KRS-One Gives Detailed Breakdown of Hip Hop's Prehistoric Roots 

"Rap is something you do, Hip-Hop is something you live!" - KRS-One

I can listen to this man talk all day,, the shit just make sense...

KRS was homeless as a youth and would seek shelter from his local library, reading all day. He is basically self taught

*"Hip-Hop is a civilization"* Fucking blew my mind, it's so true. I listen to all sorts of rap from all sorts of places,it's like Killer Mike said in the intro to rap music "Hip-Hop is my religion"

never seen someone so passionate while talking about hip hop lol i love watching krs one interviews

I opened up for KRS this summer, greatest moment of my entire life.

This video should be titled; "AN ELDER OF THE HIP HOP CULTURE DROPPING KNOWLEDGE". Peace out.

Even as a hip-hop head it's great hearing the teacher break it down in 2015. Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everybody.

“No outside person could ever tell you who you are. EVER!” Words I will try to take with me for the rest of my life.

"Hip Hop is not only a culture. It's a civilization! Hip Hop is one of the oldest culture on Earth!" - KRS-One This short interview reveals new details about ‪#‎hiphop‬ culture. And the man who been interviewed is a walking encyclopedia of not only a hip hop things but also cultural, social and behavioral data.

I love his passion for every word that comes out of his mouth. It sounds like he's making a difference.

"How can someone outside of you, tell you who you are? That's so racist, classist, ignorant... and that's what HipHop is being confronted with." - KRS-One Take note Lord Jamar!

I CAN GET HIGH AND SIT BACK AND LISTEN TO KRS ALLL FUCKIN DAY!!!!!!!

And this is why we call him the teacher

I learn more from KRS than I do in class...

This interview is about a year old and still great to observe KRS speak.

Break dancing is another form of Dance. There are many forms of dance. And dancing has been part of human culture since the begining of time!!! I dont get some of these people here saying there sure people back in the begining theybwerent break dancing. KRS ONE IS NOT SAYING THEY WERE BREAK DANCING. DANCING HAS BEEN AROUND FOREVER HE MEANS. BREAK DANCING IS ANOTHER FORM OF DANCING IN THE HIP HOP CULTURE.. THATS WHAT HE MEANS...

My dad and KRS are cool with eachother. Brooklyn life. All this was explained to me EARLY ON in my life.

What I got from this is that early human primary behaviour was obviously going to be the basis for all our future arts, cultures, sciences etc, because they are the blueprints of us and this early behaviour was expressed through young black kids in the Bronx (who were influenced by cultures before them) in a new form called Hip Hop culture, which then grew all over the world.

He’s right that writing your name on a wall or putting your mark on your environment is a primal and natural human compulsion, but what he’s missing is hip hop came out of a youth culture that was stripped of resources, trapped in poverty, and were left with nothing but the most basic tools to express themselves. Without access to grand pianos and expensive oil paints and rejecting the rigid forms of Western European art traditions, young people made their own music by cutting and mixing other peoples records, simulating drum beats with their mouths, painting with aerosol from the garage, and exploring new ways to dance that drew from martial arts, gymnastics, and acrobatics. Hip Hop is a phenomenal example of improvising a new culture in place of one that was taken by slavery and perpetuated through imposed poverty.

And most music as we know derived from black culture. From the old shouters and delta blues, to original jazz, hip hop, etc etc all of the white sub-genre's of music derived from black music, which people need to be reminded of more often. I have been a musician for 16 years, and come from a family of musicians, and we are all aware that the music we play wouldn't have be here without black culture.

Pay attention class, The Teacher is speaking ...

At first glance you want to shrug him off but he always manages to make sense in the end. Great video.

KRS-One is awsome. I fell like I learn more in 15 minutes from him. Than I did two years of College.

"Just some Black kids dancing..." eloquently put...early man may have done all of actions that make up hip hop, the Haplogroups...but Black Americans infused all of these together and birth the baby of hip hop. Others added other influences afterwards. Keep it respectful.

Knowledge Reigns Supreme.

I been trying to teach these youngins the same thing about the elements of Hip Hop. Listen kids & do your homework on Hip Hop culture. Some of these rappers especially, this new generation need to sit back & listen too!

Ever since I was a kid, thats why i used to love krs ones MUSIC. H ALWAAYS MADE ME THINK. THATS WHY I LOVE HIP HOP TODAY. I THINKBITS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING CULTURES IN HISTORY. I THANK HIS MUSIC FOR REALLY RAISING ME AND MAKING ME THINK WHILE GROWING UP AND RESPECTING THE WHOLE MEANING OF OTHER NATIONALITIES CULTURES.

KRS One speaks truth about HipHop and actually knows what he's talking about without coming off as racist. Jamar seems to use race in every argument and discussion that is to do with HipHop.

I came from the Breakin’ days,(early 80’s). I feel what he says deep in my soul…✊🏽

I've been listening to rap all my life, and I always thought that living in the ghetto was the reason I had this subconscious hip hop attraction.

