KRS-One‘s younger brother and long time BDP producer/DJ Kenny Parker recently provided a first-person perspective of what happened at the PM Dawn bumrush from BDP‘s perspective:
Robbie: You guys must have felt like Prince Be deserved to get his ass kicked?
Kenny Parker: Actually, it didn’t start out that way. The plan wasn’t to attack Prince Be at all. The climate at that time…we had just finished doing the Sex & Violence album, and over the past year, year and a half before that, people had been taking little subliminal shots at Kris. No one came out like “KRS – you suck!”, nobody really came out like that.
Ice Cube had that little comment.
Yeah, that really started the whole thing, when Ice Cube said, “Some rappers are heaven sent/but Self Destruction don’t pay the fuckin’ rent!” That line kinda pissed Kris off. “Self Destruction” was his baby – the concept, gettin’ all the rappers together – the whole thing was his baby, and Ice Cube just came out and dissed. Later, Ice Cube came out and said he ain’t really mean it like Kris took it. I don’t really know what other way he coulda meant, but that’s what he said.
He might’ve just meant that positive records don’t sell. It’s hard to say though, in retrospect.
In retrospect, I’m gonna say “whatever” to his answer. He also said on his first album: “I’m not a rebel or a renegade or none of that crap, I’m a N-I-double-G-A”, and everyone knows Kris says “Rebel, renegade, must stay paid”. So you hear all stuff like that and you’re like “OK, this guys dissin'”, but Kris didn’t really…I remember him being a little pissed, but he didn’t really say “I’m gonna answer Ice Cube”…actually, you know what? That’s a lie. We started doing a song about, say, Ice Cube, a response to that, but we never finished it. It was one of those spur-of-the-moment things and then it was like “Ah, this is wack. You know what? Forget this”. Now moving along, then X-Clan made “Fire and Earth”.
Where they were talking about “We’re not down with the humanists”.
Yeah, and that’s around the same time that Kris was coming out with Human Education Against Lies, that was his new thing. “I’m a humanist” – that was his new stance, and X-Clan thought that he was a sell-out. So that little subliminal thing was going on too. Aight, cool. So dude’s are sayin’ their little somethin’, whatever. So Kris went and made “Build and Destroy”. That song was absolutely an answer to X-Clan. So then when Kris was doin’ a interview, he heard about PM Dawn. A writer say “So how do you feel about PM Dawn dissin’ you?” and he was like “I don’t know what you talking about”. The guy repeated what he said in the article, so Kris was like “Damn! Now I got a dude like PM Dawn tryin’ to diss me! And he said my name! What’s goin’ on? OK, now I’m gettin’ pissed off”.
So now that was the climate. It just so happens that maybe two weeks or a week after he heard this, I found this flyer at some party, and it was the MTV party. I think it was Leaders of the New School, Nice & Smooth, Supercat and PM Dawn, and I think somebody else was on the bill. And I came to Kris with the flyer, we were in the studio, and I said, “Yo, PM Dawn got this show!” So he was like “You know what? I’m gonna go there and I’m gonna challenge him right there on stage. I’mma throw on a couple of my records, hype up the crowd, them I’mma challenge him to battle me right there.” That was the initial mindset. “I’m gonna go up there, and I’m gonna be like ‘KRS One’s a teacher, a teacher of what?’ I’m gonna show you right now”, and that’s that. That was the initial mindset that we talked about – me, Kris and Willie D. The show was five days later, so we was like OK, some of us is gonna go down to the place and we was gonna meet a couple of other people, and we was gonna go in. So I think the initial people that went down there – Freddie Foxx was supposed to meet us, but he never showed up – it was me, it was Kris, it was Willie D, it was ICU, it was Just-Ice. I don’t remember if K-Def was there, but I know Larry-O was there – I’m gonna say both of ’em were there, but I’m sure Larry-O was there.
So we initially got there – there was, say, nine of us – initially went to the club. Now Kool Kim was sayin’ twenty dudes came on stage with all hoodies and black shirts on. It wasn’t even that organised, like we were all gonna wear the same clothes or whatever. We just hooked-up and we went. Kris actually had a hoody on that day, ’cause I remember he came in the club – we came in there early – and Kris doesn’t usually hang out in clubs unless he’s trying to get on and rock – so for him to just come to a club and hang-out was out of his norm. I remember he came there, we sat in the corner by the stage and he had a hood over his head and he was just chillin’. We chilled there for about two hours.
Was he wearing the hood so no one would recognize him?
Yeah, he was tryin’ to be on the low. We was just chillin’ there with the crowd, but you couldn’t really see him. But the stupidity was, I was just there chillin’! So people that knew me, they’d be looking to see Kris! [laughs] So it was really stupid, that was the stupidity. A couple of guys we knew were in there and they’re like “Yo Kris, what’s goin’ on?” and he’s like “Yo, PM Dawn tried to diss me! I’m gonna run-up on his set”, so they was like “OK, we’re down”. So now nine or ten became fifteen. Then we saw Naughty By Nature – Treach and ’em – and we was like “We’re gonna run-up on stage”, so of course Treach is down, and of course they was deep as hell, so now fifteen becomes twenty-five! I’m not gonna say Naughty was down with us to rush PM Dawn, but if Kris is like “Yo, I’m goin’ on stage, it’s about to happen”, then Treach is like “Whatever, I’m wit’chu”. That’s how I recall it, I don’t wanna put words in Treach’s mouth. And Latifah was there too.
