New KRS-ONE Interview!

[bigted]

http://www.vibe.com/modules.php?op=modload...article&sid=321

Interview: KRS-One – The Edutainment Continues

“Your hip hop conference is not a hip hop conference if I’m not there,” booms KRS-One with that trademark arrogance, his voice is so loud that one of the greatest MCs of all time doesn’t even need a microphone. KRS-One has always been a man with a lot on his mind; give “The Teacha” a room full of heads at the University of Maryland’s 4th Annual Hip Hop Conference and six hours later he’ll still be there, preaching the gospel of his spiritual-minded Temple of Hip Hop. Now 38-years-old KRS has assumed the role of hip hop’s most vocal and passionate ambassador, lecturing students at universities across the country to spread hip hop’s founding principles of peace, love, unity and having fun. Following his marathon lecture, "The Teacha" took some time to discuss the Movement, the future of hip hop culture, Bill O’Reilly, and why rap is something we do, but hip hop is something we live.

VIBE Online: You talk about hip hop as the process of gaining knowledge on your own. So what’s so hip hop about KRS-One coming to a university and saying what’s what to a bunch of people just nodding their heads?

KRS-One: Ha, well the quick answer is the universe contradicts itself. You look at the entire universe, there’s things going on in this universe that make no sense. But here’s a little more under the surface: Not everyone in that room heard what I said. There were about five people in that room that really heard what I said. The rest of the people have already given me their consent. That’s why Bush is in office. But five of them people was like, “Wait a minute. He just said some ill s***. I need to ask him about that.” Those are the people we really came to educate and then we will take them out of the university system.

But I only hope that one day hip hop can become a university course. Because it’s that course at the university that will show you what to do with every other degree you got. This is why the university needs me. I will show their students what to do with their degree. That’s the one missing link that the university doesn’t have: you give a degree, but you don’t tell nobody what to do with it. The attitude of universities is, “You paid us for the degree, we gave you what you wanted, now bounce.” But the university, whether I like it or not, is the think pool for America. You want to influence America, your ass better be in the university

VIBE Online: Do you need to be down with KRS-One to be down with the movement?

KRS-One: No. KRS needs to be down with you so he can be part of the movement. The movement rests with the people. Always. To be down with the movement you just need to care about hip hop and know that you’re in a culture that’s growing and it’s new and it can become anything, so don’t f*** it up.

VIBE Online: How do we negotiate the negative voices coming down on the culture, like a Bill O’Reilly? How do we silence people like him, or get people not to pay attention to him in order to make your movement progress, get hip hop courses into the universities? Because if you ask Bill O’Reilly should there be hip hop courses in university he’d say “Hell no! That’s the last thing we should be teaching at university.”

KRS-One: And right after that say, “We have KRS-One as your next guest to talk about hip hop at the university.”

VIBE Online: Have you been asked by Bill O’Reilly to be on his show?

KRS-One: Never! He’ll never invite me. When the Ludacris thing with Pepsi happened we called them right away to say, “There is another voice that you need to hear.” But they don’t want to hear it. They need to pull Cam’ron on there. But when they put Cam’ron on, 50 million people in the United States said, “Why don’t you have KRS-One? Why don’t you have Chuck D? Why don’t you have Talib Kweli?” That’s the un-knowing. That’s when you don’t do nothing and justice appears.

I would ruin him. It’s beyond an interview. I would ruin his career. You don’t battle KRS-One. You know what it is. I’m not just trying to win; I’m trying to destroy you. Period. And I will. So when I get in front of Bill O’Reilly record the show and label it the “Death of Ignorance.” They don’t want me on that show.

VIBE Online: Where do you differ from a Russell Simmons or a Chuck D.? What are you saying that they’re not saying? Where do you disagree or agree?

KRS-One: Well Chuck D. and I are one. He is a definitely a soldier in our movement. He’s always supportive and always there. But with Russell, there are differences there. We are friends but Russell acts like he is afraid of what I’m doing. But if there is one message I can get to Russell, even through this interview, is that he needs to join our movement. He doesn’t have to do it on his own. He has full support from me and others and the Temple of Hip hop will be the only hip hop organization that will match Russell dollar for dollar and not take money from him. Right now everybody around him got they hand out.

VIBE Online: Even Ben Chavis?

KRS-One: Everybody! That’s a diss enough. Everybody around Russell want money. I don’t. I want Russell the spiritual man. I want Russell the guy who twists himself in all sorts of positions trying to learn yoga.

