Customer Reviews

The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I knew beforehand that this was set out kinda like a Bible, but I thought that was just going to be the format/cover idea.
But this is actually trying to be a real Bible.

It's basically lots of rambling about how God created hip-hop and how the hip-hop God is going to save us all and how you have to follow the word of KRS in order to reach salvation and create a hip-hop spiritual nation. It's separated into paragraphs with numbers, so you can refer to the kind of "verses" of this Bible, but other than that there is very little structure.


KRS sets himself up as a kind of messiah figure. He believes it was God and divine intervention that sent him to the Bronx as a child to become an MC, and that he is hip-hop's salvation and savior, and that the Gospel of Hip Hop is a gift bestowed on readers so that they can find the truth.

Here are some choice quotes, directly from the book -

"The question we are dealing with here is how do we know if it was God that has rescued us? The quick answer is because I just told you so, and if you join with me in faith you too can become heir to this New Covenant".

"In my time (your past) I am called teacha; I was present at the first time. I am the first born. I am from the Age of Leo... I was present at the beginning of this World Age, August 11, 3114 B.C., and I was again present at the births and transformations of Hip Hop".

"It was this Word that showed me where to sleep, how to eat, and when to study.
This is how I became The Teacha; I heard the Voice of God and followed it... I am the step-father and legal guardian of Hip Hop. This I confirm to those truth-seeking Hip Hop scholars in my future".

"This gospel comes to us as the physical manifestation of God's grace and love for Hip Hop".

"Approaching Kool Herc (the Father) historically as simply a DJ is like approaching Jesus (the Christ) historically as simply a carpenter."


He has also created a set of 365 daily affirmations, one for each day of the year and most involving God, if you wish to be totally brainwashed from day to day.

I can see why there is no "Search Inside" function on amazon for this book... the publishers probably want you to think this is some sort of history of hip-hop, rather than a bizarre religious cult sort of book. Letting you see any of the pages beforehand would make it pretty clear this is actually trying to be some sort of religious indoctrination.


While it's easy for me or anyone with functioning critical faculties to see this as quite a funny look inside the insane, warped mind of KRS-One, it's actually kind of scary to think that younger, more impressionable readers (particularly younger fans of KRS's music), may actually take all this to heart and get sucked into his odd cult.

So for that reason -- that it may actually influence and distort the thinking of some people -- I have to give the book one star.

KRS has done more for Hip Hop than probably anyone. This book is an attempt to describe where the culture comes from and where it is headed. It discusses the religous, occult, and mystical aspects of Hip Hop as a culture...much more than just music. In fact the music isn't really even mentioned much. The main point KRS stresses is that Hip Hop is born out of LOVE. He preaches love and peace in place of the materialistic hedonism that "rap music" is becoming. He wants peaceful revolution like Martin Luther King, whom he calls Hip Hop's King.

KRS is effectively creating a religion or "cult"(aren't all religions cults?) but he does stress the point that this new religion will encompass all religions which is kind of anti-organized religion I think. Although he does come off a little dogmatic (especially when talking about his TEMPLE OF HIP HOP) at times, he IS genuinely trying to help people in a meaningful way which I don't think should ever be perceived as wrong...Blasphemy Schmasphemy, God is everywhere.

"And we don't wanna pay no money fee to hear the same old sound, watch and we'll take Hip Hop to a higher ground"

EFF the Haters, long live the Blastmasta

I mean really how could anyone refute the idea expressed within this classic book. KRS is lightyears ahead of all of these supposed emcees.. Incredible vision on Hiphop and the power of the Kulture of Hiphop.

Great read for new hip hoppers and experienced hip hoppers alike. A wealth of knowledge shared by the blast master KRS-One. A little bit religio although it can be interpreted as positive thinking and mind set promotion as much as god promotion. Read while listening to KRS.

