KRS, an acronym for ““Knowledge Reigning Supreme”, has been called the “conscience of Hip Hop” (Rolling Stone), “the greatest live emcee ever” (The Source), the “spokesperson for Hip Hop” (Wall Street Journal), and the “son of Hip Hop” (Kool DJ Herc). With 20 published albums and numerous collaborations, KRS-One is believed to have written the most rhymes in Hip Hop’s history.



In the 1990s, as “hip-hop” grew more and more commercialized, KRS-One openly rejected cultural exploitation and materialism, grounding Hip Hop in its original principles. Teaching everything from self-creation to stopping violence, from vegetarianism to transcendental meditation, to establishing Hip Hop as an international culture at the United Nations (2001), KRS-One has stewarded Hip Hop’s purest traditions now for over three decades.



In addition to lecturing at over 500 universities in the United States and publishing three ground-breaking books — “The Science of Rap” (1995), “Ruminations” (2003), and the Gospel of Hip Hop” (2009) — KRS-One also first argued that “rap is something we do; Hip Hop is something we live” and introduced the “I am Hip Hop” philosophy in which Black Entertainment Television still uses as the title for their Hip Hop Lifetime Achievement Award. Without question, KRS-One has been the loudest voice for the actual preservation and expansion of original Hip Hop worldwide.