Sad part is most people don't even know the 4 elements of hiphop. Good video

Literally I did not know what MCiing is before this explanation. Amazing!

KNOWLEDGE REIGN SUPREME

In the early days, Hip Hop or what would be later known as such, had no true form. It was pure chaos energy, meaning nothing about it was scripted, imitated, or premeditated. It was a spontaneous and creative act. What you saw or heard was what you got, and no two rhymes, routines, dance moves, graph pieces, or scratches were ever exactly the same. If you didn't witness it, you couldn't fully experience it, which meant you couldn't capture or contain it; it was lost in the Hip Hop “akashic” records forever. Some of the greatest Hip Hop moments were never recorded and never meant to be. Although they were later recorded on gritty tapes used mainly to spread the gospel, the spiritual purpose of these tapes were for a future time, which was to bare witness that the Gods who created Hip Hop were not just a myth and did truly exist. This was also done to ensure that no one would be able to tamper with the history by writing themselves into the time and space of its origins. In its original state, Hip Hop had no order to it, it was being created in real time. This is what I call the chaos realm. Those who were fortunate enough to experience it in its rawest state, lay testimony that their lives were forever changed by the Gods who conducted the sacred Hip Hop ceremonies. It was during the chaos realm of Hip Hop that it was the most powerful because there was no previous template in which it operated from or should I say that the original template (hieroglyphs, drummer, oracle, dancer), which was created in a different time and space, was forgotten by the Gods or lost in that paradigm. The template needed to create what we call Hip Hop today only existed in the minds of a chosen few. This simply meant that there was a void and out of this void the Gods of Hip Hop began to create using the earth, air, water, fire and ether at their disposal to bring nothingness into a tangible existence. They began building a template (tree of life) from which the entire world of Hip Hop as it is practiced today would emanate. Without this template, it would be impossible for Hip Hop to exist in the physical sense. In fact, if someone had the power to go back into time and destroy the template of Hip Hop, every single one of us who’s had an existence within Hip Hop would disappear instantaneously, never to have existed in the first place. The entire Hip Hop universe would be sucked back into the minds of those who brought it forth. Excerpt take from Chapter 7 "WHEN THE GODS RULED HIP HOP" from the amazing book Hip Hop Decoded by The Black Dot and book is available on www.amazon.com/Hip-Hop-Decoded-The-Blac…/…/B005QSSMS8

Profound incite about the origins of human expression. This is why this message is so deep; it's about the outward expression of spirit/consciousness through a dense physical body.

I watched this video with a big smile on my face I can listen to him talk all day KRS is a hip hop historian

***** U actually made a power move this time. I was thinking and asking myself is he clowning us as a ppl with this interviews, but I kept watching c tha god, lord jamar, and others. I was just about to give up when i watched snow the product. Low and behold, I witness substance. Thank you for this interview, well not for me ,but for everybody else. I know who I am and love myself but I don't have the platform to explain. ***** one gold star for this contribution to hiphop.

The teacher Krs. Another Hip-hop master class.

I always wanted to be able to have a conversation with this man and ask questions because is wisdom on life is amazing

I don't agree with everything he says, but you can tell he's passionate about Hip Hop.

He's simply stating that early communication was first identified by early man. We carry the earliest forms of communication in "hip hop" thus, proving hip hop is actually a form of early civilization. A behavior that supercedes national origin.

Hip hop is a culture that's clear. KRS-One's argument is probably too abstract at times that it throws people off. Though I wouldn't say hip hop as a culture is ancient. I think what it takes to be hip hop is ancient. You really don't need anything but yourself and others to be the culture of hip hop. But hip hop itself I believe comes from the 20th century but draws from the past in a way that I think is the core of the "ancient" part of his argument. I also think that's part of hip hop's appeal. These activities of expression free you mentally, physically and emotionally/spiritually. They're also easy for us to tap into. But it also required the urban pressure of the 20th century for hip hop as we know it to emerge with its early go out and do it yourself attitude.

Now everyone understands why KRS One did not become as famous as Eminem or Jay Z. Even though he is a hundred times better. Because people can not teach themselves to think for themselves.

I never met my father. I look up to KRS1 as how to be a man. The more he speaks the better for men like me.

Fascinating interview Much respect for KRS-One

KRS-One, I always knew you were a human being of a higher level, your music supports my statement. No I'm not saying he's some sort of "God" but most definitely a higher level of being. While most focus on the smaller picture (which I'm not saying is bad, to each at their own level) you attack a much bigger and broader picture! You uplift the whole human race rather than just one, and speak on behalf of EVERYBODY, EVERY-BODY. Much love KRS-One!

Brilliant, vlad you need to have more interviews like this. My dude I think it's time for you to start interviewing underground hiphop artists

I was always under the impression that KRS didnt smoke, but this dude had to be high as shit to come up with this. Still much respect to this man regardless.

