I Shit You Not: KRS-One Writes The Hip-Hop Bible
October 15, 2009 in News
According to the press release, old school hip-hop pioneer KRS-One (of BDP, “Sound of Da Police” & “The Bridge Is Over” fame) is actually writing the Gospel of Hip-Hop. Now, I’m not going to say this is a time waster since some people really need to learn about the culture they follow to death but its KRS-One we’re talking about here. A legend? Yes. An author on hip-hop? Maybe. But 600 pgs. for $24.95? I dunno Kris.
When KRS One said: “I am HipHop” i am sure he meant that whatever hiphop is to YOU. That is HipHop. That is YOUR HipHop.
Against the background of that statement, MY hiphop is foundationed by MY hiphop experience within MY social framework and construct. Therefore if I am to teach on hiphop, I am actually teaching on HipHop ACCORDING TO ME.
Which brings me to the conclusion that this Gospel of HipHop would in actual fact be The Gospel of HipHop according to Kris Parker. and not the Gospel as GOSPEL.
My hiphop in South Africa is and was way different from hiphop in The Bronx. When young black kids were churning out albums in the States I was still struggling to come up with the money to buy an 808.. or even a 505..
Kids in the States were already swapping CDs and we were still doing tapes in my country.. just a few examples.. (i’m not even going to mention apartheid and its generational relevance).
So from where I stand.. it would be nice to read what’s on Kris’s mind, but it would be even nicer to see the word “according to” on the cover.
Of course, the same person who said hip hop is my spoon and my milk can write a book about “the gospel” of hip hop and what it means to him. I’m not discrediting KRS but there were a lot of better titles out there to call this book.
There had better be a lot of quality in this book, otherwise the title will outweigh the overall message – and when it comes to KRS, it shouldn’t even be that way.