May 22, 2007
Where's the beef?
 |
KRS-One and Marley Marl
Hip Hop feuding is all but de rigueur these days. PLAY takes a look at the burying of the now-forgotten beef that started it all
"Hip means to know / It's a form of intelligence / Hip is to be up-to-date and relevant."
And so begins the stitching up of one of the greatest open wounds in hip-hop history. Forget about 50 and Cam'ron's schoolyard squabbles. Ignore, if you can, LL's dinky dust-up with Canibus. Hell, while we're on that topic, dismiss LL's old-school beef with Kool Moe Dee. The one that started it all, folks - all of this pointless posturing that has inexplicably escalated to senseless violence - was the original feud between KRS-One and Marley Marl.
After more than 20 years, it looks like the hatchet has officially been buried with the May 22 release of Hip-Hop Lives, the first-ever collaboration between KRS and Marley Marl. Wednesday night the two team up on the World Café Live stage, with Marl droppin' beats for KRS to lace with lyrics. The impeccable timing of this gig is reason alone for it to go down in the annals of hip-hop history. Add to that the fact that KRS and Marl are both legendary for their live performances and it's, like, WHOA!
For a brief history lesson, let's take the wayback machine to 1985 when Marley Marl and his Juice Crew jumped all over MC Shan's track The Bridge, in which Shan spits, "You love to hear the story again and again / of how it all got started way back then." As the song was about Shan's hometown of Queensbridge, NY, KRS-One mistakenly assumed that Shan and Marl's Juice Crew were implying that hip hop had its original roots dug in Queens. This infuriated the Bronx-bred KRS, who was absolutely adamant that hip hop's earliest days were spent in the South Bronx. Thus KRS-One and his Boogie Down Productions crew recorded and released the track South Bronx which was effectively a reprise of The Bridge but with the Bronx replacing Queensbridge as hip hop's birthplace.
Both crews would continue to trade jabs until 1987 when BDP's DJ, Scott La Rock, was fatally shot while attempting to calm a domestic dispute involving fellow BDP cohort D-Nice. Out of respect for La Rock, Marl toned down the attacks and essentially backed off for some time. After what was apparently deemed an appropriate mourning period, however, Shan turned up the heat again, taking several jabs at KRS in his 1989 track, Juice Crew Law. From that point on, the two waged war occasionally until both appeared together in a mid-1990s Sprite commercial, "battling" one another in a boxing ring for lyrical supremacy, thus essentially calling it quits on the bickering.
The beef between KRS and Marley Marl was not so easily quashed, however. While neither has received the attention of the Jay-Zs and Snoop Dogs of the genre for the better part of the past decade or so, both are highly regarded in hip-hop circles as innovators and originators of their respective crafts. KRS-One is often named as the greatest MC of all time and even those in the know who give that nod to the inimitable Rakim, still give KRS his props as representing the true essence of an MC. As for Marley Marl, his production skills are unrivaled even today - an admirable feat considering the advances in technology and astronomical increases in hip-hop production budgets since Marl's humble beginnings with the Juice Crew.
When the two rivals announced early last year that they would be collaborating on a full-length album, the impact on the hip-hop world was not unlike that of a lone raindrop hitting the Pacific Ocean. However, a few months prior when Jay-Z officially ended his feud with Nas by signing him to Def Jam Records, one might have thought that the hip-hop supernova had finally reached mass expansion. That's not to say that Jay and Nas didn't deserve the press but compared to the deafening silence that followed KRS and Marl's historic announcement, I daresay even Jay-Z was a bit embarrassed at the attention gap.
Public notice aside, the final product is certainly one that was well worth the wait. There's no denying that the majority of old-school hip-hop fans who still had KRS and Marl on their radar looked upon the prospect of the granddaddies of hip hop working together after 22 years with a healthy dose of skepticism. Following Public Enemy's recent attempts at mounting a comeback - not to mention Flava Flav's seemingly daily public displays of humiliation - warrant such trepidation regarding throwback returns.
Nonetheless, from the opening lines of the title track to the old-school house party vibe emitted by the closer, House of Hits, Hip Hop Lives comes through in spades and may very well re-establish both KRS and Marl as the mavens of rap they once were - but now in the eyes, minds and ears of a new generation of hip hoppers.
Considering the sad state of commercial hip hop these days, a return to the old ways certainly can't be a bad thing. While KRS-One and Marley Marl may have founded the practice of taking issue with rival rappers, they always managed to keep it confined too their dope on plastic. Beefs never escaped the vinyl grooves and spilled out to the streets as they seem to do far too often nowadays. In fact, at the press conference announcing the pairing of the two legends, Marley Marl stated, "my reason for doing this is to show these kids that [hip-hop beefs] are not that serious."
While such a sentiment may prove to be a bit late for the likes of Biggie and Tupac, perhaps this collaboration can stem future violence. Maybe - just maybe - this album and the spirit it drives home will be the catalyst that kick starts the industry's interest and investment in the socially conscious intelligent lyricism and organic beats that once drove hip hop from the streets of Queens or South Bronx or wherever out to the suburbs and the prairies and the left coast beaches where it has lived and breathed ever since. Unfortunately, greed and violence seem to have infested too many corners of the genre and its consequent mutations have grown ugly and just downright mean.
If two of hip hop's legendary rivals can finally see eye-to-eye and produce an album of such depth and clarity, maybe others in the game can be inspired to do the same. It's wishful thinking to be sure, but what is there without hope?
KRS-One & Marley Marl
When: Wed., May 23, 7:30p.m.
