Has KRS-One Lost It?

[TopDawg14]

Rapper: Blacks 'cheered when 9-11 happened'

Knight Ridder Newspapers

Oct. 14, 2004 03:08 PM

If Osama bin Laden ever buys a rap album, he'll probably start with a CD by KRS-One.

The hip-hop anarchist has declared his solidarity with al-Qaida by asserting that he and other African-Americans "cheered when 9-11 happened," reports the New York Daily News.

The rapper, real name Kris Parker, defiled the memory of those who died in the terrorist attacks as he spouted off at a recent New Yorker Festival panel discussion. advertisement 

"I say that proudly," the Boogie Down Productions founder went on, insisting that, before the attack, security guards kept Blacks out of the World Trade Center "because of the way we talk and dress.

"So when the planes hit the building, we were like, 'Mmmm - justice.' "

The atrocity of 9-11 "doesn't affect us the hip-hop community," he said. "9-11 happened to them, not us," he added, explaining that by "them" he meant "the rich ... those who are oppressing us. RCA or BMG, Universal, the radio stations."

Parker also sneered at efforts by other rappers to get young people to vote.

"Voting in a corrupt society adds more corruption," he added. "America has to commit suicide if the world is to be a better place."

I really don't know what to make of this statement. It is so over-the-top that I can't really comment on it. I for one was not cheering when 9/11 happened so I don't know what he's talking about.

:what: :confused3:

[Guest Prince]

"Voting in a corrupt society adds more corruption," he added. "America has to commit suicide if the world is to be a better place."

Agree!!

[mfuqua23]

I didn't cheer when 9/11 happened. I was in Computer class typing, cuz our teacher was on us bout gettin work done.

[bigted]

Hell no this was taken outta context! He made a tribute to 9/11 victims with a song called "So Many Tears" in 2002, the mainstream didn't talk about that though, they just want to see KRS-ONE fall because of one statement 'cause racism still exists! He responded back this morning in an interview on UndergroundHip-Hop.com about what he meant by that statement!

KRS-ONE’S RESPONSE TO THE DAILY NEWS

"Like everyone I was shocked to read that I and other African-Americans actually “cheered when 911 happened” and that I have “declared my solidarity with Al Qaeda”. When I read my words taken out of context I was shocked and disappointed that the Daily News would go this far to assassinate my character and distort my views. Such statements with no follow up explanation or interview from KRS-ONE as to what he may have meant or even a complete quote of my point is simply irresponsible journalism on the Daily News’ part. I would never just say something as crazy as “we cheered when 911 happened!” I was making an objective point about how many Hiphoppas as well as the oppressed peoples of the world felt that day. I am a philosopher and a critical thinker, I speak truth and I urge people to think critically about themselves and their environment. Yes, my words are strong. Yes, my views are controversial. But to call me a terrorist is simply wrong!

A young lady asked about what we can do beyond voting to change the political state of things in our country? I responded not by irresponsibly stating that “America has to commit suicide if the world is to be a better place” and that’s all. I am a poet and I speak poetically. My full statement was “America has to commit suicide if the world is to be a better place. If you want to go beyond voting American interests must put a gun to its head and commit suicide because as long as we are only interested in American interests we go out and invade the rest of the world. The real question is are you a citizen of the United States or are you a citizen of the world? And so for me, I would say voting in a corrupt society adds more corruption.”

I was asked by the New Yorker magazine to discuss “different and personal beliefs musicians hold and the contribution artists like myself can make to the nation’s political dialog”. My views were indeed different and most were personal. However, when I was asked about why Hiphop has not engaged the current situation more (meaning 911) my responds was “because it does not affect us, or at least we don’t perceive that it effects us, 911 happened to them”. I went on to say that “I am speaking for the culture now; I am not speaking my personal opinion”. I continued to say; “911 effected them down the block; the rich, the powerful those that are oppressing us as a culture. Sony, RCA or BMG, Universal, the radio stations, Clear Channel, Viacom with BET and MTV, those are our oppressors those are the people that we’re trying to overcome in Hiphop everyday, this is a daily thing. We cheered when 911 happened in New York and say that proudly here. Because when we were down at the trade center we were getting hit over the head by cops, told that we can’t come in this building, hustled down to the train station because of the way we dressed and talked, and so on, we were racially profiled. So, when the planes hit the building we were like; mmmm justice.” And just as I began to say “now of course a lot of our friends and family were lost there as well” but I was interrupted.

My intent is never to demean or disrespect anyone’s loss or gain; and of course I did not literally “cheer when 911 happened”. I made an objective statement about the feelings of those who were oppressed by world trade policies. I was just as saddened as everyone else on 911. However, for many of us that were racially profiled and harassed by the World’s Trade Center’s security and the police patrolling that area as well as the thousands of American protesters that spoke out against the World Trade Organization months before in Seattle, Washington there was a sense of justice, a sense of change, a wake up call watching the twin towers fall. These are not my views only; these views represent a popular truth that few people are really ready to hear. No one wished death on anyone or just sat and “cheered when 911 happened”. But some of us can see through the bull****! America must change its approach to the world and its citizens. This, I believe is what all Americans should be thinking about. How do we make our country better?