For all those saying "ancient people weren't breakdancing" etc. he's not speaking literally, he's speaking essence. What we do today stems right back to our first ancestors, Hip Hop didn't just appear from nowhere - the same goes with everything. I think if you dig deep enough into this theory we can start to get sense of oneness in all things - not by definition or declaration, but by just being.

This is the most intelligent thing I have heard all day. I love waking up with knowledge.

The knowledge of Krs is beyond man kind

TRUTH! ALL ORIGINAL BEINGS TRANSLATED LANGUAGE THROUGH DANCE. HULA IS SPEECH.

One of the most educational records is KRS-1’s you must learn

Damm I learned so much from these 16 minutes ... #keephiphopalive

Im so happy my grandma is hiphop without even knowing it :)

Legendary Master of hiphop Tha Teacha aka The Coach.

This is the realest and most relevant video VladTV has uploaded. Respect!

VLADimir lol it's about time there was a video on something of substance! You just made your momma and HIP HOP feel glorious! And did it with My favorite EMCEE of All Time! #AWESOMENESSREIGNSSUPREME

I'm sure Iggy has watched this several times and said I told you so Lord Jamar! lol Peace to KRS-One for the enlightenment!!!

This is one of the most precious RU-vid Video regarding Hip Hop - ever!

the mere fact y'all recorded this and posted this on RU-vid is spectacular, so much information here honestly .

Did ksrone from south bx just say he was from Washington DC

I rock with KRS- One since the beginning, so with that being said. I feel he is reaching with a lot of his statements. Hip Hop is a globally recognized culture just like Chinese is globally recognized. However emersion in a culture does not make you one of the people it represents. For example America is a melting pot of cultures but a third generation immigrant will still have ties to their own foreign culture even though they are American born a raised. We so freely share one of the only things we have claim to. Its so Sad to me.

HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH/ VERY WELL PUT/ SAID AND DONE!!👍

I love this dude true legend

Thank you very much for dropping that knowledge. I never made this connection, but damn that just gave me some insight. :)

Straight fucking knowledge. Goddamn, I wasn't expecting on going to school today hahaha. Mad respect.

Lord jamar tha god just got schooled by the teacha

That's why he's the teacher. He making it so plain.

Forgive me if this seems picky or ignorant, in this video krs says he's from Washington DC, I thought he was from the Bronx NY?

is this not a breath of fresh air after all the lame lord jamar rants.👌

What a brilliant mind this guy has, a true treat listening to him give his perspective on the world.

Bro he had one question....all you had to do was say rap started in Queensbridge and keep it moving

I learnt a lot just watching this. I remember being in college doing music business/performing & music technology. We had to choose one genre and do a presentation about the history. I chose Hip Hop and this is how I felt speaking about it. Got a distinction/1st on that project

The new kats in the music industry need to come here and take notes or make a spreadsheet or something. lol

Realness...💯

I’ve been preaching this all my life, but in a much less informative way. Much love to KRS-ONE for breaking it down in a much more detailed and informative manner!!!! He’s been my all time favorite since the late ‘80’s and will remain there until the day I die. I would love to have just one hour with him to just listen to the knowledge that this man would impart to the rest of us and I could only hope to convey it so eloquently!!!!

evrytime i see or hear the man i feel good:)

Dope.. I'm glad to be part of the hip-hop culture.. ✊

Hip-Hop is the greatest new civilization/culture/genre/ ever.

THE TEACHER AT HIS BEST!!!!!!!!!

The most intelligent man in music, hands down.

The writing analogy !!!!!!! WHEW LOVE IT

good energy and good vibes it's 2015 we need more positive videos like this vlad

KRS-One is trippy as fuck during interviews

We have higher knoledge, i can watch KRS-One talk like this all day, learn something today, thanks VLAD, big difference huh from police videos to this one....lol

KRS-One always dropping knowledge. This dude astral projecting with his third eye or some shit man.

"'If I say I'm Japanese, but everything I do is African, then you got all the right to say, ' you ain't Japanese...get the hell outta here!'. But if I'm coming to you with domo arigato. I'm speaking the language, I'm wearing the clothes, I'm eating the food, I know the history - we living out Japanese life, we living it out right now." I laughed so hard xD

0:28 after

To my young brothers please listen to what KRS-One aka The Teacha is saying!

Vlad needs to have more KRS interviews

14:44 I have no doubt. The real hip hop is with KRS

Smart people rule the world! Knowledge Reigns Supreme just gave me goosebumps!

KRS's use of synchronicity is obvious. Leaving his bias aside, his arguments are subjective and flawed. He is clever though.

With you

KRS is the elder scholar of Hip Hop.

my dude krs is the truth just please respect this mans knowledge yalllll

It's a "Black" global culture, we share tho' we ain't greedy Mama taught us to share.

This needs to go viral... I want more