KRS-One

KRS-One is an American rapper originally from the Bronx, New York City, United States. He was born on August 20, 1965 as Laurence Krisna Parker. After dropping out of high school, he teamed up with DJ Scott La Rock to form Boogie Down Productions. Parker took on the name KRS-One as an abbreviation for KRIS Number One. He later changed the abbreviation to mean "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone".http://music.aol.com/artist/boogie-down-productions/biography/1000012

Boogie Down Productions dedicated itself to social and political commentary on street life and released its first album in 1987 entitled "Criminal Minded". Shortly after receiving its first major record deal with Jive Records, the group was shattered when La Rock was shot and killed while trying to break up an argument at a party. KRS-One added DJ Nice, Ms. Melodie and his younger brother, Kenny Parker to Boogie Down Productions. The group went on to release its second album, entitled "By All Means Necessary" in 1988. By this time, KRS-One had taken on a new moniker, "The Teacher".http://music.aol.com/artist/boogie-down-productions/biography/1000012

By the early 1990s, Boogie Down Productions' popularity was fading and KRS-One was expanding into active social work. In 1989, he founded the Stop the Violence Movement and raised nearly half a million dollars for the National Urban League. He left Boogie Down Productions in 1992 and began recording music under his own name, releasing his first solo album "Return of the Boom Bap" in 1993.http://music.aol.com/artist/krs-one/biography/1074075

He continued to make music throughout the nineties, but none of his personal albums reached the chart success he had enjoyed with Boogie Down Productions. Despite the lackluster sales, KRS-One continued to garner critical acclaim and wide respect within the hip-hop community. As his taste for spirituality grew, KRS-One began writing books, releasing his first title "The Science of Rap" in 1995. Most recently, he started a hip-hop ministry called The Temple of Hip Hop, a movement dedicated to following hip-hop as a lifestyle and philosophy.http://www.hiphopministries.org/temple.html

• 1993: Return of the Boom Baphttp://www.mtv.com/music/artist/krs_one/albums.jhtml
• 1995: KRS-Onehttp://www.mtv.com/music/artist/krs_one/albums.jhtml
• 1997: I Got Nexthttp://www.mtv.com/music/artist/krs_one/albums.jhtml
• 2000: A Retrospectivehttp://www.mtv.com/music/artist/krs_one/albums.jhtml
• 2001: The Sneak Attackhttp://www.mtv.com/music/artist/krs_one/albums.jhtml
• 2002: Spiritual Mindedhttp://www.mtv.com/music/artist/krs_one/albums.jhtml
• 2002: The Mix Tapehttp://www.mtv.com/music/artist/krs_one/albums.jhtml
• 2003: Kristyleshttp://www.mtv.com/music/artist/krs_one/albums.jhtml
• 2003: D.I.G.I.T.A.L.http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/krs_one/albums.jhtml
• 2004: Keep Righthttp://www.mtv.com/music/artist/krs_one/albums.jhtml
• 2006: Lifehttp://www.mtv.com/music/artist/krs_one/albums.jhtml
• 2007: Hip Hop Liveshttp://www.mtv.com/music/artist/krs_one/albums.jhtml
• 2008: Adventures In Emceeinghttp://www.mtv.com/music/artist/krs_one/albums.jhtml
• 2008: Maximum Strength"http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/krs_one/albums.jhtml
• 2009: "Blastmaster"http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/krs_one/albums.jhtml
• 2009: "Survival Skills"http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/krs_one/albums.jhtml
• 2010: "Playlist: The Very Best of KRS-One"http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/krs_one/albums.jhtml