KRS-ONE DISCUSSES NEW MUSIC PROJECT FOR AUGUST 2019

Monday, April 14th 2019—Most people don’t realize they are in history until it is too late, said KRS-One in an interview after performing Saturday night for a packed Cervantes night-club in Denver Colorado. Hip Hop is a global culture, and we are its cultural architects. What we do and say today is going to be the actual history of those studying us in the future! What we believe of ourselves today is what our children are going to believe of themselves tomorrow. Our actions today are going to inform our children as to what they are capable of and what they can become in their present! It’s time to approach Hip Hop as the global culture that it really is. 

Many people confess to be life-long fans of KRS-One’s music, but more and more people these days, are becoming students and apprentices of KRS-One’s teachings and his vision for Hip Hop. KRS-One has played Cervantes many times in the last 10 years, but last night he and is audience seemed extra thirsty for what KRS-One repeatedly referred to as “Hiphoppia”—Hip Hop’s new city. Those that study with the Temple of Hip Hop have heard the Teacha speak on this subject before, but after an amazing high-energy performance, some of us got a chance to sit down with the Teacha to discuss his upcoming music projects, his six new books, his new “Free Style” tutorial DVD for emcees, the Temple of Hip Hop and his ideas for Hip Hop’s new city—“Hiphoppia”.

Students—Thanks for taking this time to speak with us. 

Teacha—The honor is mine; thanks for listening all these years. 

Students—On stage you talked about people not realizing that they are in history until it is too late. Can you elaborate on this? 

Teacha—The statement speaks for itself. Most people don’t realize that their own actions and words are the actual ingredients of the history they, and their children, shall live out in the future. The idea is to live a life that you can be proud of. Give yourself good memories by living a good life in your present. Feelings of jealousy, anger, sadness and worry, and then the actions that
follow, nurtures a guilty life in one’s future. But, feelings of peace, love, unity and joy, and the actions that follow these, nurture an empowering life in one’s future. It’s really that simple. This is why it is important to live a righteous life. It is because the righteous life gives you beautiful memories. It gives you confidence in who you are and what you are capable of.

Students—You’ve been posting photos of yourself in the studio with Dr. Dre, is he producing your next album? 

Teacha—Not yet. And I say that cautiously because Dre is looking to further mix some of what I did in his studio, and he may add to my production or change the music altogether. I’m open for whatever! Right now though, Dre’s involvement in this new project is more of an executive producer, than that of a music producer. He’s just helping a brother out. But we’ll see. Dre, and his team, big-up to Ty and to Victor the engineer, they came to my aid when Simone reached-out to them. She made one phone call, and the next thing I knew I was in Dre’s studio recording. I really appreciate Dre, Ty and Victor for this, and Simone. My new project is called “Street Light” and there’s a variety of producers on this project. DJ Static who plays for Immortal Technique, Sun-One of the Temple of Hip Hop, Kid Capri, Mlody from Poland, my son DJ K-Prime, and myself are the actual music producers of this project so far. 

Students—Any collaborations with other artists? 

Teacha—Only G Simone, Freddy Foxxx and Sun One so far, but earlier in the project, sometime last year 2018, I did reach-out to Red Man, EPMD, Papoose, Rah Digga, M.O.P., and others, but I gotta follow-up. I’ve been touring and lecturing since then, now may be the time to reach-out to them again. Yo, Red Man what’s up! Yo, Papoose what up! 

Students—When do you see this project coming out? 

Teacha—Some time in August, possibly on my birthday (August 20th 2019). But a film company named Pure Brilliance, the ones that directed and edited my “Free Style” DVD, happened to also be with me at the time when I was recording at a variety of studios in L.A. including Dre’s studio, and they made a kind of visual journal of me working in the studio. You can go to krs-one.com to see some of this. Some of it is also on my Instagram. 

Students—Why did you name this project “Street Light?” 

