KRS-One Amoeba Records 'What's In My Bag'

KRS-One took some time out to do some hip hop shopping for his aspiring DJ son. Handpicked by the Teacha!

Genius!: Boogie Down Productions 'Criminal Minded' Album 9mm USB

As seen on East Coast Digital Radio

Your Favorite Rapper's Give Away Turkeys For Thanksgiving Holiday Rundown

Whether it's for an artist promotion or just to do a good deed for the community, it's always refreshing to hear these stories and redeems Hip Hop just for a moment.

Links provided.

Akon & Ludacris - Akon And Ludacris Help Distribute 2000 Turkeys To Families In Need (myATL events)

Young Jeezy - Young Jeezy To Give Back On Thanksgiving With Turkey Dinners (Word of South)

R. Kelly - R. Kelly to Host Thanksgiving Feast for Soldiers (PR News Wire)

Cash Money - Cash Money Records to give away turkeys on Tuesday (New Orleans The Times-Picayune)

Gucci Mane - Gucci Mane & Company To Feed Those Less Fortunate For Thanksgiving (Hip Hop Wired)

Bun B - Bun B Teams Up With Boost Mobile For Holiday Food Drive (Keep It Trill)

Jay Rock - Rapper Jay Rock Set To Give Away Turkeys In His Watts Neighborhood (BallerStatus)

Trey Songz - Trey Songz Giving Away Turkeys In Viriginia For Thanksgiving (BallerStatus)

KRS One - KRS-One to Feed NYC Homeless on Thanksgiving (Boombox)

Trae Tha Truth - Trae Tha Truth Joins Texans’ Amobi Okoye And Councilman Peter Brown To Tackle Hunger 4 Thanksgiving (Music On Play)

Vaughn Anthony - Vaughn Anthony giving back with free holiday meal (Illinois - Springfield News)

DJ Drama - DJ Drama Leads Atlanta Turkey Drive For Needy Families (Keep It Trill)

KRS One Releasing Book 'The Gospel of Hip Hop'

KRS-One - The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument available November 9.

Synopsis:
Rap pioneer KRS-One is the self proclaimed prophet of a new religion: Hip-Hop religion. KRS-One announced he will soon release The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument, a 600-page book that examines the spirituality of Hip-Hop culture. The Hip-hop artist and founder of the Stop the Violence Movement, KRS-One, aka Boogie Down Production’s “Teacha”, claims his soon to be released spiritual book is the announcement of a new Hip-Hop religion on earth.

read more about the book here:
The Guardian UK

Photos from recent KRS-One book event at the Red Bull Space NYC here:
Rule4080.com

Pre-order your copy here:
Amazon

KRS-One & Buckshot announce new album "Survival Skills"

KRS-One & Buckshot "Survival Skills" out September 15 on Duck Down Records

(via press release)

After making their indelible marks on the game luminaries KRS-One and Buckshot, arguably two of the games most prolific emcees, will link up to give fans a collaborative album entitled Survival Skills. The project will be released on Duck Down Records, September 15th while the duo will be featured on The Rock The Bells tour this Summer.

With guests ranging from Mary J. Blige, Slug Of Atmosphere, K'NAAN, Talib Kweli, Immortal Technique, Melanie Fiona, Naledge of Kidz In The Hall, Sean Price, Geo of Blue Scholars, Smif N Wessun and Rock of Heltah Skeltah, "Survival Skills" represents a diverse range of topics, all while maintaining a consistent sound. The album has production from Havoc of Mobb Deep, 9th Wonder, Black Milk, ILL MIND, Coptic, Moss, Nottz, Marco Polo, and KHRYSIS!

On the surface the album is a testament to the resiliency of two lyrical titans, but at its root Survival Skills is a blueprint for life. For instance on the infectious head-nodder "Robot," which was released 6 weeks prior to Jay Z's "The Death Of Auto Tune" track, and already available World Wide at Digital Retail Shops, such as iTunes, the duo speak-out against the recent overuse of the Auto-Tune vocal effect in urban music, but under the surface the message is much deeper. "I don't want people to get the averaged clichéd version and thinking that we're dissing people,'" Buckshot clarifies. "What we're calling out here is the biters, the people that feel like because this guy sold X amount of records doing this, that I'm going to turn around and do it as well," KRS says of the array of artists who have followed in the creative footsteps of Roger Troutman, Afrikka Bambatta, Teddy Riley and T-Pain. Despite its heavy message, sonically the track, produced by Mobb Deep's Havoc, is as inviting as anything on the radio today. The video for "ROBOT," directed by Todd Angkaswan, has been added into rotation at MTV & BET. The track has also been included in the sound track for Activision's upcoming Tony Hawk skate game in stores this Fall.