So we had two plans. The first plan involved me – to get control of the DJ both. “By any means necessary – Kenny, you get control of the booth”. That was it, that was the only real plan we had. And Kris says “When I get the mic, you throw on “Still #1′”. So that was the plan. So I had a couple of guys with me, we went to the DJ booth around twenty minutes before PM Dawn was meant to go on. I had never even seen him, I didn’t even know he was in the place. Clark Kent was deejaying, so I went up there and I said to Clark: “In about ten minutes I’m gonna need the turntables for a second”, and he was kinda reluctant. I guess he thought like I was tryin’ to get on his set – like he was the DJ for the night and because it was a packed crowd, I just wanted to get on. He had a look like “C’mon man, I’m deejayin’ up here!” So I was like “Look, something’s about to happen, Kris is about to run on stage. I need to be set-up and I need to be ready.” He was like “Aight, cool”, and he wasn’t deejayin’ at that moment ’cause there was shows goin’ on. So we chilled. I think Leaders went on first, then there was a break and I’m like “Is PM Dawn goin’ on?” Then PM Dawn comes on stage and starts doin’ his show – and nothing happens! So I’m like “Aww man, Kris backed-out. He’s not gonna do it”. I remember I had “Still #1” on a big acetate, ’cause there was no instrumental of “Still #1” on wax. It’s really hard to cue-up those acetates – I had to keep checking to see if it was ready, ’cause you have to really move it to get it started. In my mind I’m like “Yo, this acetate is gettin’ on my nerves! What is Kris doin? Is he gonna do it? What’s goin’ on?”
Then all of a sudden, “Set Adrift On Memory Bliss” comes on, and PM Dawn starts doin’ his thing, and then you see Kris comin’ up – there was like a ramp comin’ up the stage – and you see people comin’ up the stage, so I start cuing up. Now let me say this – Kris actually never hit PM Dawn. I think that’s like a big misconception. The guy who actually did – I’m not gonna repeat his name – but there was one guy in our crew, his attitude was like “I’m wylin’ out!”. Right when we came in the club, he said to Kris “Whatever happens Kris, make sure you bail me out”, and we all started laughin’. So they rushed the stage, and PM Dawn’s music…he had a DJ up there, but the music wasn’t on his turntables – it was on a DAT – coming from somewhere else, maybe the side of the stage. So Kool Kim said he heard a “Rrrrrippp!” and the music go off – that’s not what happened, he wasn’t even on turntables! So that’s not true either. So this guy with us takes the record off the turntable and smashes it, but the music is still playin’. I guess whoever saw what was goin’ on stopped the DAT. PM Dawn had some girl dancers up there – this guy pushes one of the dancers into the crowd – hard! And I remember she tried to sue Kris a few months after that. While this guy’s doin’ this, Kris comes up. PM Dawn is not knowin’ what’s goin’ on – imagine, he’s in show mode and his music stops – and Kris grabs the microphone, so they both have it. Like a tug-of-war for a second, and then Kris pushes him and takes the microphone in his hand. Right at the same time, the guy who pushed the girl into the crowd punches PM Dawn in his face – POW! Then he punches him again – POW! In the face, twice. Then, if I recall, Just-Ice pushed him off [the stage] and Prince Be fell into the crowd. I don’t remember dudes jumping him and beating him up. The crowd in the front backed-up when he fell – you couldn’t really see what was goin’ on, it looked like a robbery. Then Kris has the mic and he goes “BDP is in the motherfuckin’ house!” and then everybody was like “Hooo!”, the whole crowd was like that, and right at that moment I threw on “Still #1” [does the horn part]. It was over! People was jumping up and down and they was goin’ crazy and screamin’…it was like a riot!
Clark Kent turned to me and he said “Yo, that’s the greatest thing I ever seen in my life!” Where I’m at is across the room, upstairs on the second level, looking down. That’s how the DJ booth was set-up. When Clark Kent said that, I remember bending down to get “The Bridge Is Over” out of my bag, and when I came to cue it up, Clark Kent had already left the DJ booth, went downstairs and ran across the crowd to climb up on stage! I think Queen Latifah was on top of a speaker, just whylin’ out. Everybody was goin’ crazy. So I threw on “The Bridge Is Over”, and then Kris was – Kris was supposed to rhyme, too! If I threw on the song, he was supposed to do the rhyme! But it was just so wild that he never even rhymed! He was just goin’ “Jump! Jump!” and everybody was just goin’ crazy. All I remember him doin’ was “The Dawn is over, the Dawn is over!”, like that. I think the third record I threw on was “Duck Down”. That hadn’t even had a video or nuttin’, I think that was really new when I threw it on. Kris was just talkin’ shit. He was goin’ “What?! What?! Anybody that try to diss BDP! What?!” He wasn’t even rhymin’! I remember seeing T-Money, it was his party, and he was up up stage, jumping around. The stage was packed now! The wack part was that later on, when all the flack came, T-Money was like “Ahh, man, that was bullshit. Kris messed-up my party!” I knew that he worked for MTV at the time, but I thought that was bullshit that he said that, ’cause I saw him goin’ crazy on stage.