For years my career has been one of promoting peace, love, unity and having fun; such has always been Hiphop’s cultural principles. So how all of a sudden now can I be aligned with Al Qaeda? What happened to honest debate and freedom of speech! I don’t speak for the African American community exclusively, I speak for HIPHOP! And let me be clear here; most of the Hiphop community is against the war in Iraq! But to align me with Al Qaeda is clearly an attempt by the Daily News to interrupt the street voice of our Hiphop community, KRS-ONE’s leadership and the increased momentum of our Hiphop political movement. I don’t think Al Qaeda needs my solidarity nor did I ever offer it, so what’s the point. For a major news organization to now align KRS-ONE with Al Qaeda shows the unwarranted contempt that such an organization has for me. Such is grounds for a law suit!

Finally, no one should ever believe anything that the one-sided Daily News has to say about the same Hiphop community that it (the Daily News) has tried so desperately to undermine for years. The only thing the Daily News seems to be interested in is scandal and controversy and for years I have challenged the Daily News on its depictions of Rap artists and Hiphop as a whole. I know they don’t like me. However, I don’t give a ---- either! They never cover our efforts toward peace and all the charitable work we do within the Hiphop community. They never air our grievances or how we feel about the state of the world, nor have they ever aired our views on America’s invasion of Iraq simply because they just don’t want to hear them. The Hiphop community forces America to look at itself; and no one likes to take b.l.a.m.e. for their own for immaturity Because Looking At Me ain’t Easy!

For the record, I am an American philosopher. I speak and seek truth. If the slander that the Daily News has printed regarding my political views has disrespectfully offended anyone in any way I truly apologize. Again, it was never my or Hiphop’s intent to disregard, disrespect or demean the tragedy of September 11th 2001 and those that died that day. However, we do have a voice and a point of view and if you are not prepared to hear what Hiphop has to say about its view of world events then don’t ask!"

Fight the power KRS! :ditto:

[Guest Prince]

“America has to commit suicide if the world is to be a better place. If you want to go beyond voting American interests must put a gun to its head and commit suicide because as long as we are only interested in American interests we go out and invade the rest of the world. The real question is are you a citizen of the United States or are you a citizen of the world? And so for me, I would say voting in a corrupt society adds more corruption.”

Regardless of how his views were misrepresented before, I can't say how much I agree with that statement I quoted. America and its people are becoming far too wrapped up in themselves, and need to open their minds.

[bigted]

I agree with what KRS says about certain rap artists going on TV and saying that we should go out and vote when they're doing booty shaking for the last 4 years and not making one intelligent rap single for the radio, for example P. Diddy and Nelly are just doing that for record sales! :nhawong: I really think that rappers like KRS or Chuck D would make good presidents for America, but people won't take them serious because they're black and they don't like that they're telling the truth like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King did. On 9/11, if planes hit the projects of Brooklyn where mostly blacks and puerto ricans live instead of The Twin Towers, mainstream wouldn't have made that big of deal about it, but it happened in a corporate America area in the World Trade Center, tragedies happen everyday not just on 9/11, but if it doesn't happen in a corporate area, they won't emphasise about it, there are gang wars all the time going on in the streets where drug dealers kill each other but they don't emphasise on that 'cause it isn't happening in front of the President's house, that's wrong, everyone's life is important and we should not forget about anyone that dies, no matter if it's in the White House or the projects! If Bush had homeland security when he heard about the terroist threat before 9/11 since he knew about it already it wouldn't have happened, if you do a crappy job, you're gonna pay for it, Bush created this mess and hasn't cleaned it up since then! :bang: KRS-ONE did care about what happened in 9/11, he made a song called "Tears", check out the lyrics for this if u never did before:

{Ain't no need in all the tears, oh no no, yeah yeah

Yeah cause things will be better tomorrow}

[Chorus: repeat 2X *sung*]

No need for tears, no need to cry

No matter what we face, we shall get by

When the problems you face are too much to bear

Know I'll be there

[KRS-One]

Hold that head up y'all, don't get fed up y'all

C'mon let's get up y'all

Make that bed up y'all, life is a set-up y'all

Sadness comes from a lack of knowin, not knowin

where the one that you love is goin

We all gonna reap what we all are sewin

There is no death, just constant growin

We can't stay here forever

We all gotta go to a place we believe is better

So why be sad, why be mad

Now you can see it ain't about the cheddar

It's all about the time that we spend together

Not the rhyme or the crime or the Gucci sweater

The house that's built on a rock can stand the weather

Faith, can stand the weather

But is your house, upon the rock

Or is it on sand and about to drop

Here is the question that you got to ask

Do I live for today or do I live for the past?

Think fast, but do not hurry

Life is a class and we should not worry

But tell me, how long you gonna ignore

Tell me how long you gonna ignore God's law?

How long can you really endure

Livin like pimps, livin like whores

The choice is yours, or really ours

Think about this while you lay the flowers

on the grave, uh, let's talk about how you behave, uh

Do you come out the neighb' or out the cave?

