This concert is part of The Freight's Hip-Hop is Folk Music initiative, which seeks to illuminate connections between hip-hop and other folk/roots music traditions. Contact education@thefreight.org for more information.

Appearing on the rap scene in 1986 as Boogie Down Productions, KRS-One released his first hit single “South Bronx” with the late DJ Scott La Rock and made it clear that hip-hop was going to have to take itself a lot more seriously than simply being a music genre.

KRS, an acronym for "Knowledge Reigning Supreme,” has been called the “conscience of hip-hop” (Rolling Stone), “the greatest live emcee ever” (The Source), the “spokesperson for hip-hop” (Wall Street Journal), “master teacher” (Zulu Nation), and the “son of hip-hop” (Kool DJ Herc). With 20 published albums to his credit and numerous appearances with other artists, KRS-One is believed to have written the most rhymes in hip-hop’s history. In the 1990s as hip-hop grew more commercialized and corporate, it was KRS-One who openly rejected such cultural exploitation and materialism grounding hip-hop in its original principles of peace, love, unity, and safely having fun. Teaching everything from self-creation to stopping violence; from vegetarianism to transcendental meditation, from the creation of Hip Hop Appreciation Week (every third week in May), to establishing hip-hop as an international culture at the United Nations (2001), KRS-One has single-handedly held the history and original arts of hip-hop together now for over two decades.

In addition to lecturing at over 500 universities in the US and publishing three ground-breaking books; “The Science of Rap” (1995), “Ruminations” (2003), and the “Gospel of Hip Hop” (2009), KRS-One has also established the Stop The Violence Movement (1989), influenced the creation of the West-Coast All-Stars anti-gang anthem “We’re All In The Same Gang” (1990), warned the hip-hop community against giving up their humanity for technological advancement. Without question, KRS-One has been the loudest voice for the actual preservation and expansion of original Hip Hop worldwide.

When he is not touring or lecturing, KRS-One continues to share his unique knowledge of hip-hop to younger audiences eager to hear the "teacha” speak. Operating as a kind of pop-up school, KRS-One’s Temple of Hip Hop has appeared in New York, Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and San Francisco offering the more serious student of hip-hop an effective way to live and understand the culture of hip-hop more deeply.

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DANCE FLOOR/STANDING AREA OPEN!

Please Note: With chairs removed to make a dance floor / standing area, a ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee seating.