KRS-One

I must admit. I developed a slight sense of apprehension at the thought of interviewing KRS-ONE. After all, he’s a pioneer and icon figure in the annals of hip-hop culture. He’s also one of the most eloquent and intelligent personalities to ever represent the underground culture that spurned rap music. For instance, whenever hip-hop was challenged and the music chastised by political and social pundits from MTV, VH-1 or BET, KRS-ONE would almost always emerge like a soldier ready for war to faithfully fight for the virtues of hip-hop music and culture, while playfully poking holes at the critics’ cases.

Well, it’s nearly twenty years later, since KRS-ONE first appeared on the scene with his conscious hip-hop message of “Black Empowerment”, “Afrocentricity” and “Economic Power”. And, it would appear as though things have changed, somewhat. Yes, he’s still one of the great freestylers (improvisers) of hip-hop and still speaks with authority and knowledge. However, his message has taken on a profoundly spiritual tone. Some would say almost preachy.

Bear in mind that KRS-ONE is no longer a thug from Southside Bronx. At age 36, Kris is a loving husband and father of four adorable kids, making his home between Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles. But, he still maintains his church membership at the prestigious Riverside Church in New York, where his pastor Mariah Britton serves as his spiritual guide.

In his latest release, Spiritual Minded (Top 10, Billboard Gospel Charts), KRS-ONE spares no indignation on unrighteous living or thoughtless care-giving. It’s quintessential Kris, shooting from the hip (hop). So, no-nonsense believers, beware. This project may disturb you.

After much mental preparation, I went ahead with the one-on-one and, boy, did I get more than I was ready for. You will, too. And, feel free to share your thoughts with KRS-ONE once you’ve soaked it in. There’s an email address below.

Christopher Heron: Tell me a little bit about your new album, Spiritual Minded. It’s no stretch in saying that this is a departure from your previous hip-hop releases. Exactly where did your inspiration to do a holy hip-hop album, with a running theme on spirituality come from? And, could you speak a bit to your Christian experience, since most folks could only identify you as a mainstream hip-hop artist?

KRS-One: In a very corny sense, God is the inspiration for this album. It’s a wonderful thing when you have a relationship with God and I mention that because I left home when I was about 14 or 15 years of age to pursue God. I was pursuing God through philosophy, through metaphysics, through the questioning of what is real and so on, and that lead me for 14 years through a phenomenal rap career that basically delved into an intellectual side of finding your spirit. All through my life I’ve been on a quest to master my soul. To really try to be Christ-like, to really walk in this world trying to imitate the personality of Christ, of the God Man/Woman, of God’s son, of an enlightened person. I’ve found this fascinating when I was young. Some of the theories I would take and put forth right on the record with songs like, Why Is That?, Higher Level and The Truth. Some of the poems at the end of my albums throughout the 10 years reflect the study I was going through. And a fascinating study it is: the study of religion, the study of the Bible in particular, the Koran, Buddhist, Eight-Fold path, etc. I went through a 14-year period of just studying that, trying to find my spirit.

In 1999, I went to Los Angeles to put a full emphasis on wanting to see the face of God. I packed up my whole family and I said I’m not rapping much anymore. What I’m going to do is take an A/R position at Warner Bros. then this will give me more time to study God. When I got to California, I joined Bishop Clarence E. McClendon’s church. Keep in mind I was already taught of the Riverside Church in New York City under Rev. Mariah Britton; it was a rewarding experience to have a woman pastor ministering over my life. That was a great experience.

At Bishop Clarence McClendon’s church, I was impressed with the fact that he openly embraced hip-hop in his church. The fact that he had break-in in his church, he talked about MC-ing and DJay-ing, but more importantly, he talked about the culture of hip hop. How God has chosen hip-hoppers to come forth and he prophesied that there will be a time where the same kids you see with their pants sagging, standing on the corner, smelling like weed; they’re going to be just the people God is going to pick-up and say boom, here’s the new message.

So for about two years I studied the sermons of Bishop McClendon, Rev. Dr. Horton, and many others. As you know there’s a whole community once you get into the black Christian church. I had a chance to delve into the black perspective of Christianity, which I must say was very refreshing for me. When I got to the black church, I started seeing a motivational speaking kind of perspective to the Bible, and to Christianity as a religion, clearly in what the black church is practicing. It is not the mainstream. Clearly what the black church is doing is not that, it is not what they are doing.