Teacha—Well, I am always trying to find references to either philosophy and metaphysics, or original Hip Hop from its cultural perspective when titling my albums. The street light, the light post that we see shining light at night onto the street, is symbolic of Hip Hop. Hip Hop is like a tall light post shining light onto the darkness of the streets. In fact, it was at the base of the city light posts that the very first Hip Hop DJs would go into and rearrange the wiring at the base of the light post to get their electricity to power their sound-systems, even their apartments. I am calling this music project “Street Light” because in addition to bringing attention to Hip Hop’s original emcee styles, I am also bringing certain necessary messages to younger people regarding the uses of their minds and the reality of the spiritual life. This project is a balance between hardcore “street” lyrics and philosophical “light” lyrics. Thus, Street Light.  

Students—On your song South Bronx, you stated I am a teacher and others are kings. If that’s the title they’ve earned, well it’s well deserved, but without a crown see I still burn. From the time you emerged on to the rap scene in 1986 you’ve been known as “The Teacha”, Hip Hop’s first and official teacher. What then is your basic teaching, and what is it that you want Hiphoppas to know?   

Teacha—Well, as you all know, my basic teachings can be found in the Gospel of Hip Hop. However, the main point is to relieve human suffering through awareness, through knowledge, through a concept I call “edutainment”, education through entertainment. Most people suffer not just because of injustice or corruption, but more because of ignorance. Their own ignorance. Not knowing what you are capable of, or who you really are outside of your name, your age and your employment is the number one cause of self-doubt, worry and depression, thus failure. You know, driving a car is a dangerous. But you don’t get in your car worried about driving it because you KNOW how to drive. You have a knowledge, an awareness, of driving, and that awareness, that knowledge, is what wipes away all fears and overrides all potential dangers. Someone else, without a knowledge of how to drive a car, is expected to feel some anxiety if they had to drive a car. The same can be applied to life itself. Most times people become stressed, depressed, anxious, angry and all the rest simply because they don’t really KNOW life. Life is not something they study. It is something to possess or take away, it is not an event to be studied unto itself. 

This is how most people live their lives. But as far as life itself is concerned, knowledge is what is on top, and it is knowledge that puts one on top! On top of life. Not money, not fame, not even resources. Knowledge reigns supreme, and for our people to truly reign supreme, we need knowledge. All of us! This is why I exist. When it comes to our people, Hip Hop’s people, Hip Hop’s actual culture, there are certain things that we need to know for the sake of our own survival and growth, and this is what I teach. But what we Hiphoppas really need to know is that we are a Holy Integrated People Having Omnipresent Power! We are not simply a music genre, we are a new civilization upon the earth, and we need to start acting like one.  

Students—For a short time, about a month last year (2018), you made excerpts of seven of your new books available. First of all, where do you find the time to write seven books, and tour, and lecture, and record a new album among everything else that you are doing? And when are these books coming out?

Teacha—Wow, that does sound like a lot. But it’s not as difficult for me as it would appear. As you know, I don’t fly, I don’t use airplanes. I use cars, vans, busses, RVs and ships to get around the world and the United States. This gives me all the time I need to study, to write, to think, to record and to be a husband and a father all at the same time. The difference is that I don’t plan tours; I plan life. Rap is something I do, but Hip Hop is something I live, and it is the living of Hip Hop that shapes my life is such ways. If I focused upon one thing like doing a rap tour, it might interfere with my family life, or the time needing to read and study. But at the very beginning of my family existence with my children, wifey and myself, I groomed my family to be in harmony with me and I with them. Wifey, heads our business affairs. My youngest son and only daughter handle the albums, the DVDs, the T-shirts and the books, while my oldest son handles our tech, and is also my DJ. And all of us are artistic in some way. With this set-up, I have all the time I need to do whatever I want. You know, it’s funny, the slower you move in life the longer you live, and the more time you have to live, the better you live! You would think that such would be the opposite, that you have to move fast in order to achieve goals or get something done. But my life experience has taught me something different. It seems that the fastest speed in the universe is stillness. It’s not about chasing opportunity, it’s all about learning how to be still enough to receive directly from life itself, this is what I am experiencing even right now! 

Students—Does any of your books go into concepts like these? 

Teacha—Some of them, the Gospel of Hip Hop touches on these themes, but this is more about living than reading. 

