Search - KRS-One, Marley Marl :: Hip-Hop Lives

Teaching the kids what real hip-hop is all about

Alan Pounds | Minneapolis, MN | 07/16/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"After a 20+ year rivalry, KRS-One & Marley Marl grace the hip-hop lexicon with their stunning return to form - "Hip-Hop Lives". The long-time veterans are back and sound as potent as ever. KRS-One in particular, never ceases to amaze me with his relentlessly boisterous flow. For his 15th album - the man sounds extremely fresh. Marley Marl is still bringing the heat as well, creating soundscapes that consistently knock throughout.



Being a long-time KRS-One/BDP fan, I found the album to be quite a treat, and an excellent return to form. I found it to have plenty of repeat listening value. With that said, I did feel some of KRS-One's lyrics could be a little better. As you know, KRS-One is The Teacher, and this time around, he is teaching hip-hop's legacy. It may seem like a relatively dry subject for a long-time hip-hop aficionado, but it turns out quite well.



Many of the lyrics are very nostalgic, and even more give a new perspective on hip-hop's "true school". The most mind-boggling example of it's redundancy would have to be "I Was There", where KRS-One talks about his past experiences in hip-hop throughout the 80s and 90s. Many hip-hop heads know these facts all to well, but does serve well to the unconverted. Other than that, nothing seems out of place, or of poor quality. "Hip-Hop Lives" makes an excellent single to defy Nas' recent claims on his latest album. Marley Marl's beat on "Musika" featuring Magic Juan is just plain addictive. "Rising to the Top" is probably my favorite joint here. KRS-One beautifully tells the story between Marley Marl's Juice Crew and Boogie Down Productions with lyrics like this - "We answered MC Shan's 'Queensbridge' / A dope jam about where he was from and where he lived / But in the Bronx there was these kids / KRS, Scott La Rock trying to live". The closing lyrics were a nice surprise - "To Marley and Shan I am indebted / For the start of my career these guys could take credit / For my rappin', the whole battle they let it all happen" - proving that battling is an essential part of hip-hop, and keeping it's art sharp. Other stand outs include the excellent "Over 30" and "All Skool". And you really can't beat KRS-One's commentary on "Kill a Rapper" where he professes the fact that when the law or general public is concerned, the killing of a rapper/producer (such as Scott La Rock, 2Pac, Big L or Mac Dre) ends up as an unsolved case in the end. Any way you slice it, KRS-One and Marley Marl come correct with this fine offering. One can only hope that they will continue on make albums until 2015."

Old skool? New skool? All skool? KRS IS THE SKOOL!!!!!!!!!!!

Kurupt | chicago | 05/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First and foremost next to malcolm x, my brother, father, KRS One has had a profound positive effect on my life period. Not only on my life but also on hip hop culture from almost the beginning of its history. Hip hop lives is another dope release to further extend the legend and fantasitic 15 ALBUM career of my ALL TIME favorite god emcee. The collaborations of marley and KRS is not only historic but it also sheds light on how weak the industry is now. Just as always KRS comes with some viscious rhymes, different styles, and topics that make you think. Stand out tracks that I have been bumping all day long are house of hits featuring the chief rocka busy bee, kill a rapper, and the victory (this song is better than some whole albums that have come out lately). To keep this short, if I had two extra hands I would give this album four thumbs up. Cop this one immediately."

(3.5 Stars) Good Effort....

Charles L. Hubbert | Milwaukee, WI | 06/26/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Talking about the epitome of what true Hip-Hop is lies in its foundation. And the architectural brilliance of the pioneer producer Marley Marl matched with the super rhymes of KRS-One for the LP no one expected should be a slam dunk. But Hip Hop Lives struggles to elevate the globally-embraced genre in more ways than one. KRS-One doesn't give much in the lyrical department, as evidenced on "Over 30" where there is practically no meaningful chorus or verses. And even though the concept on "Nothing New" is one that is reverberated by many , the song lacks any underlying entertainment value. "Hip Hop Lives" is well-produced and KRS-One's flow is crafted wonderfully, while "I Was There" sounds like a lot of bragging with very little substance behind the relevance of KRS-One's presence. The development of the choruses for at least half of the songs are non-existent, leaving much to be desired by the listener. "Musika" featuring Magic Juan is decent though with its Latino influence, "Kill A Rapper" asks why dead emcees always have open cases, and "The Victory" features guest vocals from Blaq Poet and turntablist Dj Premier. "House of Hits" featuring Busy Bee sounds like a jumbled mess at times while "This Is What It Is" has the potential to be a classic jam with a little tweaking. Even though both men are highly respected, little can be gathered from Hip Hop Lives. By no means should KRS-One and Marley Marl stop with this one project. Marley Marl should just change it up a little bit with regard to his beats, and KRS-One should remain focused on social commentary and speaking on rap's worth to the world. Now that would certainly reign supreme in everybody's eyes.

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