KRS-ONE @ The Black Cat: 5/24/08

I have always joked with my friends that I need to see KRS before he croaks... and I think that I don't have to worry about that for a LONG time.

While my joke refers to the urge for the hottest/newest track/vibe/style in Hip-Hop, the relative age difference of KRS with the current crop of popular rappers and MC's... in many respects KRS is timeless. As a street-wise, criminally-minded turned conscious MC, he is well embedded in pillars of Hip-Hop that are relevant today. As a part of the old/new school transition, he carries with him the ability to rock crowds and re-create that block-party/crowd participation aesthetic so heavily missed in your era of big arena/MTV rappers today. And after seeing it first-hand, the guy speaks in freestyle. That depth of experience has given him the divine talent of pretty much being able to carry an entire conversation with you in rhyme. While he may not be able to drop complicated intricate MF DOOM rhyme-patterns when he raps about Barak Obama, he is able to do it for the long-run with no need for pad or paper. Its spontaneous, natural, and communicates. That is truly what MCs are supposed to be... I thought it was all hyperbole, but this motherfucker IS hip hop.

To me, KRS-ONE is like the Chuck Brown, James Brown, of Hip Hop... they created followers and are able to keep older aspects of their respective genres relevant and danceable.

Speaking of rapping about Barak, here is a video from the show... LISTEN to this...