KRS-One (album)
Encyclopedia
KRS-One is the second album released by hip hop
artist KRS-One
under his own name. The album was originally meant to be titled Hip-Hop Vs. Rap, as can be seen in the early The Source
's and Rap Pages reviews, which also reveals that a few tracks were scrapped at last minute in addition to the change of album title. These songs include the Diamond D
produced song "What I Know", the ragga-flavoured "Club Dems" and a few interludes including "Kris Is..." and "Meta-physician". All of these songs still remains unreleased to this day although they have all been posted at XXL Magazines webpage for streaming.
The album is weaved together by a string of interludes appearing between songs featuring radio shoutouts to Kris from hip-hop heavyweights including Lord Finesse
, Rakim
, Method Man
, Mr. Magic
, Jeru The Damaja
and even MC Shan
. Inside the CD booklet KRS-One gives shoutouts to additional producers who worked on the LP but whose songs didn't make the final cut. The names are Pete Rock
, Freddie Foxxx
, Kenny Parker (brother of KRS), DJ S&S, Kenny Dope, Kid Capri
and Domingo
.
The song "Ah Yeah" originally appeared on the compilation album Pump Ya Fist. A limited promotional EP sampler of the compilation was released in 1995 featuring three exclusive remixes of the song (in addition to previews of featured selections by Jeru The Damaja
and Rakim
) - one produced by KRS-One himself and the other two by Diamond D.
Recorded at Boogie Down Productions Studios and D&D Recording Studios
Mastered at Absolute Audio, NYC
U.S. vinyl version missing CD tracks "Ah Yeah", "Hold", and "Health, Wealth, Self"; substituted are previously released tracks on side D, which are "I'm Still #1", "My Philosophy", "Jack of Spades", and "Why Is That".
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
artist KRS-One
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
under his own name. The album was originally meant to be titled Hip-Hop Vs. Rap, as can be seen in the early The Source
The Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...
's and Rap Pages reviews, which also reveals that a few tracks were scrapped at last minute in addition to the change of album title. These songs include the Diamond D
Diamond D
Diamond D is a hip hop producer and MC from the Bronx, New York City, and one of the founding members of the legendary D.I.T.C. crew. He started out as a DJ for Jazzy Jay back in the late 1980s and was at the same time perfecting his skills in beat making and turntablism, and together with rhyme...
produced song "What I Know", the ragga-flavoured "Club Dems" and a few interludes including "Kris Is..." and "Meta-physician". All of these songs still remains unreleased to this day although they have all been posted at XXL Magazines webpage for streaming.
The album is weaved together by a string of interludes appearing between songs featuring radio shoutouts to Kris from hip-hop heavyweights including Lord Finesse
Lord Finesse
Lord Finesse is a Hip hop artist and producer, hailing from The Bronx, New York, best known as the leader of the D.I.T.C. rap crew.- Career :...
, Rakim
Rakim
William Michael Griffin Jr. , known by his stage names Rakim , Rakim Allah, R.A.K.I.M., and The Master, is an American rapper. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and most skilled emcees of all time. Eric B...
, Method Man
Method Man
Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
, Mr. Magic
Mr. Magic
John "Mr. Magic" Rivas, was an important figure in the world of hip hop radio.-Biography:Mr. Magic debuted in 1981 on WHBI-FM in New York City with the first exclusive rap radio show to be aired on a major station...
, Jeru The Damaja
Jeru the Damaja
Kendrick Jeru Davis, known as Jeru the Damaja is an American rapper and recording artist who has worked extensively with Guru and DJ Premier of Gang Starr, whom he has known since high school.-Biography:...
and even MC Shan
MC Shan
MC Shan is an American rapper. He is perhaps best known for collaborating with Snow in "Informer", an international number one hit single.-Biography:...
. Inside the CD booklet KRS-One gives shoutouts to additional producers who worked on the LP but whose songs didn't make the final cut. The names are Pete Rock
Pete Rock
Peter Phillips , better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth...
