KRS-One

Lawrence Parker, born August 20, 1965, is known professionally as KRS-One—a backronym of “Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone”—and as Teacha. An American rapper and singer from the Bronx, he rose to prominence with Boogie Down Productions, the hip-hop group he formed with DJ Scott La Rock in the mid-1980s. He is known for songs such as “Sound of da Police,” “Love’s Gonna Get’cha (Material Love),” and “My Philosophy,” and Boogie Down Productions received numerous awards and critical acclaim in their early years.

After the group’s debut album, Criminal Minded, Scott La Rock was shot and killed. KRS-One continued Boogie Down Productions, effectively as a solo project, and began releasing records under his own name in 1993. His activism has been central: he started the Stop the Violence Movement after La Rock’s death, and he is a vegan activist, a stance expressed in songs such as “Beef.” He is widely considered an influence on many hip-hop artists.

Discography

• Return of the Boom Bap (1993)
• Outta Here EP (1993)
• I Got Next (1997)
• Step Into A World (Rapture’s Delight) EP (1997)
• A Retrospective (2000)
• KRS-One (2001)
• Strickly for Da Breakdancers & Emceez (2008)
• Survival Skills (2009)
• The B.D.P. Album (Special Edition) (2012)
• The Essential Boogie Down Productions / KRS-One (2014)