Coincidently, ROBOT is not the first example of where Jay Z has released similar material and concepts from KRS-ONE & BUCKSHOT. In 2003, Buckshot's group Black Moon recorded a song called "Stay Real," which was, again, released 6 weeks prior to Jay Z's "Public Service Announcement" track, that ironically contained the same sample as Black Moon's "Stay Real."

A couple years prior to this Jay Z released "THE BLUEPRINT," which was the same title used by KRS-ONE in his classic album, Boogie Down Productions "Ghetto Music: The BLUEPRINT of Hip Hop."

KRS-One and Buckshot are the epitome of rap longevity and relevancy. After making his 1987 debut with Boogie Down Productions on the seminal rap classic Criminal Minded, KRS-One instantly became an icon going on to release a gang of essential works including 1988's By All Means Necessary and 1993's Return of the Boom Bap. Similarly when Buckshot came into the game in 1993 with Enta Da Stage as Black Moon's front man, fans instantly took notice.

And the party never stopped, KRS-One's 2007 collaborative album with producer Marly Marl, ("Hip Hop Lives") was critically acclaimed and his work on "Classic," the Kanye West, Nas and Rakim featured track celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Nike's Air Force 1 shoe, earned the Teacher a Grammy nod. Buckshot has continued to churn-out some of the game's most progressive projects as well, most notably his 9th Wonder-produced albums Chemistry (2005) and The Formula (2008). Couple those with the licensing deals which have landed Buck's music on networks like ESPN and The History Channel, as well as an episode of CSI Las Vegas and it's clear to see why the Boot Camp general has remained one of the game's most influential.

"Ever since 1993 we've been passing each other on tour or in the studio saying, one day we should tour together, or one day we should do a record together," says KRS of the long-awaited union. "Well finally myself and Buckshot have the chance to collaborate on a straight up and down MC'in project."

Still gritty tracks like "Clean Up," featuring Rock of Heltah Skeltah and the politically minded "Running Away" featuring Immortal Technique, make Survival Skills a Hip-Hop fan's dream, catering to those that love lyrics and the boom-bap. Equally as rich is the album's Black Milk-produced track, "The Way I Live" featuring the Queen of hip-hop soul, Mary J. Blige. Together they create a triumphant anthem for all those on the grind trying to conquer their dreams. The song's summery feel and soothing melodies make it an instant hit.

What KRS-One and Buckshot have created is an album that is socially responsible, lyrically sharp and sonically banging. Buckshot sums it up best, "Hip-Hop was started as an option to not killing each other. We were in the ghettos and we were real f'd up. We created Hip-Hop so we didn't have to do that anymore."

"The album is called Survival Skills, because that is what it takes."

KRS-ONE & BUCKSHOT Upcoming Tour Dates:

Rock The Bells

KRS-ONE Hosting
BUCKSHOT A PERFORMING ARTIST

Sunday July 12th - Washington, DC - Merriweather Post Pavilion

Saturday July 18th - Boston, MA - Comcast Center

Sunday July 19th - New York, NY - Jones Beach Theater

Saturday August 1st - Vancouver, BC, CAN - Deer Lake Park

Sunday August 2nd - Calgary, AB, CAN - Shaw Millennium Park

Thursday August 6th - Denver, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Saturday August 8th - Los Angeles, CA - San Manuel Amphitheatre

Sunday August 9th - San Francisco, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre

Myspace Album Release Show
Friday – 9/11 – New York , NY

Hip Hop's Greatest MCs touch down in New York

This represents the 2nd installment of the Hip Hop Legends Concert Series that took place at the B.B.King Blues Club & Grill in New York on Wednesday June 17 organized by Funkmaster Flex. The line-up represented a who's who in hip hop which included MC Lyte, KRS1, Lord Finesse, Buckshot, Black Moon, Smif-n-Wessun, Nice & Smooth, Joe Ski Love, Raekwon and more. Luminaries indeed.

Here's a taste of what went down.







Check out the photos from the event
Wire Image

Check out first hand account from the show HERE
(courtesy of Ming-Tzu of Grandgood)

KRS 1 Big Jeff and DJ Kool Herc perform at Santos Party House NYC

These Bronx neighborhood legends came together at Santos Party House in New York City Saturday May 30.


KRS 1 with the B-Boys