Better change your ways, we comin up on some stranger days

[Chorus]

[KRS-One]

Uhh, uhh

Don't step where the danger lays or danger lies

Open them EYES UP, better to RISE UP, WISE UP

Raise your MINDS UP

Look to the left, look to the right

Pray in the day and the night

Be prepared for the fight, not scared of the fight

He's the way, the truth AND the light

J to the E to the S to the U to the S

You can remove the stress

Yes, we do need you here

Yes, we wanna be free from fear

Yes, we wanna start seein clear

Havin you here, not over there

Lookin around sayin where, does anybody care?

Yeah, I'll be there

At the door, not at the war

At Matthew 5:44

"But I say, unto you

Love your enemies, bless them that curse you

Do good to them that hate you

And pray for them which despitefully use you

and persecute you"

This goes for them terrorists too

But them publicans, done put themSELVES up above again

Lookin for blood again, hate no love again

Got them soldiers runnin in, with a gun again

With a ton of sin, in a holy war, how we gonna win?

I think it's time for KRS-One again

[Chorus] - repeat 2X

[KRS-One]

The time is now, you gotta make your choice

Which side are you on? Turn now to Matthew 5:46

"For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?

Do not even the publicans the same?

And if ye salute your breddern only, what do ye more than others

do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect;

even as your FATHER which is in heaven, is perfect.." {*echoes*}

It's obvious that there's prejudice on KRS 'cause this article comes out right after he was honored the other day on VH1, they don't want people who discovered KRS for the 1st time the other night to go out and buy his albums, so they plant this story! :werd:

[bigted]

So nobody else thinks that it's funny that this was brought up right after KRS-ONE was honored on VH1, they obviously regretted that they put him on there, so they plant this story to make him sound like a terrorist. The mainstream did the same thing to 2Pac when they labeled him a thug that makes negative music, they obviously don't like it when a black man tells the truth, but black people would make better presidents since we know what adversity is and they're afraid of that 'cause the schemes of corporate America would falter and the streets will finally get cleaned up 'cause we would go and personally make something happen there not just bull**** like most polticians do, Hip-Hop is music about the streets, people don't like it when we curse and talk about gangs in songs but that's what we see everyday and they wanna shut us down because their Gated community is perfect and free of drugs, crime, and poverty! But like PE said "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back"! :werd: I don't care who agrees with me, I'm just speaking my mind here, we need to pay more attention to leaders like KRS-ONE and stop focusing time on mindless pop rappers like you know who! :ditto:

[TopDawg14]

I don't see the correlation between the VH1 Honors thing and this latest controversey. I believe has KRS-One has the right to say what he wants to say. I don't think race has anything to do with being a good leader. It's about how the person is and how closely he/she guards his/her values. I think the issues and problems regarding blacks in the community should be handled by us(yes, I am black). I do believe it takes a village to raise a child but ultimately each person has the responsibility to govern his/herself to do the right things in life. While I believe that as a people, we have been historically put behind the eight-ball, we still have a responsibility to govern ourselves with morals, values, and discipline.

[3cookies]

Regardless of how his views were misrepresented before, I can't say how much I agree with that statement I quoted. America and its people are becoming far too wrapped up in themselves, and need to open their minds.

I must say that I disagree...but since you are not here,...I won't elaborate on why I feel opposed to your view... which is opinion, and not based on actual facts...

peace,

cookie

[3cookies]

I don't see the correlation between the VH1 Honors thing and this latest controversey. I believe has KRS-One has the right to say what he wants to say. I don't think race has anything to do with being a good leader. It's about how the person is and how closely he/she guards his/her values. I think the issues and problems regarding blacks in the community should be handled by us(yes, I am black). I do believe it takes a village to raise a child but ultimately each person has the responsibility to govern his/herself to do the right things in life. While I believe that as a people, we have been historically put behind the eight-ball, we still have a responsibility to govern ourselves with morals, values, and discipline.

Word yo! :werd:

peace,

cookie

[bigted]

I think the issues and problems regarding blacks in the community should be handled by us(yes, I am black). I do believe it takes a village to raise a child but ultimately each person has the responsibility to govern his/herself to do the right things in life. While I believe that as a people, we have been historically put behind the eight-ball, we still have a responsibility to govern ourselves with morals, values, and discipline.

:werd: That's a great point! There's one problem with that though, how can every child get proper education if schools are overcrowded and how can everyone make a poper living if there's not enough jobs out there for everyone, what do you do then? :dunno: As foul as it is some people have no choice but to sell drugs, go in gangs, or even go in prostitution, because they're trying to make a living and that shouldnt be happening, but that's reality, you can't tell me that doesn't happen! :what: The point is that people could do so much but we need proper leadership in government to lend a helping hand as well, and I wasn't tryin' to just say black people could be leaders but we deserve as much of an opportunity as anyone else, if this nation's such a democracy like they claim to be there shouldn't be discrimination, but we see it all the time, women getting paid less than men for the same job, minorities that're qualified for a high position get denied, so we have a war of our own here in America, we seem divided in many ways still believe it or not, the rich hang with the rich and the poor hangs with the poor, all these people with money and power that own buisinesses should help the poor out a lil' bit by giving 'em jobs so then they can help themselves make it!