KRS-One educates youth about non-violence, KRS-One

Prior to injuries that lead to the postponement of KRS-One's “Stop the Violence” tour, the rapper and Nike pitchman spent last Monday at Crane High School in Chicago educating students about non-violence and who KRS-One is. The tour, which includes stops in some of the nation’s roughest neighborhoods is geared toward promoting KRS-One’s message of nonviolence and his latest single, "Self-Construction." Speaking to a disinterested teenage audience with only a vague notion of who he was, KRS-One (real name Lawrence Parker) spouted trite slogans and non-sequiturs, urging students to “Create themselves” and “polish their mind metal.”

Once considered a significant figure in the hip hop community, KRS-One has been largely ignored by the younger generation of hip hop fans due both to his creepy demeanor and his pseudo intellectual condescension. KRS hopes to appeal to a younger demographic by appearing at their schools and yelling at them for twenty minutes. “I’m talking deep here, only five of you are probably going to understand what I’m saying here,” he told a captive audience who faced detention if they did not remain for the entire lecture, “I'm going to be real with you.”

Reaction to KRS’s message was mixed among the student body. When asked for comment, Tamika Jones, a sophomore, asked, “Why did they get the janitor to talk to us about violence? Did his son get shot or something? He’s old… and weird.”

“This is some bullsh*t, I thought we was gettin’ T.I.!” declared Darnell Washington, referring to the more popular southern rapper who is touring local high schools as part of his court ordered community service.

Others in attendance found much to admire in KRS’s message of hope and beginner level eastern philosophy. Derrick Parson, the gym teacher at Crane High School declared "Man back in '81, I remember the Blastmaster KRS-1 rappin’ at a park party out in Brooklyn Heights. The bridge is over! Maaaan, I thought that guy had retired or something"

KRS-One had a message for the public, "If you keep perpetuating violence, aggressive behavior, that's what people are going to gravitate toward. But if you turn the volume up on peace, people will gravitate towards that as well. Enlightenment comes through education which is fundamental to Hip Hop and to proceed to the next level in the God's karmic knowledge.”

KRS-One’s “Stop the Violence” tour has been temporarily postponed due to injuries to KRS-One caused by violence. The weekend after KRS-One’s “Stop the Violence” rally there were 26 shootings in the Chicago area resulting in four fatalities.

KRS-One’s “Self Construction Preview video featuring The Game (plead no contest to weapons and assault charges), Cassidy (convicted of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault), Fat Joe (arrested on robbery and assault charges), Chamillionare (arrested in a video once).

KRS-One acting as a glorified show and tell presentation: