Customer Reviews

Retrospective

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4 star:		(5)
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2 star:		(1)
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I got into KRS after being recommended his self-titled album by a friend - since then I've never looked back. This album is just as good a a greatest hits from one of the greatest solo rappers should be.

Of course, it isn't just KRS's greatest hits, the album also has some of the classics from the BDP days. It's clear from listening to those cuts that, while the rap game may have changed since they were released, they are just as relevant now as they were then.

One of the best tracks here is "The Bridge Is Over". This track can be credited historically with kick-starting the East Coast hardcore scene - it was a response to MC Shan's "The Bridge" - and is clearly one of the greatest rap cuts of any era. I'd tried to find a copy of BDP's album "Criminal Minded" to get it that way but couldn't (although I suspect that Amazon will prove me wrong) so this was the only way to get the track legally. A lot of people will say this it is good - and let me tell you that from a lyrical standpoint it is almost unbeatable.

That is to say, unbeatable unless you happen to be KRS-ONE. He calls himself "The Teacher" and with good reason. Not only does he spit out some great rhymes, he also shows real thought about issues surrounding not just rap but the community in general. Nowhere is this more evident than in his solo cut "Sound of Da Police".

KRS's trademark rap-reggae style is very evident on that track, along with one of the most memorable choruses in hip-hop history. The real standout there comes with the famous "officer/overseer" couplet in which KRS begins to demonstrate that police officers are no different to slave overseers from the plantation days. Whether you believe him or not, you have to admire a man who can throw down lines like "need a little clarity?/check the similarity" without batting an eyelid.

Another great listen is "Love's Gonna Get Ya". Here we see KRS in sneak mode, rapping out a tale of gang violence over what sounds like a soft-core RnB track with femal backing singers warbling "love's gonna getcha" in the background. This track also is where Warren G got his "all I could think about was Warren" sample for his cover of "I Shot the Sherrif" - again proving KRS's relevance throughout hip-hop culture.

It's rare to find a greatest hits compilation which doesn't have a few unreleased tracks on it. Whenever I listen to an unreleased track, I usually think "hmmm...there must have been a good reason why not to release it", usually there is - most of them are terrible compared to the released ones. This album is an exception to the rule. The last cut (I think it's called "Essays On BDP-ism") is apparently unreleased and doesn't at all seem out of place in this album. None of the tracks seem out of place really.

In short, well worth buying. The casual listener will have their ears opened to the world of KRS, while the established fan will be able to relive the good old days.

Actually, that should be 4 and a half stars.

KRS-One (Knowledge Rules Supreme Over Nearly Everyone) was one of the first MCs to insist upon dropping knowledge into the everyday mix of battle rhyming. Hailing from the Boogie Down Bronx, Kris has vocally blasted his way to mythical status, as he is generally regarded as one of the, if not the singular greatest MC of all time and this album is an excellent introduction to his unbeleivably impressive and prolific career.

It kicks off with a wealth of material from his days in Boogie Down Productions, such as the quinessential diss track "The Bridge is Over" and the ode to his fallen partner Scott LaRock "My Philosophy". These tracks, while clearly old-school, are absolutely timeless. The beats are straight-up East Coast hardcore and the rhymes are just plain classic.

The second half of the album contains KRS's solo material such as the classics "Step Into A World (Rapture's Delight)" which features Kris at his battling best ("I'm not saying I'm number one, uh sorry I lied/I'm numbers one, two, three, four AND five!"), "Stop The Violence" which is self-explanatory, and "Sound Of Da Police" which perfectly expresses every hangup anyone ever had about the boys in blue.

My only complaint is the succinctness of the album - I would have loved to see less monumental (but still dope) songs like "Rappaz R N Dainja" and "A Friend". A double-album would have been great too, because you really can't go wrong with KRS.

In summary, this album is a must-buy for any hip-hop head. It's a great starter for anyone unfamiliar with the legend and is just plain great for anyone who is.

KRS-One means Knowledge Reigns Surpreme over nearly Everyone. Born Kris Parker and nicknamed The Teacher because of his conscious and social raps. I've been a fan of this artist since his Boogie Down Production days. Having been born and raised in the Bronx, there was so much excitement when the song The South Bronx was released. KRS-One is probably one of the most intelligent, and talented hip hop artist to bless the mike with his vocal skills. What I always enjoyed about KRS-One is he would have you jamming to the music, and he hits you with this message that you had no choice but think about. His music is still poignant now and many of his songs still work today like "Love's gonna get you", and "Jimmy". A Retrospective has many of his great hits that you can enjoy again and again. I love playing this CD. You listen to it and you learn something which you really can't say with the music that you hear today.

KRS-One could care less about materialism. He was about spreading knowledge, and positivity. "Why is that" was in my opinion one of the most poignant songs he released questioning history. When I first heard the song, I loved the groove, but one day I really listened to what he was saying, and I was really blown away by what he was saying.


