KRS-One

For his second solo album, KRS-One worked with a variety of younger hip-hop talents, perhaps in an attempt to resuscitate his street credibility and his commercial standing. Featuring appearances by Das EFX, Mad Lion, Fat Joe, and Channel Live, KRS-One is loaded with fresh talent of the first rank and they help spark the Teacher into giving an inspired performance. The album also showcases a bit fuller production than Return of the Boom Bap, but that doesn’t mean he has sold it out — it just means he’s continuing to experiment, which is one of the reasons KRS-One remained a vital artist nearly a decade after his first record. – Stephen Thomas Erlewine