So out of the corner of my eye, I saw security come rushing in, onto the left side, but then when they saw it was Kris and they saw it was like a party-like atmosphere, they just stopped – they was just looking. I guess they thought something happened, but when they ran in it was like a show, almost. Now Kool Kim said that PM Dawn was rocking the party? Let me set the scene for you real quick – this is a party with LONS, Nice & Smooth and Supercat – now a party that those people would be rocking…PM Dawn wouldn’t rock in that setting. His record might’ve been number one in the country at that moment, but in that setting I don’t think he was rocking. What happened was, there was a lot of record company people there from Island. When he came out, they was clapping. His people were clapping, but it wasn’t like the whole crowd was lovin’ him ’cause it wasn’t that type of crowd. Actually, Clark Kent was playing some new Das-EFX stuff on a reel-to-reel. When I went up to the booth I asked him what he was playin’, and he said, “This is my group, Das-EFX”. It wasn’t “They Want EFX”, it was somethin’ else, actually I think it was somethin’ that wasn’t on the album. So in a place where you’re playin’ Das-EFX reel-to-reels and Leaders of the New School is performing, I just don’t see PM Dawn ripping like Kool Kim said. I saw a handful of people that looked like record company reps there that was rockin’, but there was like a thousand people there! It wasn’t all those people rocking to PM Dawn. I’m gonna say “No” to that.
After all this happens, Kris rushes out. Kris is gone. He told his wife “When I go up on stage, bring the car ’round, so as soon as I leave out the building I can jump in the car”. But somehow she didn’t leave off the stage until after he was already rocking, so she was late bringing the car ’round. So when I came outside it was just me and another guy. She was all upset, goin’ “Where’s Kris?” and I’m goin’ “I don’t know, he was supposed to be with you!” So she was like “You gotta go back in there and look for him”. The crowd was so wild that they started fighting amongst themselves – that part that Kool Kim said was true – they was so wild, it looked like you could throw raw meat out there. They were so savage…like somehow they just turned on each other and started fighting! When she said “Go back in” I was like “Go back in? Oh my god!” So I go back in the party, it’s a mess. There’s no more music, it was like a riot to me. I saw the Awesome Two – Teddy Ted and Special K – and they looked at me and they was like “Yo, are you alright?” and I’m like “Yeah, I’m fine! I’m cool!”
After that, I didn’t see Kris, I left and we went back to a meeting spot where we were always gonna meet-up, on Christopher Street somewhere, in the Village where he used to live. When I got there, he was outside talkin’ to Just-Ice and they was all laughing. So we got in the car and we went to his house in Jersey. It was just me and him after this whole thing, and we was up half the night, just talkin’ about it. It was like ‘Can you believe how wild it got?” It wasn’t even supposed to be that, but it just became that. I think it was just a classic case of “entourage gone wild”. [laughs] Ultimately, Kris is responsible because it is his people, and he is the absolute leader. Everybody follows what he says and does, in our crew at that time. But they just blacked-out. When they just got up there and started, they was just outta control. They just took it upon themselves. I’m not tryin’ to defend Kris, but he actually didn’t hit him! Kool Kim said he took the microphone and was hittin’ him on the head and you could hear it through the speakers – that’s bullshit. That absolutely did not happen. He just had the mic in his hand. the people that was really involved was KRS, Just-Ice, maybe ICU and this other guy. Those four guys were absolutely involved, and everybody else was just up there.
This interview is also available in the limited-edition book, Past The Margin: A Decade of Unkut Interviews, available here.
dope interview
I have to say Kenny is a bit more coherent and believable on the whole about this.
But really, we want the inside scoop on what it was like to rock in the studio with Eric from the Real World!
For something so long ago both versions of the story are pretty similar and believabele to me. minor differences like whetehr a crowd is feeling something is obviously open to interpretation. Pity prince be didnt get beat down with a mic though.
Considering I’ve never read an interview with him before, isn’t it weird that I allways thought Kenny Parker was a good feller? Commisioner Gordon too in fact. Probably because of the name.
Funniest call-to-arms ever? “B.D.P. becoming a monopoly, gradually”
i remember hearing this story from Larry-O & K-Def, Real Live was down with BDP. KRS-ONE is a real dude,he never sold alot of records; but his creative output was not to be fucked with. Big up to ICU, who I still see in the city from time to time. Dope post Robbie.
I can’t get enough of this shit. Nothing against Kool Kim, but I agree; Kenny seems to have a better recollection of the incident.
Yo.. this is fucking GREAT!!!!
I been on a serious grind these past couple of weeks so i haven’t been able to post my new joint..
But this is incredible.
because I have heard this story now in almost every possible perspective there is.. First from my own perspective.. Then i had the fortune of hearing it from Prince B’s perspective.. and finally now from Kenny’s perspective.
I am not going to dispute ANYTHING Kenny said happened.