, Freddie Foxxx
Freddie Foxxx
Freddie Foxxx, also known as Bumpy Knuckles, is an American rapper and music producer from Long Island, New York.- Biography :...
, Kenny Parker (brother of KRS), DJ S&S, Kenny Dope, Kid Capri
Kid Capri
David Anthony Love, Jr , also known by his stage name Kid Capri, is an American musician.He was born in the Bronx, New York City, New York, USA....
and Domingo
Domingo
-In the Spanish and Portuguese languages:*Saint Dominic , founder of the Friars Preachers, popularly called the Dominicans*Sunday -Songs and albums:...
.
The song "Ah Yeah" originally appeared on the compilation album Pump Ya Fist. A limited promotional EP sampler of the compilation was released in 1995 featuring three exclusive remixes of the song (in addition to previews of featured selections by Jeru The Damaja
Jeru the Damaja
Kendrick Jeru Davis, known as Jeru the Damaja is an American rapper and recording artist who has worked extensively with Guru and DJ Premier of Gang Starr, whom he has known since high school.-Biography:...
and Rakim
Rakim
William Michael Griffin Jr. , known by his stage names Rakim , Rakim Allah, R.A.K.I.M., and The Master, is an American rapper. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and most skilled emcees of all time. Eric B...
) - one produced by KRS-One himself and the other two by Diamond D.
Track listing
| # | Title | Songwriters | Producer(s) | Performer (s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Rappaz R. N. Dainja Rappaz R. N. Dainja "Rappaz R. N. Dainja" is the first track and a single from KRS-One's 1995 self-titled album. It contains production from DJ Premier that samples "Come On, Come Over" by Jaco Pastorius, "Toys" by Herbie Hancock and "Telephone Girl" by Assagai. It contains an intro in which various hip hop artists... " |
L. Parker | DJ Premier DJ Premier Christopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru... |
KRS-One |
| 2 | "De Automatic" | L. Parker | Big French Productions | Fat Joe Fat Joe Joseph Antonio Cartagena , better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad.... , KRS-One |
| 3 | "MC's Act Like They Don't Know MC's Act Like They Don't Know "MC's Act Like They Don't Know" is a song from KRS-One's 1995 eponymous album. It contains production from DJ Premier that samples "Yesterdays" by Clifford Brown, and interpolates "The Breaks" by Kurtis Blow. Its lyrics deal with how lots of rappers who achieve positive chart positions and other... " |
L. Parker | DJ Premier DJ Premier Christopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru... |
KRS-One |
| 4 | "Ah-Yeah" | L. Parker | KRS-One | KRS-One |
| 5 | "R.E.A.L.I.T.Y." | L. Parker | Norty Cotto | Dexter Thibou, KRS-One |
| 6 | "Free Mumia" | L. Parker | KRS-One | Channel Live, KRS-One |
| 7 | "Hold" | L. Parker | KRS-One | KRS-One |
| 8 | "Wannabemceez" | L. Parker | DJ Premier | KRS-One, Mad Lion Mad Lion Oswald Priest, better known as Mad Lion, is a dancehall, ragga musician and rapper. He frequently collaborates with fellow hip hop artist KRS-One — most recently on a DVD promoting the Temple of Hiphop... |
| 9 | "Represent the Real Hip Hop" | L. Parker | Showbiz | Das Efx Das EFX Das EFX is an American hip hop duo. It consists of emcees Skoob and Dray... , KRS-One |
| 10 | "The Truth" | L. Parker | KRS-One | KRS-One, Rich Nice |
| 11 | "Build Ya Skillz" | L. Parker | Diamond D Diamond D Diamond D is a hip hop producer and MC from the Bronx, New York City, and one of the founding members of the legendary D.I.T.C. crew. He started out as a DJ for Jazzy Jay back in the late 1980s and was at the same time perfecting his skills in beat making and turntablism, and together with rhyme... |
Busta Rhymes Busta Rhymes Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes... , KRS-One |
| 12 | "Out for Fame" | L. Parker | KRS-One | KRS-One |
| 13 | "Squash All Beef" | L. Parker | Diamond D | KRS-One |
| 14 | "Health, Wealth, Self" | L. Parker | KRS-One | KRS-One |
Recorded at Boogie Down Productions Studios and D&D Recording Studios
Mastered at Absolute Audio, NYC
Samples
- "Rappaz R. N. Dainja"
- "Time's Up" by O.C.