C.H: It’s primarily a message of empowerment…

KRS-One: Exactly, motivation, empowerment, encouragement. That’s what I got confronted with when I got to Bishop McClendon’s church.

C.H: Coincidently I was in Los Angeles a few weeks ago for the BET Gospel Celebration Taping and I did take in his service at Church of the Harvest for the very first time. I found his message and presentation quite overwhelming; part theology, part theatrics, but it left such an indelible impression upon those in attendance.

KRS-ONE: Right, that’s Clarence (laughs)…

C.H: That’s Bishop McClendon. I’ve got to get in a few other questions that people would definitely like answers to. As you move into another phase of your life – more adult than adolescent in presentation and message - do you still see yourself as a true hip-hop prophet or are you at this stage taking a more practical approach towards your ministry other than providing a lyrical message, let’s say by implementing projects and tools to help another generation?

KRS-ONE: Hip-Hop is a culture, rap is something we do and hip-hop is something we live. With our ministry – The Temple Of Hip-Hop - the idea is to create a central base for discussion on God and spiritual life within hip-hop. Yes, I consider myself still an authentic and true hip-hopper. In fact, we are even more true because hip-hop is not a material or tangible thing; therefore we recognize the divinity of hip-hop. We recognize it is God that created hip-hop and that God answered our prayers. At the Temple of Hip-Hop over the past four years we teach courses of God’s relationship to hip-hop based on what our real life experiences did.

C.H: Can you give people a clear sense of what the Temple of Hip-Hop institution is?

KRS-ONE: The Temple of Hip-Hop was started in 1996; it is a hip-hop preservation society and ministry. We break down the Temple of Hip-Hop over four departments and one acronym: M.A.S.N. – Ministry, Archive, School, Society. Because we are a hip hop preservation society and ministry, our strategy is to actually preserve hip-hop, to preserve the hip-hopper. This is where we say we are hip-hop, we’re not just doing hip-hop. So by preserving the hip-hopper, we are preserving the essence of a person. In preserving the essence of a person that’s when you deal with God and the souls of people, the spirit of people. People want to be talked to by someone who has shared their experience.

There are many ministers within the Black Christian faith, in particular the gospel faith, that have already heeded this need. It’s such a quiet thing I notice within the black church. There are ministers who have a huge youth following because they’re combining the experiences of hip-hop with the Word of God. They’re showing kids through the lifestyle that they’re already living the God-is-with-you-in-this lifestyle.

Take a look here, you can compare many hip-hop stories to stories that are in the Bible as well. As a matter of fact I can equate myself [not totally] to the story of Paul. I was never killing Christians, but I would call myself a loving critic and still am. The enemy Saul was hunting down killing Christians and wouldn’t have anything to do with the movement of Jesus Christ. Then he met Jesus on the road one day and converts his life. Paul became the absolute, and probably the number one, advocate for the principle of Christian living. Many people out here reflect that story.

C.H.: And, like Paul, are you judged suspiciously by both your peers and fellow apostles?

KRS-ONE: By a minority but not the majority. The majority of people already understand where I’m coming from. Hip-hop has waited for this for a long time. Some were afraid to do it, some didn’t have the time, some couldn’t get the financial backing, others lacked vision but we all discussed it. You take a look at DMX’s album, Jesus is all over his album; you take a look at Puffy, he’s going to be doing his gospel project. There are others who talked about doing these projects but it takes someone to step and say, “Boom, here it is. I’m just going to go ahead and do it.”

But the person who steps forward first, they’re always going to be criticized about the integrity of what he’s doing, is he just doing the album because gospel is selling right now? My response to that is no, you could check my entire history from the time I began. My first rhyme was, I am a Teacher of Kings. From day one we came in with a deeper level of consciousness and discussed God and Christianity on each and every album. But most people when they look from a critical eye, they don’t believe you could be a Christian and question the Bible or the church. They think being a Christian means keeping your mouth shut, be quiet or apathetic in the face of injustice and blatant lies.