I think anyone reading this can see the your side my side and the truth side thing.. going on.. Ultimately I am a human with only two eyes.. So I COULD be wrong..
but i swear the sound of that boop bap boop boop bap of the mic hitting Prince B’s head is etched in my mind.. LOL..
forever.. LOL
I whish i could have done this as a voice interview because I think if u could HEAR me speak on the subject u would see that i aint mad at Kris or Kenny for that matter.. those brothers are just men at the end of the day…
My attitude about the whole thing.. is like.. watching someone beat up some dude that sorta had it coming.. but at the same time it’s foul.. so u shaking your head but your laughing at the same time.. LOL
Again great interview.. and thanks to Kenny for bringing more insight into an incredible moment in hip hop history.
This is some funny ass shit. Nothing better then hearing about a rap legend beating up another artist with a damn mic. LOL indeed!
Robbie – you’re killing shit with these interviews.
amazing….really amazing. That’s a cool perspective on the craziest Hip Hop moment of the 90’s….
I still have a question about “Build and Destroy.” Kenny and others have said that it’s a response specifically to X-Clan, but the criticisms within it seem to be mostly directed to 5%ers in general. X-Clan, to the best of my knowledge, didn’t claim any affiliation with the 5%, and if their ideology was anything at all I’d put it more in line with Egyptology. If you read the liner notes to their LPs they shout out basically every black religious or nationalist group in existence and they seemed to be a mixture of ideas from all of them.
So I guess my question is, if one blindly listens to “Build and Destroy” not knowing the context KRS puts it in (being a retort to X-Clan) one would assume 100% it’s about the 5%; how do you explain that really when (from at least their lyrics) X-Clan seems to be following a different ideology altogether? Dark Sun Riders came out and reinforced that even more in my opinion.
ditto what O-Dub said. this is some of the best stuff i have read on the internet.
i like Kool Kim’s version better. :D more story-like. maybe some stretching of the truth as that can happen with time like all good stories. but the DJ booth stuff in Kenny’s here is priceless. Still #1 acetate got the vinyl nerds here drooling.
anyone got a time machine??
Also I have to say . . . Kenny won me over on the believability factor simply for the technical details he included. He mentioned things only a DJ/producer/AV nerd would care about (DATs, the sound booth and stage setup, reel to reels, acetate) . . . it’s all about attention to minor details.
Bedoiun: Kris said that he was beefing with PRT at the time too.
I don’t care what anyone says (and I was feeling “Set Adrift On Memory Bliss” at that time) but this was a straight gully, keep-it-real moment to me and I wish I was there. Today, you just have sensitive rappers geting mad at each other over irrelevant sh*t.
I still respect Prince Be because he is a record addict like myself.
bedouin…X-Clan, may not have been 5%ers, but their believe was still similar regarding the black man being god, original man and so on….so the whole blackman is god isn’t just a 5% or Nation of Islam believe, cos there are other pro-black faiths that have the same believe. And how I knew for certain it was a response to X-Clan, was because all the critisism’s that Kris was addressing were in regards to “humanism”, which X-Clan were critical of
Larry-O always spoke highly of the ‘Blast Master’ live shows, opening up for him and such. KRS and his team would have instrumentals to all the tracks, so he could even rock album cuts live.
Kenny discusses the fall-out with the 5%ers, X-Clan and PRT in the next part of the interview.
wait, KRS lived on Christopher Street?! (no homo)
Truly heavy interview, this incident caught fire in the UK and it was the shit for weeks, I mean we all looked to Kris for the street shit, and he always delivered…we looked at people who fronted on BDP or KRS as an individual artist as a proper idiot, and I’m so glad Kenny did this interview. Top props to Unkut for this interview, repect!
one of the best things i’ve read in a while.
Great feature, Robbie. In prt. 2, does Kenny also address ‘We In Here’ being directed towards Ice Cube?
“In prt. 2, does Kenny also address ‘We In Here’ being directed towards Ice Cube?”
Nah, he didn’t mention that.
I feel like I’m 13 again…I always wanted to know the details to what really happen…even 15 years after the fact.
This old beef is more interesting than any new “beefs” today.
Can’t wait to read more from Kim and Kenny.
lame that krs stepped to pm dawn who were obviously no fucking threat to him. ice cube can talk shit but gets a pass? never ran up on ice cube’s set. x clan talked shit. never ran up on x clan’s shit. prt talked shit. never ran up on prt’s shit. sucker ass hippies pm dawn talk shit and you and your crew fuck their life up. impressive!
Total Rashomon. I love it. BDP forever.
“lame that krs stepped to pm dawn who were obviously no fucking threat to him”
I’m guessing you didn’t bother to actually read the interview?
“I’m guessing you didn’t bother to actually read the interview?”
I see his point though. If KRS tried that at any of the above mentioned three artists’ shows it wouldn’t have gone so smoothly. If the same happened with Cube or any of the others it would’ve showed up on the nightly news as an example of violence in Hip-Hop, after a story about a gun fight breaking out at a ‘rap event’ occurred. You think Cube would just let someone throw him off the stage like a bitch and then let him steal his set without tearing the place down? Post “Are we there yet?” perhaps, but not in the Kill At Will era. So yeah, even if KRS didn’t throw fists it still was a bitch move when you’re talking about PM Dawn. That’s like Dre slapping Dee from Pump It Up; it’s cowardly in some respect no matter how respectable the motive.