- "Telephone Girl" by AssagaiAssagaiAssagai was an Afro-rock band from South Africa, active in the early 1970s in London. It consisted of five members: drummer Louis Moholo, trumpeter/flautist Mongezi Feza, tenor saxophonist Bizo Muggikana, guitarist Fred Cocker, and alto saxophonist Dudu Pukwana....
- "Come On, Come Over" by Jaco PastoriusJaco PastoriusJohn Francis Anthony Pastorius III , known as Jaco Pastorius, was an American jazz musician and composer widely acknowledged as a virtuoso electric bass player....
- "Toys" by Herbie HancockHerbie HancockHerbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
- "MC's Act Like They Don't Know"
- "Yesterday" by Clifford BrownClifford BrownClifford Brown , aka "Brownie," was an influential and highly rated American jazz trumpeter. He died aged 25, leaving behind only four years' worth of recordings...
- "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" by Flatt & Scruggs
- "The Breaks" by Kurtis BlowKurtis BlowKurt Walker , better known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the first commercially successful rappers and the first to sign with a major record label...
- "Yesterday" by Clifford Brown
- "Out For Fame"
- "My Melody" by Eric B. & RakimEric B. & RakimEric B. & Rakim were a hip-hop duo composed of DJ Eric Barrier and MC Rakim .Hailing from Long Island, New York, the pair are generally considered by hip hop enthusiasts to be one of the most influential and innovative groups in the genre...
- "My Melody" by Eric B. & Rakim
- "Squash All Beef"
- "Mystique Blues" by The CrusadersThe CrusadersThe Crusaders are an American music group popular in the early 1970s known for their amalgamated jazz, pop and soul sound. Since 1961, more than forty albums have been credited to the group , 19 of which were recorded under the name "The Jazz Crusaders" .-History:In 1960, following the demise of a...
- "Mystique Blues" by The Crusaders
- "Wannabemceez"
- "Buns O' Plenty" by Isaac HayesIsaac HayesIsaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
- "Pure" by Troubleneck Brothers
- "Buns O' Plenty" by Isaac Hayes
- "Build Ya Skillz"
- "Incognito" by Oneness of Juju
U.S. vinyl version missing CD tracks "Ah Yeah", "Hold", and "Health, Wealth, Self"; substituted are previously released tracks on side D, which are "I'm Still #1", "My Philosophy", "Jack of Spades", and "Why Is That".
Album singles
| Single information |
|---|
| "MC's Act Like They Don't Know MC's Act Like They Don't Know "MC's Act Like They Don't Know" is a song from KRS-One's 1995 eponymous album. It contains production from DJ Premier that samples "Yesterdays" by Clifford Brown, and interpolates "The Breaks" by Kurtis Blow. Its lyrics deal with how lots of rappers who achieve positive chart positions and other... "
|
| "Rappaz R. N. Dainja Rappaz R. N. Dainja "Rappaz R. N. Dainja" is the first track and a single from KRS-One's 1995 self-titled album. It contains production from DJ Premier that samples "Come On, Come Over" by Jaco Pastorius, "Toys" by Herbie Hancock and "Telephone Girl" by Assagai. It contains an intro in which various hip hop artists... " [UK release] |
Album
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | ||
| 1995 | KRS-One | #19 | #2 |
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | |||
| The Billboard Hot 100 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | ||
| 1995 | MC's Act Like They Don't Know | #57 | #35 | #9 | #1 |