KRS-One Rants and Raves About Nelly On Hot 97

On a sweltering NYC summer day the South Bronx's self-proclaimed "teacher," KRS-One, was spewing some of his own heat in the Hammerstein Ballroom. He berated rapper Nelly, Hip-Hop's magazines such as The Source, XXL and VIBE, as well as Universal Records; entities which, according to the blastmaster, have all contributed to the continual deterioration of this culture.

"He needs street credibility bad," KRS said, who wore a yellow shirt and khaki pants. "He knows it, Universal knows it and his management knows it. Battle KRS for street credibility. You know how much heart it takes to battle KRS? I respect Nelly's heart for that because I'm going to smash him against the wall like a mosquito."

The KRS/Nelly beef is one of a number of verbal quarrels that Hip-Hop has recently endured. Most of them (Jay-Z versus Nas, Nas versus Cormega) have been commonly viewed as equal competitors going head-to-head, but in this case, the public has often been found scratching their noggins. KRS continued to tarnish the St. Louis native's image, but with only the "facts."

"You selling 10 million records to a large white audience. But all you going to say on this record is 'f*ck 40 acres and a mule give me 40 acres and a pool,'" KRS said in disgust. "Disrespect Malcolm X, disrespect Martin Luther King . . . the lifetime work of Marcus Garvey (reparations) wiped out on a 10 million-selling album."

KRS proceeded in ridiculing Missouri's discarded son and his antics. From calling him a "f*cking idiot" to saying Funkmaster Flex and Hot 97 played themselves by letting him on air to rant. KRS was at his "arrogant" best.