Historically notorious? Yeah. Would I have loved to see it? Yeah. Being older now and a little more reasonable do I think that’s cool? Not really. I respect KRS more for taking kids out on a track like “Build and Destroy” purely by battling ideas (or skills) than bumrushing some fat dude wearing tie-dye. Peter’s got a point 100%, and I suspect both of us read the article front to back.
Robbie, did Kenny go into the whole beef between Kris and King Sun?? especially about the whole incident which Tony D mentioned about being at the car wash event when King Sun was willing flatten Kris, but he (Tony D) grabbed King Sun and Kenny grabbed Kris
But bedouin, I think what Robbie is trying to say is that, as Kenny pointed out in the interview, the confrontation unexpectly got violent due to certain member’s in the crew getting overzealous…and believe it or not, that type of thing happens all time I’ve certainly seen it where MC’s/artists were to initially verbally confront each other especially if it’s regarding a challenge to a battle, but members in their crews turn it into violence
“I came to Kris with the flyer, we were in the studio, and I said, “Yo, PM Dawn got this show!” So he was like “You know what? I’m gonna go there and I’m gonna challenge him right there on stage. I’mma throw on a couple of my records, hype up the crowd, them I’mma challenge him to battle me right there.” That was the initial mindset. “I’m gonna go up there, and I’m gonna be like ‘KRS One’s a teacher, a teacher of what?’ I’m gonna show you right now”, and that’s that.”
Apparently KRS never planned on beating anybody up, and wasn’t the one who punched Prince Be or pushed him off stage. It sounds more lke a case of a situation that got out of control rather than a “planned assault”. His original plan seems far from lame or cowardly if you ask me.
I can’t remember if Kenny got into that exact King Sun incident, since I’m still transcribing the interview, but he mentioned something about him.
The fact that he wasn’t expecting violence from PM Dawn is my whole point. Fists or no fists, guns or no guns, no one else would tolerate another MC attempting to take over their stage or throw on their own records. How are you going to plan to put your own records on at a jam where you’re not even on the flier without it being confrontational? That’s a bullshit excuse.
What he means to say is they weren’t expecting violent retaliation from someone like PM Dawn, which helped them execute the whole thing without catching a bullet. Try that same shit with Cube and Da Lynch Mob and see what happens. Fists or no fists — tell me guns aren’t getting drawn and cats going to the hospital. KRS knew that shit and he didn’t fuck with those cats; instead he picks on two little nerds with his whole crew against Prince B, his brother, and some dancers. Hell, two of the dudes from Lynch Mob are still in jail for murder AFAIK.
Really though, no one gave a fuck about what PM Dawn thought. Those dudes didn’t even really claim to be Hip-Hop artists, and if I remember correctly were painting themselves to be sort of black alternative artists. No one really even knew PM Dawn made those remarks until KRS escalated the whole thing. To me the whole thing was nothing but a PR move; a blurb in The Source to generate some interest for an MC constantly insecure about being “Outta Here” and now finally is.
But we have an Abu Gharib mentality. KRS is an authority; he made Criminal Minded, he battled Melle Mel . . . you can’t say KRS did wrong. We’re just following Hip-Hop code. Call it out — it was a bitch move. Step to PRT, X-Clan, or Cube and all of their respective crews and then you can be gully. Saying that doesn’t take away from the works he made, but this HIp-Hop God Temple of Bullshit is just that — bullshit. Maybe if someone had called him out on that back in 1995 he’d be able to put our an LP worth listening to.
According to Kenny, KRS did in fact have confrontations or discussions with all the crews you just mentioned around the same period. When I post the second part of the interview you’ll see that there was a lot more to the story than just this incident, not to mention the massive negative backlash KRS suffered as a result of that night and the Source interview I posted a few weeks ago. Hardly the stuff of a clever promtional stunt.
Robbie, it’s a shame you have to keep us waiting in suspense cos it’s just waaay to torturing
Great Interview(s)!!!
peace
Did he shop at Andy’s Deli?
let me say that there NEVER was an incident in which i had to hold krs back from fighting king sun………..the club that is mentioned is called “car wash”, that club was rocking around 1990, 2 years before the pm dawn incident and the source interview. i don’t know why people are trying to create some beef with king sun. it’s funny how people take rumor for fact.
to bedouin: obviously you don’t like krs, that’s your perogative, but you imply that boogie down productions was some soft crew that only had the nerve to step to pm dawn…….maybe part 2 of the interview will give you more insight on the whole situation. like i said in the interview, ice cube and x-clan made subliminal statements, it’s not like they wanted some real confrontation. krs decided at that time to deal with them on that level. pm dawn’s stance was different because he said krs’ name in the interview, which made the situation different……..i say now as a more mature person that violence isn’t always the answer, but, since you seem to know the history of BDP and the battles and rumors, how come no one ever rushed our “soft” set?
Thanks for clearing that up Kenny regarding the King Sun & KRS thing….it something that Tony D mentioned, which Robbie mentioned on the board in that other article, and I was hoping that Robbie may have addressed that to you in the interview…but thanks for clearing that up…btw T La Rock says what’s up to you and Kris
Hahaha, Bedouin’s about to get PWNED by Kenny Parker.
