Return Of The Boom Bap

Performer: KRS-One
Distributor: BMG (distributor)

Notes: Producers include: DJ Premier, KRS-One, Adam Kudzin, Norty Cotto, Kid Capri. Engineers: Norty Cotto, Adam Kudzin, Eddie Sancho. Recorded at D & D Recording and Battery Studios, New York, New York. Composers: Darlene Love; Eric Burdon; Gene Page; B. Chandler; W. Broady; L. Parker; B. Bernier; Jackie Lomax; Hembree, Pimple, Bianchio, Freema; M. Lliso; Alan Lomax; Simon Nicol. Audio Mixer: Adam Kudzin. Recording information: Battery Studios; D&D Recording. Photographer: Daniel Hastings. The reputation of Boogie Down Productions leader KRS-One began to slip in the early '90s as he spent more time educating than performing. He hit back at his critics with the slamming Return of the Boom Bap, his first official solo release. Leaving behind the detailed production of the last BDP album, Sex and Violence, Boom Bap returns the MC to the spare, gritty territory of Criminal Minded. KRS-One sounds reinvigorated, as well, spitting out his rhymes with fury and intelligence. Although the record isn't as didactic as Edutainment or Sex and Violence, KRS-One hasn't made his lyrics simplistic, nor has he abandoned his cutting, intelligent social commentary. The combination of hard, basic beats and exciting rhymes makes Return of the Boom Bap a genuine comeback for KRS-One, one of the founding figures of modern hip-hop. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Although BDP had basically been a vehicle for KRS' solo vision at least since EDUTAINMENT, RETURN OF THE BOOM BAP is the first full-length release under his own name. As such it marks a significant turning point in his career, effectively stating that even if CRIMINAL MINDED had secured him old-school legend status, KRS was in fact the first new school emcee. Along with Rakim and a handful of others, he took rap away from elaborate call-and-response delivery of fairly simple rhymes towards a soliloquy of complex rhyme schemes and original metaphors. Consistent enough that he never had to worry about whether or not to call it a come-back, KRS nevertheless covered his bets by enlisting the new school's most innovative producer (DJ Premier) to complement his own beats on this solo debut.

Rolling Stone (11/25/93, p.120) - 3.5 Stars - Good Plus - "...on RETURN OF THE BOOM BAP, KRS-One wears his past proudly...when it comes to rhyming skills, he has few rivals....It's a mighty B-Boy stance..." Entertainment Weekly (10/15/93, p.76) - "...[RETURN OF THE BOOM BAP is] KRS-One's most consistently and convincingly thumping album in recent memory..." - Rating: B+ Q (11/93, p.125) - 3 Stars - Good - "...[RETURN OF THE BOOM BAP's] relentless lecture is lightened here and there by the funky musical vibe of the otherwise harrowing `I Can't Get Up'..." Vibe (10/93, p.107) - "...RETURN OF DA BOOM BAP shakes and moves like a celebration on the verge of chaos...with urgent, intense phrasing, the album brings back the inspirational, way-phat B-boy Parker has been all along..." The Source (11/93, p.82) - 4 Stars - Slammin' - "...[RETURN OF THE BOOM BAP] is a treat: not only does KRS-One rip it up on the mic, [but] his whole sound seems rejuvenated..." Melody Maker (1/8/94, p.29) - "...a tirelessly inventive piece of work...." NME (Magazine) (9/25/93, p.36) - (8) - Excellent - "...RETURN OF THE BOOM BAP is an uncompromising, varied broadside from a man taking stock of his life and those around him--and finding everyone wanting...this is a remarkable, defiant 55 minutes of pleasure..."

Kris "KRS-One" Parker was the driving force behind the group Boogie Down Productions, purveyors of a politically conscious rap style dubbed Edutainment. KRS-One, which stands for Knowledge Reigns Supreme, began his solo career with 1993's RETURN OF THE BOOM BAP, and devoted himself to defining, promoting, and preserving the true spirit of hip-hop. (The Blastmaster even went so far as to start the Zulu Nation-esque Temple of Hip-Hop Kulture in the late 1990s.) Though controversial, and occasionally inconsistent in his politics, KRS-One remains one of the most respected and sought-after MCs ever.

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