How Much: $19-25
Where: World Café Live,
3025 Walnut St.
Info: 215-222-1400
www.worldcafelive.net
And so begins the stitching up of one of the greatest open wounds in hip-hop history. Forget about 50 and Cam'ron's schoolyard squabbles. Ignore, if you can, LL's dinky dust-up with Canibus. Hell, while we're on that topic, dismiss LL's old-school beef with Kool Moe Dee. The one that started it all, folks - all of this pointless posturing that has inexplicably escalated to senseless violence - was the original feud between KRS-One and Marley Marl.
After more than 20 years, it looks like the hatchet has officially been buried with the May 22 release of Hip-Hop Lives, the first-ever collaboration between KRS and Marley Marl. Wednesday night the two team up on the World Café Live stage, with Marl droppin' beats for KRS to lace with lyrics. The impeccable timing of this gig is reason alone for it to go down in the annals of hip-hop history. Add to that the fact that KRS and Marl are both legendary for their live performances and it's, like, WHOA!
For a brief history lesson, let's take the wayback machine to 1985 when Marley Marl and his Juice Crew jumped all over MC Shan's track The Bridge, in which Shan spits, "You love to hear the story again and again / of how it all got started way back then." As the song was about Shan's hometown of Queensbridge, NY, KRS-One mistakenly assumed that Shan and Marl's Juice Crew were implying that hip hop had its original roots dug in Queens. This infuriated the Bronx-bred KRS, who was absolutely adamant that hip hop's earliest days were spent in the South Bronx. Thus KRS-One and his Boogie Down Productions crew recorded and released the track South Bronx which was effectively a reprise of The Bridge but with the Bronx replacing Queensbridge as hip hop's birthplace.
Both crews would continue to trade jabs until 1987 when BDP's DJ, Scott La Rock, was fatally shot while attempting to calm a domestic dispute involving fellow BDP cohort D-Nice. Out of respect for La Rock, Marl toned down the attacks and essentially backed off for some time. After what was apparently deemed an appropriate mourning period, however, Shan turned up the heat again, taking several jabs at KRS in his 1989 track, Juice Crew Law. From that point on, the two waged war occasionally until both appeared together in a mid-1990s Sprite commercial, "battling" one another in a boxing ring for lyrical supremacy, thus essentially calling it quits on the bickering.
The beef between KRS and Marley Marl was not so easily quashed, however. While neither has received the attention of the Jay-Zs and Snoop Dogs of the genre for the better part of the past decade or so, both are highly regarded in hip-hop circles as innovators and originators of their respective crafts. KRS-One is often named as the greatest MC of all time and even those in the know who give that nod to the inimitable Rakim, still give KRS his props as representing the true essence of an MC. As for Marley Marl, his production skills are unrivaled even today - an admirable feat considering the advances in technology and astronomical increases in hip-hop production budgets since Marl's humble beginnings with the Juice Crew.
When the two rivals announced early last year that they would be collaborating on a full-length album, the impact on the hip-hop world was not unlike that of a lone raindrop hitting the Pacific Ocean. However, a few months prior when Jay-Z officially ended his feud with Nas by signing him to Def Jam Records, one might have thought that the hip-hop supernova had finally reached mass expansion. That's not to say that Jay and Nas didn't deserve the press but compared to the deafening silence that followed KRS and Marl's historic announcement, I daresay even Jay-Z was a bit embarrassed at the attention gap.
Public notice aside, the final product is certainly one that was well worth the wait. There's no denying that the majority of old-school hip-hop fans who still had KRS and Marl on their radar looked upon the prospect of the granddaddies of hip hop working together after 22 years with a healthy dose of skepticism. Following Public Enemy's recent attempts at mounting a comeback - not to mention Flava Flav's seemingly daily public displays of humiliation - warrant such trepidation regarding throwback returns.
Nonetheless, from the opening lines of the title track to the old-school house party vibe emitted by the closer, House of Hits, Hip Hop Lives comes through in spades and may very well re-establish both KRS and Marl as the mavens of rap they once were - but now in the eyes, minds and ears of a new generation of hip hoppers.
Considering the sad state of commercial hip hop these days, a return to the old ways certainly can't be a bad thing. While KRS-One and Marley Marl may have founded the practice of taking issue with rival rappers, they always managed to keep it confined too their dope on plastic. Beefs never escaped the vinyl grooves and spilled out to the streets as they seem to do far too often nowadays. In fact, at the press conference announcing the pairing of the two legends, Marley Marl stated, "my reason for doing this is to show these kids that [hip-hop beefs] are not that serious."
While such a sentiment may prove to be a bit late for the likes of Biggie and Tupac, perhaps this collaboration can stem future violence. Maybe - just maybe - this album and the spirit it drives home will be the catalyst that kick starts the industry's interest and investment in the socially conscious intelligent lyricism and organic beats that once drove hip hop from the streets of Queens or South Bronx or wherever out to the suburbs and the prairies and the left coast beaches where it has lived and breathed ever since. Unfortunately, greed and violence seem to have infested too many corners of the genre and its consequent mutations have grown ugly and just downright mean.
If two of hip hop's legendary rivals can finally see eye-to-eye and produce an album of such depth and clarity, maybe others in the game can be inspired to do the same. It's wishful thinking to be sure, but what is there without hope?
KRS-One & Marley Marl
When: Wed., May 23, 7:30p.m.
How Much: $19-25
Where: World Café Live,
3025 Walnut St.
Info: 215-222-1400
www.worldcafelive.net
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