Come on man, Kris rolled with Just-Ice AND Freddie Foxxx. I remember Noreaga trying to say he punked Foxxx some years back after Foxxx dissed him. Yeah right.
I cant wait for part 2, good work
Is that the same Double R that used to do mixtapes?
I’m not saying BDP was soft, I just think that particular move was weak.
And I don’t really hate KRS. Dope albums? Definitely. I’m just not really feeling where he’s been at for the past 10 years or so and it’s kind of like watching your childhood hero get taken out by his own ego. I don’t take that as a dis ’cause I’ll say the same types of things to my closest friends when I think they’re fucking up. Listening to that incident with Davy D a few months ago was just sad to me.
Now, if you would’ve checked me 14 years ago or whatever when this happened — I’d be saying fuck PM Dawn too and laughing my ass off. In fact, when I read about it after it happened I thought it was funny as hell and was recreating the whole scene in my head. But I’m the type of person who likes to pull shit apart and fuck with it, and that’s kind of what I’m doing here. If it was a story about X Clan I’d be pulling it apart the same way and probably pointing out that Brother J’s last few releases haven’t been particularly exciting either.
Anyone who knows me in real life knows it’s hard for me to take sides unless the issue is completely black and white, and it rarely is. I don’t think it is in this case either.
i read the interview, and my comments were not regarding any type of violence or implying that krs one is soft. his initial plan sounded good, and prob could have been carried out that way. i just don’t understand what was/is the big deal? even back then people that listened to hip hop understood pm dawn were wack and any comments they would make about any mc esp someone of krs one’s caliber have to be taken as a joke. i see that maybe you would be more offended that someone who isn’t even on your level is trying to take shots at you, but i just don’t get what is so great about shuttin down some pop artists. going up and taking control of a major rap artist of that era who was talking shit, battling, and coming out victorious would be worthy of talking about years later. can’t remember my feelings about it back then but i prob thought it was cool that somebody got tossed.
p-matik: double r is just a username, which I chose during a period of time when I listened a lot to the first 415 album. Peace
ON THE REAL TIP, THOUGH, I REMEMBER BEING THRILLED THAT KRS RUSHED PM DAWN’S STAGE. I WAS HOPING THE SAME WOULD HAPPEN TO VANILLA ICE, MC HAMMER AND NWA..GROUPS I HATED BACK THEN.
BUT NOW, AS I’M OLDER, I LOOK BACK AND SAY IT WAS WACK TO TAKE IT TO THAT LEVEL; HOWEVER, WE’VE ALL DONE THINGS LIKE THAT WHICH WE REGRET NOW.I KNOW I DID. I REMEMBER KRS IN AN INTERVIEW SAYING THAT IT WAS A MISTAKE, AND KENNY PARKER, NUFF RESPECT TO YOU FOR SAYING THE SAME. I REMEMBER WATCHING KRS1 AND BROTHER J HUG ON VIDEO MUSIC BOX, AND JUST FEELING PROUD OF THOSE DUDES. THOSE WERE MY FAVORITE MC’S BACK THEN.
TO TELL THE TRUTH, MY TASTE IS SO BROAD NOW, I JUST MAY GIVE MY WIFE’S PM DAWN TAPE A LISTEN, CUZ…SAY WHAT YOU WANT, PM DAWN WAS WAY MORE ORIGINAL THAN ALOT OF TODAY’S RAPPERS, AND THAT’S REAL. LOL.
NOW, WITH THIS WHOLE RAKIM/FREDDIE FOXXX SITUATION (DIG MY SEGUE? LOL) I HOPE THEY EITHER SQUASH THAT OR KEEP IT LYRICAL. PEACE.
“but i just don’t get what is so great about shuttin down some pop artists. going up and taking control of a major rap artist of that era who was talking shit, battling, and coming out victorious would be worthy of talking about years later.”
Peter, couldn’t that be also just be looked at putting suckas publicly in check, especially when they pubicly diss you?
I’m fiending the second part… BRING THAT SHIT ON!!!
I love this shit!
Is it me, or is Kenny Parker is the Charlie Murphy of True HipHop Stories?
Great stuff.
“Kenny rockin’ many good and plenty”
Excellent interview, I felt like I was there standing next to Kenny…
kevin
i see what you are saying, i just think that there was no question that if you put krs one on a stage and pm dawn on a stage who is coming out on top regardless of people getting tossed off,etc. i mean yeah they got put in check, but was there ever any doubt? the way i look at it is like barry bonds hitting against a minor league pitcher. do you really want to see it? is there any question about what is going to happen? you want to see the top go against the top. pm dawn was and is a joke. i don’t think they really opened the floodgates and started a string of people taking shots at krs. if a current r&b/pop star of comparable stature mouthed off against krs now what do you think the response would be? that would be interesting.
But Peter, if did go according to plan, in would put them in check to the point, where they’ll stop dissing in the future, especially it was apparent as KRS pointed out in that 1992 Source interview, that they dissed him in other interviews (in case I misread it)…..I mean take the Busy Bee vs. Kool Moe Dee battle, Busy Bee was as much of a threat to Kool Moe Dee as Prince B was to KRS, but the fact that Busy Bee dussed Moe Dee like he did publicly, for Moe Dee to step to Busy Bee was just checking them to the point where he would think twice about doing it again, hence NAILING THE COFFIN.