Students—Can you give us a little on what your upcoming books are about?
Teacha—Well, I am only responsible for six of these seven books. Simone wrote one of the books entitled Identifying Your Faith which an excellent look at the principles of faith and how to correctly apply them to life. Among other things, Simone is an acronologists, she makes powerful affirmations out of everyday words by transforming such words into powerfully affirming acronyms. The other six titles are Real Niggaz—A Look At Institutional Racism Through An Intellectual Analysis Of The N-Words. An Introduction To Hip Hop which is a teacher’s guide to the proper teaching of Hip Hop. There’s God’s Son, a study on the deeper levels of the Christ, or the concept of the Christ. There’s Kush, a short study on the ancient civilization of Kush, or Nubia, and its relation to African Americans historically. There’s also a study I did on Queen Nefertiti and Pharaoh Akhenaten which produced a book called The Images Of Nefertiti. And finally, there’s Black Oustory—A Philosophical Look At “Black” and “History”.    

Students—Is that part of the same course that you were teaching at U.C.L.A. this past February?  

Teacha—Yes. But of course, in the book, Black Oustory as a concept is a lot more flushed-out. What I did at U.C.L.A. was more of a live professor version of Black Oustory with a power-point presentation. 

Students—What was the overall theme to the professor version of Black Oustory? Was it completely different from the book or just shorter? 

Teacha—Just shorter, and with more direct etymological evidence regarding Black history in the world and in the United States. With my power-point presentation, I was able to actually show students the images that backed-up what I was teaching. One of which is the fact that history is not a good source for history.  

Students—Elaborate?

Teacha—Well, history is more of a cultural agreement than an accurate record of the past, and all history is ultimately the opinion of the historian. In addition to the fact that the English language of the past reflects a past English culture which in and of itself was the colonial enemy of our indigenous ancestors, we must ask, as we did at U.C.L.A., is “history” even possible in a colonial society when an accurate depiction of the past only reveals colonial crimes against our ancestors? Crimes that such criminals would rather keep covered-up? The answer is no. It is impossible to have an accurate depiction of the past in a colonial society. Just like it is impossible to have real justice in a colonial society, such is the same with history in a colonial society. So, what exactly is what we are calling “history” and how does this thing called “history” affect us as a people? This is mainly what we got into. 

Students—When are these book coming out?  

Teacha—Soon, I hope. I’m finishing them all now. These books are really for those that are serious about life and living. Hopefully this is what we are going teach in the schools in Hiphoppia. 

Students—I heard you speak this term tonight, for those that don’t know what is Hiphoppia? 

Teacha—Well, the real question is where is Hiphoppia? 

Students—Where is Hiphoppia?

Teacha—We are in it right now. Whenever two or more real Hiphoppas are together in peace, love, unity and joy, they have arrived at Hiphoppia. Hiphoppia is both a state of mind as well as an actual place. It’s the name of our city, our future city. But such a city must be brought into manifestation not through bricks and paint, but through a higher understanding as to what it means to be Hip Hop. This, I believe, is our next step. Not only does America need a new city, but we Hiphoppas need our own space in this country. Our children need this. In addition, the construction and establishment of an authentic Hip Hop city brings real employment, security and education to our People—Hip Hop’s People. I think this can be done. 

Students—I can see it. What a great idea. Where and when does such a city get established? 

Teacha—The real question is, can Hip Hop, which includes all people, can Hip Hop actually have a city, a city for the arts that’s not going to be invaded and burnt down, or schemed against or you know this kind of thing. It’s a level of consciousness that we have to rise to. You know, we don’t want a police patrol in our city or on our highways, and on our streets. But that means that the citizens have to rise to a higher level of mind where we know we not robbing each other, we know we not going to harm each other, we reached that level of civilization. so I think, you know, this not only what Hiphoppia is all about, but this is what real knowledge is all about. It’s all about maturing a person, not necessarily knowing facts, or dates, or numbers, or if you can quote another philosopher. It’s really about your maturity, it’s really about maturity, and if you can withstand the truth yourself when it hits you in the face. Can you withstand it, that’s Hiphoppia. 

Students—Thanks for speaking with us today. 

Teacha—Always a pleasure.