VIBE Online: Is there an artist right now that is capable of bringing hip hop to where you would like to see it go?

KRS-One: No one is capable of taking hip hop to where I see it going. I have a divine mission. I have come out of the universe to get this s*** together. But for now I have to set up for the true messiah to come. I’m more like John the Baptist. I’m proclaiming the word. The closest is Nas. I’m training Nas to be that leader.

VIBE Online: Seems people have wanted Nas to be that guy since ‘93.

KRS-One: Oh, Nas is “the one.” But you want to talk about someone caught between the CEO world and the movement -- Nas has issues. He’s in the hood, Queensbridge projects, he’s gotta keep it real with the fellas. Then he picks up the phone and talks with me discussing NASA and the universe and hip hop’s role on Mars. When I asked him, “Nas I want you to speak at NASA,” he hung up the phone on me. He couldn’t take it. He called me back an hour later saying, “Yo, man. I’m sorry man. Yo, man. Yo, you just too much man. I had to take a breather.” I said, “Stop being afraid. It’s just a building. You go and you talk and you leave.” But he wants the training. He’s interested in the training and he’s not afraid. It’s just I’m a crazy guy.

VIBE Online: Are you prepared for the movement to fail?

KRS-One: Yes. Because it can’t. Nothing real can ever fail. Nothing real can be destroyed. And hip hop, this movement, is real.

By Barry Schwartz"

Edited April 27, 2005 by bigted

[mfuqua23]

That's something to really think about. I don't know the whole deal wit Bill O'Reiley tho. Since I don't follow KRS-One, I can't say too much. But I know he's out there and at least doing something for Hip-hop.

[bigted]

They won't let KRS-ONE get on Bill O'Reilly's show 'cause he ain't a major rap star, he's an underground mc, what he does is unknown to most people which is a damn shame 'cause he's bustin' his ass to make a change in the world! :mad8: I wish more commercial rappers could give props to KRS-ONE for what's he's done, Nas should do a video with KRS-ONE, that'd be a great moment for hip-hop.

[TopDawg14]

The reason why Bill O'Reilly won't interview KRS-One is because O'Reilly doesn't want to have a rapper with intelligence on his show. He had Cam'ron and Damon Dash on there because it reinforces his propaganda that rap is trash. Like big media and big record companies, O'Reilly doesn't want to hear from real MCs because it defuses his argument that rap music is violent, misogynistic and hateful. You won't see KRS-One, Talib Kweli, Will, Mos Def or Common on there because they're positive rappers.

The whole deal with O'Reilly is he tried(and successfully) to get Pepsi to drop their endorsement deal with Ludacris. O'Reilly painted Luda as raunchy, misogynistic rapper with vile, lewd lyrics. Pepsi dropped Luda and Luda has been pissed ever since. He also has gone after other rappers but he doesn't go after people like The Osbournes(who, coincidentially also had a Pepsi deal the same time as Luda but O'Reilly didn't demand that Pepsi drop them). This is the same Ozzie Osbourne who bit a bat's head off during a concert some years ago and is the lead singer of Black Sabbath, one of the raunchiest rock bands of the 70's & 80's(go and try to find some of their lyrics).

O'Reilly hates rap music(most white, male conservatives do though) and he wants to shut rap down. That's why he'll continue to talk about 50 Cent and other rappers but won't talk to KRS-One. He wants you to believe that ALL rap music is bad.

Edited April 28, 2005 by TopDawg14

[bigted]

Maybe if Will spoke to the college kids, maybe they'd pay attention more 'cause they watch his movies and buy his albums, they probably don't even know who KRS-ONE and Chuck D are, I think Will should get involved and help them out too, but of course he's doing his part by supporting Nelson Mandela's foundation, I think some rappers in the spotlight like Jay-Z should get involved, I don't like his music much but he's a smart guy, also a couple other legends in the spotlight like LL and Ice Cube should get involved. It'd be nice if Public Enemy's new album does well, then maybe Chuck D'll be allowed to go on to Bill O'Reilly's show since he'll be back in the spotlight again, this is more than just about making money with these mcs they're doing this to make a better world, reading an interview like this is inspiring, Vibe should make this a cover story but that ain't gonna happen! :nono:

Edited April 28, 2005 by bigted

[mfuqua23]

Wasn't Dave Chappelle on this show one time? I remember he showed at clip of him at the show and made some funny remarks about how he felt.

[bigted]

Hey fuq, the Bill O'Reilly show is on Fox News Channel I think, it comes on either 8 PM EST weekdays.

Edited April 30, 2005 by bigted