the money, hos and clothes. In fact, it seems like recently hip-hop has retreated aesthetically and sentimentally back to the 'hood. Some of the biggest songs of the last half of 2007, like "Duffle Bag Boy" and "I'm So Hood" and even "Crank That," have been directly and definitively made for the 'hood. Artists are trying less to cross over into white America and more to gain respect and notoriety from people who look like them. And that is a beautiful thing because hip-hop first and foremost is a street culture and rap is street music. Maybe this will be the beginning of a new golden age: one where the culture controls, exploits, and owns its image and therefore directly reaps the financial benefits.

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