I don’t think Jesus intended that for any of us. I think if Jesus came right now, jumped out of a cab he wouldn’t know what a Christian was. He’ll say, “I don’t know you people!” One of the statements Jesus made, He said when I return like a thief in the night you’re all going to say we did this in you name, we did that in your name, he’s going to say get away from me, words of iniquity, I never knew you. That’s so brilliant to say even in written form, even as poetry because that’s exactly how it happens. Let me just bring it to another level…

People don’t really know who I am at all and this is what forms the criticism. You really don’t know who’s KRS-One, I could be God in uniform coming to you right now with salvation. I’m only looking to sell 144,000 copies that’s it, and those who catch on will be with me in heaven others will lose out. You really don’t know who you’re talking to and this is one of the things I’ve noticed with people. They’re so sure of how their Lord is going to return that they’re going to miss.

There will always be critics but a tree is known by its fruit. Not once ever has KRS-One borne bad fruit even in my questionable events of the past, still wasn’t bad fruit where people ate from what I presented and died. Now those who critique KRS are going to critique KRS no matter what I do, which is good because you should ask questions, you should always want to interrogate, the truth always invites question. There’s no question too hard for me to answer - the truth stands. The truth is that if God blessed my life despite what people are saying, God has blessed my life. I have looked at other people and they are not happy. I look at myself and I’ve got a smile on my face and I don’t take that for granted. Why do you have a smile on your face Kris? Well, I’ve got four kids and a beautiful wife, we all live and work together and we’re not in each others throat - that brings joy to my heart. I have a relationship with my wife that I think some couples need to know. Some men need to know the sacrifice you make when you marry a woman. What happens after she gets pregnant and you really have feelings for her and you say you know I really want to try and stick this out? What about that part of your life? For me having grown up, seeing that I’m healthy, at the Temple of Hip-Hop we call it the H-Law – Health, Love, Awareness and Wealth. This equals Victory Over the Street, which is the general tenet of the Temple of Hip-Hop.

C.H.: Let me address the impact holy hip-hop can have on young, lost souls. On your latest project – Spiritual Minded - you’ve had the opportunity to work with a couple of righteous hip-hop messengers in BB Jay and T-Bone. I’m sure you’ve the also heard the lyrical acrobatics of today’s vanguards like CrossMovement and G.R.I.T.S., and Obadiah-1. Do these artists have the flow and free style to catch the ear and hearts of a new generation. Is the production behind their tight lyricism strong and sharp enough to go toe-to-toe with the Jay-Z’s, Nelly’s & Nas’ of the world?

KRS-ONE: Excellent question because it goes into different directions. First of all, I would say they have the beats, they’ve got the flow, it’s all good. But there is a sense of hesitation in their voice, they’re restricted; they can’t use certain hip-hop terminologies. You see, the key to get into the hip-hop culture isn’t a physical key; it’s a compilation of words that open the mind to that specific. And if you can’t use those certain words then you can’t open the minds of the community. Words like [excuse me] b----, nig---, h-, but not just words like that but fly, dope, fresh, nah’aimean; it’s all good, and so on. If you can’t use those keys to unlock the culture then it does make it a little difficult and it seems like your flow is not up to par. In fact in this CD, I tried to inject a lot of different words and flows not commonly used in gospel rap, at least from what I’m hearing.

To make this clearer I’m going to tell you about a rhyme I was writing last night, this is top secret (chuckles). I started to write about words and things I can’t say because I’m saved, but I would say them. I can’t call you a b---- as- rapper because I’m saved, I can’t pull off the cap and bust off because of what Christ gave, and so on. Whereas I’m using the language, I’m using the terminology but I’m flippin’ the script because I can’t really go there with you because of the commitment I’ve made to God and Christ in my life. When it comes to Christianity and Christian thoughts, there is a community buying music with Christian thought in it but the kids who are doing it are living a hip hop lifestyle. Now either we preach to the choir, which [is fine too], which is what I think we’re doing where the gospel rap community is right now, preaching to the choir, they’re rhyming to each other, they are the gospel CNN for the church right now.

But there is a need for gospel rappers to step out and use some of the language that opens up the minds of some of these rappers and to the audience that needs to hear the message. It’s one thing to come on the Word Network or NBC or have an article in Gospel Flava Mag, that’s all well and fine but that’s still preaching to the choir.

One of the things about our ministry is that we specifically set it up to preach to the frontline. We go into the clubs with these kinds of message, going straight to people who didn’t come to the club to hear nothing about Jesus, nothing about Christ, nothing about God, nothing about the Bible, not about nothing - they came to party. What we do with that audience, right there and then, is you know what, before you leave here today consider your relationship with Jesus Christ. And for those of you who can’t accept Jesus as a personality, let’s just talk about the Christ, let’s talk about what Jesus attained, let’s talk about what Jesus was resurrected to be, let’s talk about how God came to the earth in human form as the Christ. All cultures relate to Christ, the God-man, the shaman, the priest, the one who’s on earth to point the way through action and what a real, righteous, moral, solid man should be.

