KRS-One, Marley Marl - Hip-Hop Lives

After motoring through the well-slung hip-hop timeline in the promising first verse of "I Was There," KRS-One regresses into the barbs of a sadly obvious refrain: "Where were you?" Wherever we were, a generation grew up living hip-hop culture at various levels of immersion, and if too few of us hear this album, it'll be a damn shame. KRS reserves equal bile for artistic hacks like, say, "Kentucky Fried Chicken deejays promotin' breast and thigh," but all such vitriol appears like remote islands in an ocean of his seasoned skills and reasoned better instincts. For his part, Marley Marl spirits through these tracks with a carefully curated bag of tricks that spans decades. "Over 30" stomps with lo-fi, '80s verve; "Kill a Rapper" channels the Detroit hip-hop underground of the mid-'90s; and the title track lumbers along on a mix that only an ill-conceived marketing campaign could fail to make a hit of. But whether or not Hip Hop Lives lasts, KRS-One never misses the most important point. "So write this down, on your black books and journals," he barks, "hip-hop culture is eternal." --Jason Kirk Amazon.com

The title says it all

wow, there's been alot of disapointing Hip Hop that's not only been marketed, but accepted and hyped up in the last few years. Hell, the last decade. To get a piece of music like this in the middle of nowhere is a nice breath of fresh air. I sorta had my doubts if it'd really be as good as it is. But as the CD spun more and more, my doubts vanished more and more. Personally, I'll pick KRS ONE's old lyrics any day, but just because those are beyond revolutionary (Hip Hop wise), doesn't mean these shouldn't get respect. Marley Marl has produced some of my all time favorite's, and man does he still have the skills that he had back in the day (obviously like KRS, his older material is more revolutionary.) Together, they fit perfectly. Two Hip Hop legends, that have long had beef, come together to squash it, and do what they do best - perfect and make genuine Hip Hop. It's a shame this didn't come out back in the day, because EVERYONE would've vibed off this. Now, most kids barely know who they are, and wouldn;t comprehend the unexpectancy of these two teaming up (they've had beef since the late 80's, and it was the first big beef in the Hip Hop/rap world.) If you're a fan of either, or both of these guys, please buy this CD. Support real Hip Hop. It's well worth every peny. PEACE! August 11, 2008

The REAL Hip-Hop is over here...

I've been reading these reviews, and I gotta say one thing about my experience with Kris fans: you find some of the most intelligent hip-hop reviews when it comes to these records.

A lot of people are giving this album three or four stars, and I can understand that. Obviously I don't agree with their overall assessment of the record as I consider it a five-star recording, but I see where they're coming from. As far as KRS-ONE records are concerned, this isn't one of the best. This is Kris's 15th album though, so it's got some tough competition within the KRS-ONE canon. (1) Some of the songs are too short, (2) some tracks have minimal and/or short verses from Kris in favor of Marley's beats (All Skool is a key example) - those are my my main concerns with it.

Now, here's why I think it's a five star record. Historical reasons aside (if you need me to explain this you've got some homework to do), I think that every single track on this record is hot. That's right, all of 'em (minus the intro of course). One thing that Kris is brilliant at is composing albums with cohesive moods - any KRS-ONE album can be played from beginning to the end with the feeling of listening to ONE work of music. In other words, where the majority of rappers create a pile of tracks and a few singles and cut them into an album, Kris's albums all have a real flow to them. The tracks all mesh into each other and pick up on lyrical motifs from each other. This album is a great example of this. The best examples of this quality are probably 'Keep Right' or 'KRS-ONE'.

The term "All Skool" is perfect for Kris. An emcee who's got one foot in the foundations of hip-hop history, and the other firmly planted in the present - even the future of hip-hop. This is a very important record in this respect. If the record had a thesis, it would be its title, and throughout these tracks Kris goes about proving his argument.

'HIP-HOP LIVES' may need to grow on you, and everyone's opinion of this record is going to be different, but I feel as if I've expressed mine. This is as close to art as Hip-Hop gets in the 21st century.

Best joints:
Hip-Hop Lives
The Victory
House of Hits
All Skool
Rising to the Top
Kill A Rapper January 30, 2008

Hip-hop doesn't live here any more

After over a decade of silence, KRS-One and Marley Marl patched up their differences and recorded a new album, Hip Hop Lives. Now, this album is getting very heavily mixed reviews on both sides. Fans of new-school rap are saying that these guys are too old to be making credible music, while fans of old-school rap are praising the duo for showing these new young guys how it's done. Now, I'm a fan of old AND new-school rap, so what do I think? Well...

Some negative reviewers are saying that Kris' style feels more dated than classic. I actually disagree with that, mainly because I think his flow is pretty up-to-date; and Marl's production is as dope as ever (with the exception of that strange horn sample during "Musika"). The problem IS that at times Kris tends to slip. In the opposite of how this usually works, what looks dope on paper actually sounds wack once it's spit, like "I Was There" and "All Skool". And "Nothing New" is pretty terrible.

