Boogie Down Productions

The same year, during a BDP/Public Enemy concert, a young fan fell victim to ignorant violence and was consequently killed in a fight. KRS-One felt compelled by the situation and founded the Stop the Violence Movement. He organized the all-star charity single ‘Self-Destruction,’ which raised half a million dollars for the National Urban League in 1989.

Later in ’89 the group expanded their identity to include several more members, Scottie Morris and Ms. Melodie’s sister Harmony to participate on their third album ‘Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip-Hop’ an even more politically motivated vehicle for KRS-One. Subjects of black-on-black crime, education, spirituality and police brutality were covered on a very antiquated production with thinned out drum samples with an unhealthy pop injection. The priority of teaching lessons left the substance of an entertaining song forgotten about and his established audience graduating to newer, fresh acts. This allowed the mainstream media to sit up and recognize KRS-One’s philosophy. The New York Times invited him to write editorials and was invited to address colleges across America in various subject lectures.

At the turn of the 90’s rap America was turning toward the pandemic of negative gangsta rap, leaving the ideological preaching of KRS-One falling on deaf ears. BDP’s 1990 ‘Edutainment’ album was heavily criticized as being over the top lecturing and repetitive lessons despite the hit single ‘Love’s Gonna Get’cha (Material Love)’ KRS-One further alienated his fan base when he had a public altercation in 1992 with the hippie pop-rappers P.M. Dawn after they taunted KRS as “a teacher of what?” during a magazine interview. KRS and some of the BDP members stormed a P.M. Dawn performance in a New York concert physically throwing frontman Prince Be off the stage and launching into their own performance. KRS had opposed the pop crossover the rap community was falling under, although P.M. Dawn had never professed to be a part of that community, and as the founder of the Stop the Violence Movement, KRS-One had received negative reaction from this stunt and later apologized publicly.

Despite the disparaging moments for KRS, he kept the BDP movement swinging, and they recorded a ’91 live album (one of the first live hip-hop album released) a move to re-release the original material from Criminal Minded held by B-Boy Records. That same year KRS appeared on pop group R.E.M.’s ‘Radio Song’ and recorded the album ‘Civilization vs Technology’ with an educational side project ‘H.E.A.L.’ In ’92, Answering to the fans, Boogie Down returned to the format they were made famous by with more thumping beats with ‘Sex and Violence,’ critics claimed this had a splash of BDP youth but fans failed to support it financially.

After this KRS decided to retire Boogie Down Productions, a failed marriage to fellow member Ms. Melodie and further disassociation with brother Kenny Parker KRS-One had opened a new chapter to his life by embarking on a solo career. His debut, ‘Return of the Boom Bap,’ was released in 1993. Since then, he's released several more solo albums, and maintained an active presence in the media and on the lecture circuit.

To this day, KRS-One and the Boogie Down Productions remain one of hip-hop's most politically conscious hardcore realities groups. They made it cool to flaunt your afrocentric knowledge and righteous patriotic ethnicity. An innovative and revolutionary genre, KRS-One presented his commentary on black America to birth new comprehension to anyone outside of the concrete jungles kept quiet until the amplifier of hip-hop’s most feared rap group, the Criminal Minded Boogie Down Productions who spoke By Any Means Necessary.

Discography:

• 1987 Criminal Minded
• 1988 Man & His Music (Scott La Rock's Remixes)
• 1988 By All Means Necessary
• 1989 Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop
• 1990 Edutainment
• 1991 Live Hardcore Worldwide (Numerous BDP tracks Live)
• 1992 Sex and Violence
• 2001 The Best of B-Boy Records: Boogie Down Productions

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