“if a current r&b/pop star of comparable stature mouthed off against krs now what do you think the response would be? that would be interesting. ”
Well KRS wouldn’t have to challenge them to battle in that scenrio, cos it’s an act from another genre, so that same act (unlike PM Dawn) would be highly unlikey to show up at a pure HipHop jam/club that same jam which KRS rocks at frequently
bedouin…like Kenny pointed out:
““Yo, PM Dawn got this show!” So he was like “You know what? I’m gonna go there and I’m gonna challenge him right there on stage. I’mma throw on a couple of my records, hype up the crowd, them I’mma challenge him to battle me right there.”
Meaning the plan was to confront them, not to beating anybody up or threaten them, but to challenge them to a battle at that moment…S please explain the bitch move & weakness in that? Especially since the legacy of MC battling included activites and actions, of MC’s (solo or groups) running up on, interrupting & commandeering stages and sets and issuing challenges and without resulting physical violent confrontations and that has being going at HipHop jams at park jams & HipHop clubs since it’s beginnings and that type activity still exists today
“Fists or no fists, guns or no guns, no one else would tolerate another MC attempting to take over their stage or throw on their own records. How are you going to plan to put your own records on at a jam where you’re not even on the flier without it being confrontational?”
If you mean confrontational in regards to getting physically violent, well I can name some incidents of when where impromptu mc battles & challenges would go down that way, even if your not on the flyer…:
KRS-One vs. Melle Mel; in an interview on the wake up show, KRS even noted that that battle jumped off unexpected, when Melle Mel raided his set, while he was stage performing Poetry at the Latin Quarters
Melle Mel vs. Chuck D; Melle Mel dissed Chuck D at the Latin Quarters, when Public Enemy was doing a show, it even apparent that Mel even challenged Chuck to a battle in which Chuck declined, but regardess of if a challenge was actually issued or not, bottom line Mel did set to Chuck & PE’s set and dissed them
Click this link http://www.jayquan.com/callout.htm , it describes the account of an incident known as THE CALLOUT at a scheduled event/show, where the Furious Five (who were supposed to be touring and weren’t scheduled to appear) rolled up and interrupting & commandeered the stage during the show, Flash & E-Z raided the Dj booth and cut the music off, and Melle Mel took the mic and issued a challenge to a battle against the Furious Five
Hell Mel, even had a rep for unexpectly running up, interrupting & commandeering stages and sets and issuing challenges to battles.
Big Daddy Kane vs. Jazz Fresh; I’ve got an audio of a show at the Rooftop in which a Philly MC Jazz Fresh (an scheduled performing act) was doing a set and Kane ran up on the set and dissed Jazz Fresh (whilst he was still on stage) after he heard Jazz Fresh spit a verse in which Kane thought was a diss to Slick Rick, but once Kane finished Jazz Fresh responded with a verse and a battle was on.
Kool Moe Dee vs. LL Cool J; there were 2 incidents at the Apollo. First was when LL was doing a song (I think maybe it was Jack The Ripper) on stage, but then a spotlight appeared on a person in the audience, that person stood up and it was Kool Moe Dee, it shocked people in attendance (including LL) as Moe Dee was unexpected to be in the building, Moe Dee then made his was to the stage during LL’s set to attempt to challenge and battle LL right there, but LL rapped up his set and left and before Moe Dee got the chance to make that happen. The second is an audio I’ve got in which the instrumental ‘Jack The Ripper’ was being played, the crowd was expecting and waiting for LL Cool J to come out to the stage, then Moe Dee unexpectly runs up on stage snatches the record off the deck (you can even heard the scratch), switches it to the Let’s Go beat, gets on the mic and drops a freestyle dissing LL
Kevin,
Alright, I’ll give it to you :) You hit me with facts I didn’t consider so I can’t say nothing.
That may well be the most well-argued comment ever written on a hip-hop blog…
“Class is in session so you can stop guessin'”
A lot of people think Nelly Whipped Kris. but thenagain Nelly was never homeless in centralpark.
Damn…I’m really feeling the “comments” section… I wish other rappers and industry people from that era would comment also…
Can’t wait for more…
I don’t remember the whole specifics, but didn’t Above The Law chase Cube and the Lench Mob off the stage at the New Music Seminar back in the early 90’s?
To Travis….yep that went down at the New Music Seminar either in 1991 or 1992…I do know there was a physical altercation, I even heard that King Sun got beat down from Above The Law cos he was trying to have Ice Cube’s back
this was one of the wildest brawls ever. i have to be honest tho, i started to have least and least respect for krs after finding out more about this…
well after finding out more and more about this.
excellent read!!
Dayrell, explain why and how you starting to find keast and least respect for KRS finding out more and more about this???
great interview with kenny parker…i’m about to go dig out bdp’s ‘sex & violence’ album and pretend it’s 1992 all over again…
Btw, can you really run down the real deal about K.R.S. 1 and his relationship with Ms. Melodie? What the fuck was up with tha effin train wreck?
Im also greatly respectful of the music that KRS-1 put out in the golden era, but yeah…
when he did this is when people started questioning his integrity around the persona he portrayed in his rhymes.
