KRS-One > Quotes

“Love yourself and your expression, you can't go wrong.”
― KRS-One

“You know, you don't see with your eyes
You see with your brain
And the more words your brain has
The more things you can see”
― KRS-One

“The God of your understanding, has chosen you and you've agreed
To be here in this space and time to do something, that only you can do
Now I won't stand here to try and tell you what it is
But deep, inside yourself
As you take time to uncover, and ask yourself some vital questions
Like - what is it that brings me peace, what is it that brings me joy?
What do I love doing?
What am I willing to become highly skilled at doing?
What part can I play for the betterment of the society
And the world in which I want to live?
When you begin to ask yourself those real questions
And it doesn't have to be done in a formal way
It can be done just like we're speaking, right now
Ask yourself the question
Look at how you see yourself in just a year from now
And then go forward
And if you have children or even if you don't have children
Now begin to, look at your future beyond
The space and time that you are
Now visualize exactly, the way that you desire to live
Don't be afraid to, dream”
― KRS-One

“Rap is something you do. Hip-hop is something you live.”
― KRS-One

“You know something, it's best no to have what you need
because then, you start looking for what you need
and make it what you need.”
― KRS-One

“Hip Hop is GOD’s response to our suffering and this gospel celebrates that response and the personal character that caused such divine responses to occur.”
― KRS-One, The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument

“Even when we argued philosophically we were always able to work things out in the end without violent confrontations because in the end we knew that we were all united in the idea of freedom from oppression. And yes, our debates did get heated! But this is why we created Hip Hop to begin with. 197 Hip Hop was created as a neutral zone, an alternative form of recreation, an escape from street-violence, corruption and boredom. This is a major part of Hip Hop’s history that seems to always be left out of Hip Hop’s historical presentations.”
― (Musician) KRS-One, The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument

“the way to experience GOD is to experience true Love, and this is achieved not by receiving love, but by being Love itself.”
― KRS-One, The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument

“But as for us, as for our group commonly known in the World as “Hip Hop,” this gospel acknowledges and celebrates the Love that has saved OUR people from self-destruction. It is time to repent and grow up! Rapping about crime and murder may sound good amongst those who have never committed such acts, but for those of us who are REAL IN THE FIELD, we send this message to our young people—YOU DON’T REALLY WANT IT!”
― KRS-One, The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument

“For us, real Hip Hop is a transformative power that has its beginnings at the genesis of human awareness. Its elements are seen throughout human history and all over the World. And this is no accident. We did not arrive at our place in the World by luck. GOD IS TRULY WITH US! And we must never forget to honor GOD in our writings and performances. Hip Hop is the return of the ancient ways, the healing ways, the natural ways—the way of God.”
― (Musician) KRS-One, The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument

“The very subjects and activities that rappers rap about today are exactly what Hip Hop was created to avoid and even overcome. The point here is that knowledge and overstanding were also at the birth of Hip Hop right along with b-boying, MC-ing, graffiti writing and DJ-ing. However, the desperate quest to exploit Hip Hop’s artistic elements for profit (in Hip Hop’s later years) buried the principles and life skills that accompanied Hip Hop’s early artistic elements.”
― (Musician) KRS-One, The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument

“The universe thinks and responds to your thinking, and this is the essence of what Hip Hop is for us; it is our relationship with divinity. Hip Hop is what we are doing with our portion of GOD.”
― KRS-One, The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument

“At its core, Hip Hop is not just an art form; it is the pursuit of one’s authentic being through the Arts.”
― KRS-One, The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument

“This is how many today treat GOD and Hip Hop. They seek the hand and not the face. They seek the luxury but not the culture, the food but not the appetite, the house but not the home, the medicine but not the health, the bed but not the rest. They would rather use GOD/Hip Hop than live GOD/Hip Hop.”
― KRS-One, The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument