Search - KRS-One :: Keep Right (Bonus Dvd)

Incredibly Witty and Refreshing

Ahmad Jordan | Bufalo, NY United States | 03/28/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Man, where does one begin when writing a critique of anything done by KRS-1? He's our Stanley Kubrick of Hip-Hop, creating more than just music; but visions. Unlike our mainstream "legends" of today, KRS actually has something to say. And more importantly it's actually worth saying. Music Marketing has done a good job of tailoring amoral lyricism with troglodyte message-making, courtesy of artists like 50 Cent, Eminem, and The Game. Which is no dis-respect to any of them. They are all very talented, and quite good at creating a marketable product. Actually, mentioning those artists names doesn't stray far from doing a review of "Keep Right", since several songs on the CD are a critique of the massification of what once was an authentic music form. The "Hip-Pop" syndrome is a recurring theme with KRS-1, and the name of this CD itself is his call for true hip-hip appreciators to continue to support the real hip-hop culture.



What's so intriguing about KRS is that many of the accolades that go to other rappers, are more deserving to KRS than anyone else. A good example being Tupac, a name so venerable that he has become a dubious standard by which so many other rappers measure themselves by. And why? The answer we hear so often is that Tupac was "real." But in reality, that credit goes best to KRS. On this CD, as well as all his others, KRS says exactly what he wants to say, never compromising his thoughts or lyrics for record sales. He is more concerned with how his music reverberates on the streets. Even Pac, a self-described street soldier, compromised most of his music for what the record labels knew would appeal to the streets -- even if that appeal fed into an already self-destructive downward spiral. KRS ignores those appeals and gives us the true street voice and the true hope for the preservation of the street population. Of my opinion that is more real than any Gangster Rap or Thug Life that claim to represent the streets.



Eminem is another example. Who can argue his tongue twisting witticism? Eminem is a true master of rhyming. But KRS is a true master of language AND rhyming, which is why he deserves the title of "genius" more so than Eminem. Unlike Em, KRS performs the same verbal acrobats, the same wit and weirdness but with more complexity, more depth and more meaning. KRS can serve an entire history lesson in one song (see "Edutainment" CD). He can discsuss politics, religion or just whack MC's with the same linguistic posturing as Eminem. And more suprisingly, he can do it without a single X-rated word if he so chooses.



All of this you'll find on "Keep Right": a healthy serving of street lyrics wrapped up in a clever, tongue twisting delivery underscored by some of the best and most progressive productions I've heard in quite some time. In fact, I would have to say that the beats on "Keep Right" are a long awaited return to the twisted juxtaposed sounds we heard from KRS's classic album "By All Means Neccessary". Who can forget how "Fat Albert" was infused in "Illegal Business"? Well, that same type of creative musical hybrid can be found in Keep Right. Songs like "You Gon Go", "Everyone Rise" and "Me man" are absolutely infectious and encapsulate the true New York sound before it began taking it's cues from Dr.Dre "Chronic." And "Still Spittin" with it's twisted carnival-esque anthem could probably be ranked as one of the most original productions in hip-hop history.



The only bad thing I can say about this CD is that the skits from Afrika Bambaataa -- and I hate to say this about the man -- are just downright corny and pass more as rhetoric than a rap session. I'm not even sure how that made it on the CD, with the exception of "dream", which seems more down to earth and almost inspiring. The other skits are just pseudo-philosophical eccentric manure worthy of the skip button.



Even if you aren't a KRS fan, or if you faded away because of his more questionable CD's from old, you owe it to yourself ot add this one to your hip-hop collection! It is by far a rap classic."

A Funky LP from a hip-hop Troubadour

Hype Currie | Detroit, Michigan United States | 05/22/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The production values are solid here-- most cuts are helmed by KRS-One himself, spreading the love with with his immediate circle of collaborators like Choco, Commissioner Gordon and a few others also in the mix.. DJ Q-Bert of the Skratch Piklz contributes an instrumental, but there are a lack of "name" producers here, for people who check for such things-- KRS has publicly declared that his self-financed LP projects don't have the budgets to afford most of the high-profile hot producers of the moment, though surely, it would be great to get tracks from Kanye West, Dr. Dre', Neptunes, Rick Rubin, etc.



KRS started off his career on indie B-Boy/Rock Candy Records (Criminal Minded basically made the label, but financial disputes led the group to leave), then spent most of his career on Jive/Zomba (which, ironically, ended up becoming the haven for teen pop stars like Britney, NSync, Backstreet Boys, etc., all of whose LPs probably got 10 times the promotional attention his got)



After abruptly scuttling plans to release "Maximum Strength" in 1999 ("the five boroughs" from the Corruptor Soundtrack, is the only song to surface from those sessions), KRS did an A&R stint at Reprise Records in the Time-Warner system, leaving after a few years to start his Temple of Hip-Hop Ministry and Preservation Society-- His post-millenial comeback found him releasing 3 records for NY indie Koch-- the last of which found him in a promotional dispute with the label--



And now with "Keep Right" released on Boston-based indie Grit Records, KRS seems to enjoy his "free agent" status, not being tied to long-term contracts for a major label anymore.."

Hott real hip hop

BDP87 | New York | 03/17/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this is a good album and is of course underrated as an album the album is nice and has alot of hott beats and nice lyrics, KRS continues to keep things real and this is a mesage to KRS-One; I think one day, Hip Hop will rise and come back to order, we will have our chance one day, we just gotta wait patiently and we will come back when these brain dead kids finally realized and see what the hell they were really listening to."