KRS-One has called Hip Hop to task when it comes to the way in which the genre’s legends are celebrated.
In a new interview with Houston radio station 97.9 The Box published on Tuesday (September 3), The Teacher was asked to share his thoughts on the shocking death of Fatman Scoop.
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While giving the legendary New York City DJ his flowers, KRS-One also took the opportunity to call out the Hip Hop community for not celebrating its heroes while they are still alive to bask in and benefit from the praise.
“That energy should be on the radio,” the Bronx legend started. “It’s a shame that now that he’s passed that we’re talking about him in this way. Hip Hop gotta stop doing that. Like, only when dudes pass, that’s when they get honored and stuff like that. We shoulda been looking to Fatman Scoop when his career was blowin’ up. He never got played on no stations or nothing like that. Only DJs that knew would throw his music on.”
Asked to compare the way in which Hip Hop celebrates its pioneers and legends to the way in which other genres do it, KRS-One made it clear that he was not trying to have that conversation.
“Other genres suck, we don’t give a fuck about them,” he proclaimed. “Hip Hop runs shit, so fuck all these other genres really. Hip Hop runs this whole music industry. So if we don’t get it right with Hip Hop? I’m sorry Reggae, I’m sorry Jazz, I’m sorry Gospel, I’m sorry Rock: we’re not gonna get it together with nothing.”
He continued: “People always putting Hip Hop down, these other genres putting Hip Hop down, but we rising up! And that’s what I’m saying: these other genres, they can do that to their artists if they want; we don’t give a fuck about them.
“We can’t do that to our artists, okay? Fatman Scoop? That’s the way a Hip Hop DJ sounds. So dudes on the radio talkin’ about, they no. 1 for Hip Hop, you should take a listen to the real dude.”
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In addition to Fatman Scoop, who died after collapsing on stage on August 31, just this summer, the Hip Hop community has mourned the losses of legends DJ Polo and Chino XL; younger bona fide stars BeatKing and Rich Homie Quan; and up-and-coming artists Enchanting and Foolio.
