Rapper: Blacks \'cheered when 9-11 happened\'

Rapper: Blacks \'cheered when 9-11 happened\'

Knight Ridder Newspapers
Oct. 14, 2004 03:08 PM

If Osama bin Laden ever buys a rap album, he\'ll probably start with a CD by KRS-One.

The hip-hop anarchist has declared his solidarity with al-Qaida by asserting that he and other African-Americans "cheered when 9-11 happened," reports the New York Daily News.

The rapper, real name Kris Parker, defiled the memory of those who died in the terrorist attacks as he spouted off at a recent New Yorker Festival panel discussion. advertisement  

"I say that proudly," the Boogie Down Productions founder went on, insisting that, before the attack, security guards kept Blacks out of the World Trade Center "because of the way we talk and dress.

"So when the planes hit the building, we were like, \'Mmmm - justice.\' "

The atrocity of 9-11 "doesn\'t affect us the hip-hop community," he said. "9-11 happened to them, not us," he added, explaining that by "them" he meant "the rich ... those who are oppressing us. RCA or BMG, Universal, the radio stations."

Parker also sneered at efforts by other rappers to get young people to vote.

"Voting in a corrupt society adds more corruption," he added. "America has to commit suicide if the world is to be a better place."

http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/1014krs14-ON.html

WTF?

jeez, I like KRS-One but when musicians or actors start spouting off about politics and won\'t shut up, stuff like this usually happens.

I wouldn\'t bunch all rappers into this pro-9/11 group but just as an aside remember this little fiasco of a rap album having to change their cover for it\'s November release:



:cursin:

I agee - entertainers should stick to what they do best.

By no means do I think all rappers share in this stupidity.

KRS-One is BEGGING for attention. He has been for years. He wants the average joe to know who he is and thinks that he should be the most famous rapper in the world because he is "best rapper in the world". He chalks up his relative anonymity to record labels who don\'t want to sign him and radio stations who don\'t want to play his music. He doesn\'t want to accept the fact that his music is now garbage and that it is not the world\'s fault he is past his prime.

Another note: KRS-One used to battle with Canibus. Canibus is also a rapper but some time after 9/11 he joined the army and became a cavalry scout/recon specialist. Maybe this will renew their old beef?

UPDATE:


KRS Replies To New York Daily News
By Nolan Strong
Date: 10/15/2004 8:57 am

KRS-One has hit back at the New York Daily News, after the newspaper ran an article that labeled him a “Hip-Hop Anarchist.”

In yesterday’s (October 14th) popular Rush & Malloy’s daily gossip column, the paper accused the Bronx bred rapper of defiling the memory of people who were killed in the 9/11 attacks on the United States at the New Yorker Festival, where KRS was a panelist.

The article also accused KRS of siding with Al Qaeda, the terror organization that is blamed for orchestrating the deadly attacks.

“Like everyone I was shocked to read that I and other African-Americans actually ‘cheered when 911 happened’ and that I have ‘declared my solidarity with Al Qaeda,’” KRS said in a statement. “When I read my words taken out of context I was shocked and disappointed that the Daily News would go this far to assassinate my character and distort my views.”

KRS called the piece irresponsible journalism and pointed out that the magazine never attempted to follow up or even interview him to clarify his statements.

“I was making an objective point about how many Hiphoppas as well as the oppressed peoples of the world felt that day,” KRS continued. “I am a philosopher and a critical thinker, I speak truth and I urge people to think critically about themselves and their environment. Yes, my words are strong. Yes, my views are controversial. But to call me a terrorist is simply wrong!”

KRS said that he never intended to disrespect the memories of those who lost their lives and said that he was making a statement.

“I was just as saddened as everyone else on 9/11,” he continued. “However, for many of us that were racially profiled and harassed by the World’s Trade Center’s security and the police patrolling that area as well as the thousands of American protesters that spoke out against the World Trade Organization months before in Seattle, Washington there was a sense of justice, a sense of change, a wake up call watching the twin towers fall.”

Read the KRS One’s full rebuttal here: http://www.allhiphop.com/editorial/?ID=218

[GmanJoe]

Never heard of him. Until now.

If anyone wanted to be controversial and become popular, alls they gotz to say is "Bacon is nasty."

Everyone loves bacon. Except terrorists.

Well Gman you haven\'t missed much.  He\'s a rapper that thinks he\'s much better than he is, as Black Sam said.

The only thing I know him from is that he did a vocal track on the R.E.M. song called "Radio Song."

I hate it when someone says they were quoted out of context, and then they don\'t bother to say what the correct context was.  At this point, as far as I am concerned, the question is "Did he or did he not say those words."  Since he didn\'t really change them or retract them, I suspect he DID say what the NY Daily News said.

And he\'s a dipshit.

I never really listened to him, but damn. Yeah KRS has always had a name more or less in the underground but i never knew he thought like this. I think what he said was pretty stupid but I can somewhat understand bassed on his reply. Im not saying im backing his statements but it lessened the blow of the quotes first stated (whether he replied to save face or not).

Its funny how THX posted that "The Coup" cover. I just realized that I listen to a lot of these anarchist hip hop groups. I dont think they are wonderful but if you browse my collection you\'ll find a few The Coup songs and Dead Prez etc.

Interesting.

KRS-one is just old and feels he wants some media attention again

must suck to have wasted all that money he made in the 80\'s

He\'s right, though. Blacks cheered. And, as I recall, leprechauns also danced in the rain.

-Dan

[clips]

Originally posted by GigaShadow
UPDATE:


KRS Replies To New York Daily News
By Nolan Strong
Date: 10/15/2004 8:57 am



“I was just as saddened as everyone else on 9/11,” he continued. “However, for many of us that were racially profiled and harassed by the World’s Trade Center’s security and the police patrolling that area as well as the thousands of American protesters that spoke out against the World Trade Organization months before in Seattle, Washington there was a sense of justice, a sense of change, a wake up call watching the twin towers fall.

i was about to put krs-1 on blast until i read this...he\'s explained why he made those statements..and in the late 80\'s to early 90\'s this cat was a strong positive voice for the black youth..in alot of his tracks he spoke of racisim in america and was speaking to the youth of the importance of education...i can relate to the racial profilling and harrasements of cops and i can see where some that have been racially profiled get some of this anger as if to say..."see you worrying about whether i have a valid license or if i stole this car, when you have other people in the world planning something that I or any of my friends could never do in this lifetime..ever"

i know for a fact that alot of blacks stated that when 911 happened it took alot of heat off of them for the time being as far as bein profiled..and it shifted focus to americans of arab decent...

I don\'t think his comments were that outrageous...

But maybe thats because ive heard people say similar things for the past year or so.

Originally posted by Deadly Hamster
I don\'t think his comments were that outrageous...

But maybe thats because ive heard people say similar things for the past year or so.

I just want to preserve this idiotic comment in a quote.

Now mike, why would you not think of that quote as outrageous? The guy basically said he\'s happy that 9/11 happened and that those people were bringing justice to the people who are racially profiled. How did that bring justice to the opressed people? How many of the thousands of innocent people who died that day were people who racially profiled people? This was completely obsurd. He\'s saying exactly how the terrorists who did it felt. I\'m not calling him a terorist because hes not, but he\'s really talking as if he was.



p.s. who said that?