Like a lot of people, I thought PM Dawn was “okay” at the time – glad there was some semblance of rap making it onto top40 and Columbia CD club, and hell they were actually taking a novel approach to the music.
So they werent armed and ready to defend themselves when they were playing a show? So they were surprised when a bunch a strangers ran onto the stage and punched them in the face?
Sounds like PM Dawn were rapping, putting on a show, and probaly having a good time until the thugs showed up. Sounds like a lot of parties that I’ve been to.
KRS-1 totally perpetuated the culture of violence and perceived threatened masculinity that half of hip hop is about nowadays.
So basically, KRS decided to run up on the kids that did not run with a crew.
I guess PM Dawn was broken down to their very last compound.
2 nights ago I had the pleasure of attending a small gathering of maybe 40-50 people to listen to KRS speak… he spoke for a good 4hours straight and was still talking to people as his manager or body guard dragged him out of the room. below is a quick few comments made in a messenger conversation:
i’m only part way through, but kris’ version wasn’t as detailed, but kris said when he went on stage just ice, kid kapri and queen latifah (whom he said was whyllin) were at his side when he stepped on stage finally
moji says:
you should comment on that …
djducats says:
he also said something about m.o.p. and foxxx calling him and saying stuff like “yo man, when are we goin down to take care of these fools ” something as such
Deep.
I love this interview, mad props!
Yall some ignorant negro’s!!!!!!
suck a phat dick!!!
great interview. people dont know the real story, but this definitely captured that moment
I was definitely there and Kenny is right, Kris didn’t hit Prince Be on the head with a mic, I just remember seeing Kris and his crew rush the stage and it was pandemonium! I am glad I was there because that’s one of those scenarios where you HAD to be there and I was!!!!!!
“Big Daddy Kane vs. Jazz Fresh; I’ve got an audio of a show at the Rooftop in which a Philly MC Jazz Fresh (an scheduled performing act) was doing a set and Kane ran up on the set and dissed Jazz Fresh (whilst he was still on stage).”
“Kool Moe Dee vs. LL Cool J; there were 2 incidents at the Apollo.”
^^Kevin, would you ‘up’ those audios, if possible..? I got some rare, out of print, etc, Hip Hop to make it worth ya’ while.. Holla..
p.s. Props for the inverviews, Unkut.com..
Mreman, yeah I’ll post that stuff up, in fact holla at me on my email ([email protected] )
Mreman..a present for you; Big Daddy Kane vs. Jazz Fresh
http://www.yousendit.com/download/mYCoeMGswLg%3D
PM Dawn Should Learn 2 Keep Rappers Names Out His Mouth …. Homie Got What He Deserved! …. BDP 4 Life!
This is one of the greatest interviews and stories EVER!!!!!!!! One for the history books! Maybe if HipHoppas were still throwin wack rappers off the stage, we wouldn’t have so much garbage flooding the airwaves, just a thought.
hahahaha, that shit sounds WILD.
the dawn is over, the dawn is over!
Governor S. stole my thunder.
exactly right on point. It’s all about quality control. If you wanna speak ya peace, be prepared to answer for it and/or defend yourself.
what was the original diss anyway? i understand it’s from a magazine interview, but does anyone have or know the quote?
ps. i’m sure KRS would welcome any impromptu battle at any of his shows, and [my guess is] he wouldn’t be the one to cross the line into physical violence. start it on wax, print, etc. and settle it that same way – with WORDS!
…and to all y’all callin out KRS & BDP:
you never got involved in any kind of situation that got out of hand? where plan A got thrown out the window? you never been forced to stand strong for yourself when somebody else started w/ you? don’t be throwin stones when you got a glass jaw!
sorry, i’m like way behind here.
great interview though!
Robbie, are there archives of old stuff from this page? how long has Unkut been around?
krs is a living legend and i wish people didnt feel sorry for candy rappers like pm dawn.10 years ago i hated sellouts and pop ho,s and 10 years later nothings changed.i wish i could launch a sellout off stage,then i,d sleep.
A Masterpiece!
http://twitpic.com/456zf
And another!
http://twitpic.com/3py7i
Amazing interview.
too bad no one was videotaping this.
DUCK KRS1 pussy added faggot! He didn’t go afterany other rapper did he. And tall stupid associated nigga like when we still on one another slavery should be re-estates for you wanna be fucks
Kris was fed up and PM Dawn got the brunt of it. That’s unfortunate. But what you gonna do? We’ve all did things that weren’t the wisest but it’s history now. I’m sure he’s sorry for it. A little. Lol
I think people have a misconception about KRS and his music. Krs was wrong to bumrush a rapper show(not mc)but I believe KRS was at a point he was tired of folks taking shots at him for being intelligent and musical.
I believe Krs wanted to stress that I can speak about non-violence but I from the streets( I can turn my cheeks and I have FISTs, too). Professionally, hip hop was losing it core value to rap music and krs was done playing nice. Be was just a message being send to everyone…
As for “Build & Destroy,” Krs was going after all the mcs that were challenging his music and ideas: Cube, Brother J, Professor X, Poor Righteous Teachers…In the end, krs’ humanist views are quite universal—HIP HOP is everywhere!