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- Date Released: May 22, 2007
- Genre: Hip-Hop/R&B
- Style: Hip-Hop
- Label: KOCH Records
A hip-hop duo that will not go gently into this good night.
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We Say...
Few things provoke more nervous laughter in pop music than the announcement that a one-time visionary has crafted a “return-to-form” album. That’s mostly because the term gets grossly misapplied. By my count, each of Bowie’s last four albums has been a “return to form,” and ditto for Elvis Costello. And what about that Stooges “return to form” that came out earlier this year? And now we have Hip-Hop Lives, the long awaited collaboration between KRS-One and Marley Marl. So the big question: return to form?
Sorta. It starts with straight fire — the title track is tough and thumping, and at the 1:30 mark it becomes electrifying as KRS starts proposing, rapid-fire, a series of anagrams for ‘hip-hop.’ After that, though, the album’s energy dips, with KRS-One running through his resume (“I Was There”) and fumbling through an uncomfortable bit of Latin hip-hop (“Musika”). Then, just when it seems like the album is in a hopeless tailspin, it steadies itself: “Rising to the Top” is the pick hit, a terrifically antagonistic number built around a high-strung orchestra sample and lyrics that read like a Cliff’s Notes (‘Kris’ Notes, maybe?) to hip-hop history. It’s a short trip over to the ominous “Kill a Rapper,” where KRS outlines every unsolved hip-hop murder while Marley plinks away grimly on a dead key at the high end of the piano. The momentum from then on is maintained, KRS asserting his authority over Marl’s expert production.
Some outlets are calling the record “hectoring” and I guess I can see that — but if anyone has earned the right to a little sermonizing, it’s KRS-One. And for another thing, he’s bragging about his skill, and if Mims gets to prattle on and on about his ‘hot’ness without making anything like an actual point, why not allow KRS a few self-satisfied boasts? “I’m not old school or new school — I’m all school” he says near the record’s end, and for the first time in a while it sounds plausible.
It should also be noted that Hip-Hop Lives is something of a “record for the times.” Russell Simmons made headlines recently for openly questioning some of contemporary hip-hop’s tropes, and KRS seems to be of the same mind: “Hip and hop means intelligence springing up/ we singing - what?/ sickness, hatred, ignorance and poverty/ or health, love, awareness and wealth - follow me!” This kind of moralism tends to make me edgy (preachiness in pop is, for the most part, disastrous), but here it’s clear that the sentiment is coming from a place of genuine love. KRS delivers the line like a man watching the building he grew up in being razed. -
They Say...
After a 22-year grudge due to a disagreement over the birthplace of hip-hop, KRS-One and Marley Marl finally make amends onHip Hop Lives. Unfortunately, the album that could be a great return to the "edutainment" of BDP ultimately falls short because of its bland lyrical content. KRS-One is too preoccupied with two issues: one being that hip-hop will never die, and the other that he was a prominent hip-hop pioneer in his heyday. His bragging rights are certainly deserved, but instead of using his legendary status to propel hip-hop forward, or to tell interesting stories about the genre, KRS-One rants like a retired professor reciting his résumé while trying to prove that he once reigned supreme. When he's not reading a laundry list of all the major urban historical events that he attended, as on "I Was There"(which could have made for an interesting song with some background facts or lyrics that rhymed), he is professing his true love for hip-hop. He praises the genre, and he spits fire at the critics who claim that the art form is dying, but this album unfortunately doesn't do much in the way of revival. As a natural leader and sharp-minded activist, it's disappointing that KRS-One chose to harp on his status in history instead of embedding powerful social commentary within his rhymes, as he did on older songs like "2nd Quarter Free Throws." The sole purpose of this album seems to be to win over fans new to hip-hop, and that prospect is unlikely, even with Marley Marl's solid and current-sounding beats. Hopefully, the duo will team up again with a more engaging record that targets their core community -- fans who already know hip-hop's past and want to hear KRS-One spout thought-provoking rhymes again. [The CD was also released in a clean version with all profanity removed.]
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| 01. |
It's Alive (Intro) |
0:40 |
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| 02. |  |
Hip Hop Lives |
2:52 |
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| 03. | |
Nothing New |
3:16 |
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| 04. | |
I Was There |
3:47 |
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| 05. | |
Musika (Feat. Magic Juan) |
4:05 |
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| 06. | |
Rising To The Top |
3:29 |
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| 07. | |
Over 30 |
3:52 |
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| 08. | |
M.A.R.L.E.Y. (skit) |
1:30 |
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| 09. | |
Kill A Rapper |
2:56 |
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| 10. | |
The Teacha's Back |
3:41 |
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| 11. | |
The Victory (Feat. Blaq Poet) |
3:48 |
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| 12. | |
This Is What It Is |
3:52 |
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| 13. | |
All Skool |
4:05 |
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| 14. | |
House Of Hits (Feat. Chief Rocker Busy Bee) |
4:31 |
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14 Total Tracks, 46:24 Total Length
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Credits
- Marley Marl - Producer // Marley Marl - Engineer // Marley Marl - Executive Producer // Marley Marl - Mixing // Marley Marl - A&R // Paul Grosso - Creative Director // Drew Lavyne - Mastering // Rick Martin - Executive Producer // Rick Martin - A&R // Rick Martin - Management // Harold English - Engineer // Harold English - Mixing // Dee "Pitboss" Sonaram - Radio // Alyson Abbagnaro - A&R // Marleny Dominguez - Label Manager // Marleny Dominguez - Artist Relations // Shadow Stokes - Radio // Christian Mariano - Product Manager // Leonardo Harris "Lee" - Art Direction // Leonardo Harris "Lee" - Design // Sean Rock - Radio
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Performers
KRS-One // Marley Marl
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