Things also go awry with "Over 30", a club joint specifically intended for listeners over thirty (and even forty). And Kris doesn't appear to be quite as good at telling stories any more -- well, it's not so much that, but as I said before, it's the way he says things. Case in point: "Kill a Rapper" IS an interesting topic, but the way it's executed doesn't make it come off more than just okay (and besides, Chris Rock illustrated it much better during his Never Scared special). But sometimes Kris and Marl BOTH misstep, like on the poorly arranged "The Teacha's Back".

There are still great songs though, like "Rising to the Top" and the two best tracks, "The Victory" (which features co-production from DJ Premier) and the title track. But it's too bad that the album's closer, "House of Hits", features someone called Busy Bee talking, not rapping, his verses in a very monotonous voice that doesn't work well with the production (but the album's intro doesn't make any sense either). In short, KRS-One CAN still rap, and Marley Marl is still nice behind the boards, but this album just isn't as exciting as maybe it should have been. Sorry, Kris, but if you expected this to be THE hip-hop guide meant to school the young'uns, well, in the words of Big Daddy Kane from Marl's own "Symphony", put a quarter in your ass `cause you played yourself.

Anthony Rupert January 9, 2008

Teaching the kids what real hip-hop is all about

After a 20+ year rivalry, KRS-One & Marley Marl grace the hip-hop lexicon with their stunning return to form - "Hip-Hop Lives". The long-time veterans are back and sound as potent as ever. KRS-One in particular, never ceases to amaze me with his relentlessly boisterous flow. For his 15th album - the man sounds extremely fresh. Marley Marl is still bringing the heat as well, creating soundscapes that consistently knock throughout.

Being a long-time KRS-One/BDP fan, I found the album to be quite a treat, and an excellent return to form. I found it to have plenty of repeat listening value. With that said, I did feel some of KRS-One's lyrics could be a little better. As you know, KRS-One is The Teacher, and this time around, he is teaching hip-hop's legacy. It may seem like a relatively dry subject for a long-time hip-hop aficionado, but it turns out quite well.

Many of the lyrics are very nostalgic, and even more give a new perspective on hip-hop's "true school". The most mind-boggling example of it's redundancy would have to be "I Was There", where KRS-One talks about his past experiences in hip-hop throughout the 80s and 90s. Many hip-hop heads know these facts all to well, but does serve well to the unconverted. Other than that, nothing seems out of place, or of poor quality. "Hip-Hop Lives" makes an excellent single to defy Nas' recent claims on his latest album. Marley Marl's beat on "Musika" featuring Magic Juan is just plain addictive. "Rising to the Top" is probably my favorite joint here. KRS-One beautifully tells the story between Marley Marl's Juice Crew and Boogie Down Productions with lyrics like this - "We answered MC Shan's 'Queensbridge' / A dope jam about where he was from and where he lived / But in the Bronx there was these kids / KRS, Scott La Rock trying to live". The closing lyrics were a nice surprise - "To Marley and Shan I am indebted / For the start of my career these guys could take credit / For my rappin', the whole battle they let it all happen" - proving that battling is an essential part of hip-hop, and keeping it's art sharp. Other stand outs include the excellent "Over 30" and "All Skool". And you really can't beat KRS-One's commentary on "Kill a Rapper" where he professes the fact that when the law or general public is concerned, the killing of a rapper/producer (such as Scott La Rock, 2Pac, Big L or Mac Dre) ends up as an unsolved case in the end. Any way you slice it, KRS-One and Marley Marl come correct with this fine offering. One can only hope that they will continue on make albums until 2015. July 16, 2007

(3.5 Stars) Good Effort....

Talking about the epitome of what true Hip-Hop is lies in its foundation. And the architectural brilliance of the pioneer producer Marley Marl matched with the super rhymes of KRS-One for the LP no one expected should be a slam dunk. But Hip Hop Lives struggles to elevate the globally-embraced genre in more ways than one. KRS-One doesn't give much in the lyrical department, as evidenced on "Over 30" where there is practically no meaningful chorus or verses. And even though the concept on "Nothing New" is one that is reverberated by many , the song lacks any underlying entertainment value. "Hip Hop Lives" is well-produced and KRS-One's flow is crafted wonderfully, while "I Was There" sounds like a lot of bragging with very little substance behind the relevance of KRS-One's presence. The development of the choruses for at least half of the songs are non-existent, leaving much to be desired by the listener. "Musika" featuring Magic Juan is decent though with its Latino influence, "Kill A Rapper" asks why dead emcees always have open cases, and "The Victory" features guest vocals from Blaq Poet and turntablist Dj Premier. "House of Hits" featuring Busy Bee sounds like a jumbled mess at times while "This Is What It Is" has the potential to be a classic jam with a little tweaking. Even though both men are highly respected, little can be gathered from Hip Hop Lives. By no means should KRS-One and Marley Marl stop with this one project. Marley Marl should just change it up a little bit with regard to his beats, and KRS-One should remain focused on social commentary and speaking on rap's worth to the world. Now that would certainly reign supreme in everybody's eyes.
June 26, 2007

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