The message in the book is about LOVE PEACE and Respect an to move crowds consciousness to a higher plain but not to herd people into a chaos world but bring forth a NWO of truth to reveal the illusions of man to hiphop them into ONE LOVE ONE UNITED NATION of NATIVES to be HUMANE to never fight to never kill but too heal the brainwashed minds of the ApeMan called Ignorance into people that are Friends that be saggin because the truth is heavy an heals for the beacons will hear the ones whom HipHopped their minds into a reality to see past the purple haze and into a religion called LOVE of the UNITED a positive vibrating sound to never be fearful of anything to see past the bs and bring it into one love of GOD an GOOD but ya know he is just a rapper with some scary cult like believes right called KRS-ONE from the ones ABOVE. What is scary is people don't want to LOVE for that beats all. Ya know the hip hop tells you to not worship the bling,but the message gets lost when the c RAP gets played to bling bling hypnotize the material eyes. When in fact KRS was showing you another way for his Knowledge Reigns Supreme from the SuperBeing. At least the man is trying when political puppets repeat repeat to never change at least he TRIED. Also it is a good book and Yes I am Crazy because KRS-ONE told me so to go with the universal flow to show to grow to shine to never be scary. Yes Indeed

Hip Hop has been lived as a way of life by many of us in his long 36 years history. But this instrument was needed to build the foundations of something deeper, so much deeper. For the most, this teachings will just be something to remember, something maybe has been forgotten.
KRS hits the point in his calling, making us hiphoppas think about "WHY" Hip Hop was created, and coping with what way should it take. What path should be walked by the Hip Hop community? What has Hip Hop taught to all the people living it?
Because remember, "Rap is something we do, Hip Hop is something we live"
Sampling and mixing knowledge from allmost any other culture, religion or phylosofy, in a Hip Hop style, KRS delivers justice with this amazing Gospel.
This gospel is not to be read, is to be lived, like eternal books. This gospel will take you out of the world and will front you being with you Higher-Self. Will help you grow, will nourish you both spirit and body, and will open for you the doors of the temple.
There it is. Now, it's up to you!

First, let me start by saying that I am a long time fan of Hip-Hop, including Boogie Down Production-KRS-One...
I don't know what possessed me to go ahead and order this book. What was I looking for? Maybe some positive thinking and interesting anecdotes about rap from one of the most prolific and persistant rapper there is.
In any case, it was certainly not to read the ramblings of a madman. I have never found the patience to go through the begats of the bible to subject myself to an imitation by a wannabee prophet.

In clear, if you are a non-believer, this will likely bore you to death.
If you are a Christian, this will shock you and will seem blasphemous.

I am visibly in the first category and sorry to have wasted my money on this one... I will still buy his albums though...

.... the true Bible of Hip Hop. Reeeeeeeeeespect! The Teacha is the KEY to the Preservation of Hip Hop ...Real, undaground Hip Hop that is. Give Praise and give thanks for this book, don't let your altar/backpack/library/study of the Kulture be without it! The Gospel upholds what this kulture started out to be about and is returning to, thanks to KRS ONE! Peace, Love, Unity, and Having Fun! WORD-up! PEACE!

Praise the prophet Kris! Prepare ye for the coming of the King Kris Version. Hallelu-yer.

I read this in several installments on various trips to Barnes and Noble and laughingly read the pseudo-sermons aloud to my girlfriend, who grimaced in disgust and insisted that I stop with the foolishness (although some passerby were quite amused).

Essentially, this is a pseudo-Biblical document in which 1980s-90s rapper Kris Parker (aka Knowledge Reigns Supreme over Everyone aka KRS-One) tries to paint himself as "The Teacha" and comes up with this wild document with the (dubious) claim that hip hop music and "Kulture" (sic) is a holy mission to spiritually save the world, as part of what he calls "The Temple of hip Hop." He claims that this is a foundation for a new religion.

Most of the passages, as is the case with most such texts, contain occasional common sense (such as the necessity of lust to procreate) with wild mumbo jumbo, such as proclaiming Kool DJ Herc (founder of hip hop) as a kind of messianic figure, something that I seriously doubt that Herc himself has ever considered. I've always been alternately amused and disgusted by people who have tried to make hip hop music (which I like up to a point, being the same age as Kris) to be so much more than it is, which is simply a popular youth music for the last two generations. As much as I've enjoyed and admired the musical messages of the likes of Sam Cooke and Curtis Mayfield, no sensible person would seriously consider them to be messianic prophets. Not only that, but few people are likely to sit and slosh through the often tedious 600+ pages.

KRS-One was a good rapper and his pro-education/anti-violence work in hip hop deserves commendation, but alas, the brother has always had a touch of megalomania. This book is a classic manifestation of that. But hey, there's this thing called the freedom of press.

Peace Everyone, All respect due to the Philosopher KRS. This book represents Real Hip Hop and Overstanding. For anyone involved in Hip Hop, add this one to your collection.