POP MUSIC REVIEW : A Rushed, Careless Set From KRS-One

If KRS-One is still the heart of hip-hop, then perhaps it’s time for a triple bypass.

The fiery Bronx-born rapper, who performed Tuesday at the Century Club in Century City, is possibly the only hip-hop artist whose 10-year career avoided any embarrassing artistic nose-dives. He was among the first to use rap as a means to attack and define social issues.

Live performances and powerful, political albums kept KRS-One, whose real name is Chris Parker, at the top of a genre that goes through its heroes ruthlessly fast.

But at the Century Club, he didn’t even show up until 1:30 a.m., a half-hour before the club was set to close. When he hit the stage 10 minutes later without explanation or apology for his tardiness, he blew through a medley of his greatest hits, performing a record nine songs in 12 minutes.

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And although everyone was there to see him, he allowed newcomers Channel Live to carry too much of his set.

Hey, Chris, remember back in ‘89, when you used to perform two hours of material so blisteringly hot, you left every other MC on the planet in your dust?

Well, times have changed and even though the club management let him perform for 40 minutes--20 minutes past closing--he hurried through such crowd favorites as “South Bronx” and “Black Cop,” only to perform a couple of new tracks full-length. “MCs Act Like They Don’t Know” and “Ah Yeah,” both off his upcoming album due out Oct. 10, reveal KRS-One is still a forceful lyricist and performer, but it simply wasn’t enough.

If this is what the future holds--and we hope it isn’t--just take the money and run, Chris, but don’t expect many of your longtime fans to follow.