I mention that because gospel artists today need to be a little more forceful about the Word of Christ, about the Word of the Bible. They need to be a little more truthful about it. You go through Bible study, through the indoctrination period of say this, say that, don’t say this, don’t say that (I’m generalizing Bible study), but no one is ever taught what theological seminaries are teaching their people, their teaching the rich everyday. They’re showing the rich how God is really in need of your help, this is one of the tenets. We’re under the impression God don’t need no help because God is infinite, all-seeing, all-knowing, all-loving, a graceful, merciful God. But the truth of the matter is the great omnipotent God Almighty needs our help. The general idea is that He don’t need no help, so when you don’t help God, not only do you not help yourself, you also don’t manifest the teaching of anyone’s religion, particularly the Bible. It’s through helping God that you actually get to help yourself. You also do the will of God, do the will of Christ, be that on earth. I mention that because gospel rappers could have that ministry but they’re trapped. Most gospel rappers are financed by churches, some finance themselves but they’re linked to some sort of church situation and they can’t say certain things because they’re going to embarrass their minister. I’m free, I’m not trapped. Rev. Mariah Britton respects hip-hop, so does Bishop Clarence McClendon and other ministers and pastors. Take for instance, Pastor BB-Jay and T-Bone. T-Bone could’ve judged me then and say I’m not doing no records with you KRS, for whatever reason. But we “broke bread” and I took a little of him and he took a little of me; and basically it was a conversation between a minister and the philosopher. The philosopher is always questioning everything and the minister hears and believes.

C.H.: Throughout your long hip-hop career, you’ve been characterized as a conscious rapper, conscious of your society, conscious of the divine spirit, conscious of the brotherhood and sisterhood of humankind. In a nutshell what direction are you moving in, as you attempt to move into spiritual oneness with God? Other hip-hoppers have also made a transition, placing themselves in different setting. For instance, I was reading the New York Times (Style section, Feb.3) where they did a story on Mason Betha (formerly known as Mase); here’s a hip-hopper who’s abandoned hip-hop culture to pursue ministry. Then you have Hammer who’s continuing his artistry in gospel music. Then, you have Rev. Run (from Run-DMC) who intertwines the secular and the divine worlds of hip-hop, as he continues to perform his hits from decades ago, in between his pastoral duties in New York. What direction are you likely to move in?

KRS-ONE: We are establishing a ministry that speaks to the saved and the unsaved. We believe in saved being looked at from an acronym perspective: S.A.V.E.D. - Spiritually, Alive, Viewing, Everything, Different. We look at being saved from that perspective. What really is it, to be saved these days? What does that mean? We’re taking our ministry straight into hip-hop; we’re preaching the mind of Christ to hip hoppers. We advocate the Bible, we teach from the Bible, but we do not believe in Jesus’ supremacy in the sense that Jesus is above all. There is this rhetoric out there for some people do believe. I think it’s an important belief to place Jesus above all other gods, to have Jesus as your Lord and Savior in your life, your number one. I think it’s very important to have. But what we find ourselves dealing with is that there are hip-hoppers who are Muslims, Jews, atheist, Satanist. We’ve got to speak to all of them because they are all looking for light; they’re all trying to get to where they’ve got to go.

God has blessed my life with a vision where I can see that most people are suffering from insecurity, depression and purposelessness because they lack health, love, awareness, and wealth. We have found hip-hop is a strategy when looked at from a divine perspective; hip-hop becomes a strategy that frees you from the traps of the inner-city, depression, insecurity, purposelessness, lack of vision, etc.

Our ministry is one of confirmation: we focus on the purpose of people, what is your purpose? What is God saying to you? Not what your minister is saying to you, or what your pastor is saying to you. What is God saying to your heart? What is the thing you feel you must be doing no matter what? Do it, here’s a possible way you can achieve security and peace in your life. I think all ministries, if I may speak broadly about it, should be looking to relieve human suffering. What is a ministry if it is not relieving human suffering? And it’s difficult to relieve human suffering in the inner city with some of the traditional practices of Christianity.