I enjoy all the songs on Retrospective. Here are my favorites:

1. My Philosophy
2. I'm Still #1
4. Sound of the Police
5. Love's Gonna Getcha (Material Love)
6. Step Into a world
7. You must learn
8. Jack of Spades
10. Jimmy
12. Black Cop
14. Why is that

Loves gonna get you talks about the love of materialism and where it can get you in life. That song is so deep, and he tells a story I'm sure many are familiar with. Wanting to work to help support the family, can't find a job, or when you do it does not pay enough. Someone offers you the opportunity to make some quick money, and the lure is too great to pass up. Making the money allows you to live a grand life, but it's not forever. Jimmy talks about having safe sex, and maybe he should come out with a 2005 version with AIDS taking it's toll in the black community.

Jack of spades was a song played in the I'm Gonna Git you Sucka movie. This is one CD you must have in your CD collection, and one you will play a lot. This CD will stand the test of time.

Krs-one is the prime definition of an MC - A raw voice, dope flows and a highly influential lyricist. Krs-one started his career with the release of his debut classic album "Criminal Minded" the album was instantly hailed as a classic and was influential upon its release. He continued his comeback In late 80s and early 90s with albums like "By all mean neccesary" and "Retun of the Boom rap". I wouldn't say this is the essential Krs-one album, you would better purchase his great solo albums but this is not bad at all.

Retrospective features krs greatest songs. "The bridge is over" is often looked as the blueprint for diss records. Other great songs like "My philosephy" "South bronx" and "Criminal Minded" are some of the best hip-hop has ever had to offer. Definitly purchase this album for your collection.

Every song on this album is good. My very favourite songs would have to be "South Bronx", "Sound Of Da Police", "Step Into A World (Rapture's Delight)" & "MC's Act Like They Don't Know".

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Wow this guy might be a bit up him self but god dayam he knows how to make good music, so far this album is the only album I have by Krs One so I dont know what the quality of his other albums are because most of them are impossible to find down here in australia, but when you take krs ones hits and best songs from his albums your bound to have an awesome album. This is a definate album to add to your oldskool style of rap collection and i highly recommend it.

This album is hot, it is a great assortment of the best songs KRS released, some of my favourite songs are
Sound of da police
South Bronx
Step into a world (raptures delight)
the bridge is over
criminal minded
why is that

This is a great introduction to underground old school and I highly reccomend this to any hip hop fan interested in something a little more underground but with more lyrical depth and thought put in to it.

I made such a big mistake when I accidentally trashed this CD in a bag full of burned CDs. When I first purchased this CD, one thought came to mind -- history. Everything Krs-One has gone through is much more than just this retrospective. From the BDP days with Scott LaRock to his spotlight of the 90s with "Return of the Boom Bap" and his self-titled album "Krs One," Krs has proven time and time again that he's a Hip Hop "teacher" and legend. For anyone who loves to recall Hip Hop in its old school and historical resource, this is one of those must-have albums. This spans through some very memorable moments that have gone down and should not be forgotten even today where Hip Hop has become just another trend of wack arrivals. My all-time favourites are found all over this CD; "The Bridge is Over," "I'm still #1," "My Philosophy," "South Bronx," "Criminal Minded," "Sound of Da Police," "Outta Here," and "MCs Act like they don't Know." For any true Krs-One fan, your collection isn't really complete until you own this retrospective.

If you think KRS-One is the greatest MC of all time give me a possitive review and if you don't give me a negative review. Now on to the Music. I believed they released an Ok CD here there could of been some other songs but 16 of them I guess is good enough for my liking.Here is my view for each song.

1.My Philosophy-10/10
2.Im still #1-9/10 Like the Freestyle version more.
3.South Bronx- 10/10 he is representing the South Bronx
4.Sound of da Police-10/10 a vivid police diss
5.Loves gonna get cha-10/10 great story about drug dealing
6.Step into a world-9/10
7.You must learn-9/10
8.Jack of Spades-N/A
9.Bridge is over-10/10 A Diss towards the Juice Crew/QB
10.Jimmy-9/10- song about aids
11.Criminal Minded-10/10
12.Black Cop-10/10 A Diss to Black cops
13.MCs act like they dont know-10/10 with DJ Premier
14.Why is that-N/A
15.Outta here-9/10 again with Premo
16.Essays on-BDISM-10/10 Unreleased Scott La Rocks last song

Im only 17, so I haven't really been into hip hop long enough to have really herd KRS. I mean, I heard him on a couple of soundtracks and stuff and I liked what I heard. So 1 day I seen this in the record store and I thought bein it's his greatest hits this cd would be perfect for me to get introduced to da blastmasta. Man wuz I right. This album blew me away, the hard beats, the conscious rhymes, I actually gained knowledge by listening to this cd. And now I'm a big fan of KRS. So I highly recommend this cd, especially if your new to hip hop or your new to KRS One.