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This article was written by the blastmaster himself, KRS-One

Well… after speaking with Nelly's management, and after consulting with a few other un-named sources, in addition to some hard contemplation of my own, as well as after reading many of the email responses and hearing some of the radio responses to Nelly's performance on the remix of “Roc The Mic”, I've come to the conclusion that a battle (or rather a response) to Nelly's comments may just be good for hip-hop after all. The last thing I wanted to do was look like I was using a battle with Nelly to somehow boost my career. However, my personal wants may be unimportant in the larger scheme of separating real hip-hop from fake hip-hop for future hip-hop historians.

I had put forth an ‘olive branch’ statement which Nelly and his management ignored! I had kept quiet as I could. Even though I am well prepared for any threat, I chose to practice restraint. His management and production team had even sent me some tracks for my Kristyle album (only later to take them back). Now I am wondering what makes Nelly think he can call me out like this? What made the staff of Universal, Roc-A-Fella or Def Jam Records think it was wise to allow Nelly to appear on such a remix and make such a statement? As I listen to Nelly's weak dis, and as I read some of these ignorant email responses, I constantly hear a repeated reference to KRS-One being “old” and “trying to make a comeback.” Many of these ill advised comments miss the whole point that I make when I suggest that we, as Hiphoppas, have an important responsibility to the future preservation of what we call hip-hop.

How long are we (Hiphoppas) going to sit quietly and allow these major recording institutions to validate what success is for our culture and way of life? How long are we going to allow rap music performers to participate in our cultural degradation and international humiliation? I'm not talking about what a rapper's video looks like or the content of rapper's song. I'm talking about the idea of an industry of rappers, deejays, music editors, radio programmers and television producers allowing cultural elders to be disrespected by newcomers when such disrespect breaks hip-hop's cultural continuity! Even if my critique of Nelly's image is debatable, where is the respect for my cultural seniority and acquired wisdom? Do I not know what I am talking about? Or are we at point in hip-hop where cultural contribution takes a back seat to record sales?

Normally, I would have just sat this on out. But as I think about it, there seems to be more at stake here than whether I am perceived as arrogant, contradictory, or trying to make a comeback. The lessons that must be taught to those recording corporations, doing business with Hip-Hop Kulture, is that they cannot think their artist can disrespect a cultural elder and not expect a fierce cultural retaliation! Nelly is only a symbol for rappers that are willing to trample over the achievements and developments of over 30 years of Hip-Hop Kulture! However, the real battle is with those major distributors of rap music that care little for the preservation of hip hop's culture and actually disrespect us as they exploit us! This is unacceptable! Nelly may perform in ignorance because he is new to the game, but someone knowledgeable of hip-hop's history should have fore-warned him. Unfortunately this did not happen, and as a result, he (and his distributor) will serve as an example to all recording corporations that allow such mistakes to occur.

It is of extreme importance that all true Hiphoppas concern themselves with the idea that being an elder, being a classic, being an adult being a longtime contributor to hip hop's continuity is not something to be looked down upon; but in fact, it is something to look up to. Such a status is something to look forward to. A community that respects only what is young and new, lacks even the wisdom to continue itself. It cannot even learn for its own past successes and failures because it does not respect the collective voice of its experienced leaders. Such a community is bound to continuously re-inventing its own wheel?never learning, never growing and never developing.

As I think about this whole thing, it becomes obvious to me that we shall all become elders of this or that one-day. That our children shall also be elders one day. But what if being an elder is not cool? What if being an adult is not cool? What if being wise and experienced is not respected by our children? Do we not then find ways to destroy ourselves at younger and younger ages? This is what Nelly's comments mean to me. They mean that, being an experienced elder (of cultural icon) means nothing if you have not sold a million of something for your employer. This message stunts the growth of hip-hop Kulture, because to be a Hiphoppa (in Nelly's opinion) you must act and live like you are forever 16 years old. In addition, it strips our youth of the motivation to contribute to out on-going cultural experience because in the end, no matter what there contribution has been it can be disregarded and wiped away by any platinum selling performer of the future. This too, is unacceptable!

As a result, I have launched several missiles designed to disrupt the idea of disrespecting the cultural icons that made it possible for others to artistically exist and prosper. Through a superior display of skill, I shall teach the rap industry a much needed lesson regarding who can and who cannot be disrespected. This battle shall not have a winner or a loser. This battle shall once and for all define what is real hip-hop as oppose to fake hip-hop. Deejays, editors, rappers, music executives and television hosts that continue to degrade Hip-Hop Kulture by exposing the public to an exclusively criminal, irresponsible and imbalanced image of Hip-hop Kulture shall bare the title of fake, and shall expose themselves as traitors in Hip Hop's history. Those that present hip-hop culture as a culture that is made up of many artistic styles, diverse ideas and multi-dimensional characteristics shall bare the title of real, and shall be forever remembered in hip hop's history as patriots in the cause of hip hop's cultural expansion.

Hip-Hop is not all about KRS-One. Hip-Hop is not all about Nelly. Hip-Hop includes a variety of styles. But presently, radio and television programmers as well as rap music and hip-hop editors refuse to acknowledge KRS-One's work, while steadily pushing Nelly (and similar styles) to the general public as authentic Hip-Hop culture. This is an act of fake Hip-hop simply because such presentations are imbalanced and one-sided. Real Hip-hop is not about one music production style, one rap style, one radio, and video play-list, one type of Hip-Hop image, one or two cute faces on ALL Hip-Hop magazine covers and one or two recording companies monopolizing the rap music market place! Hip-Hop is about originality, creativity, and a variety of talented people building upon the greatness of Hip-Hop's elements.

I do not care about what Nelly or anybody else's response shall be after I drop these bombs! However, do care about the free future of Hip-Hop Kulture. I do care about what future Hip-Hop historians shall say of our time. I refuse to sit quietly as ignorant rappers and non-caring music executives present Hip-Hop Kulture to the future as a bunch of mindless fools who squandered their temporary wealth and popularity on platinum jewelry with no response from its own cultural leadership. Remember… fifty years down the line you can start this/cause we'll be the old school artist/And even in time/I'll say rhyme/ a brand new style/ruthless and wild/running around spending money having fun/cause even then…I'M STILL NUMBER ONE!

KRS-One