A Very Fine Effort, but read the fine print...

get this album, if ya can.. but---

as the liner notes reveal after you buy it, it should be known that the stuff on here is primarily songs that have been previously released, circa 1993 - present, either on:

Soundtrack
collaboration on another artist's album and/or single..
Mixtape freestyle/exclusive
alternate take, non-album version
Remix
White Label 12"
Maxi-Single B-Side

and, from the tracks that I recognize:
"As you already know" is really "SYMPHONY 2000", originally credited to Truck Turner, featuring KRS, Kool G & Big Pun.

"Hip Hop vs. Rap" has about 30 seconds clipped off the front end, first having appeared on the "Sound of Da Police" maxi-single..

"Intro/Digital" is the intro from Digital Underground's "WHO GOT THE GRAVY" LP; also, "Smilin' Faces" is from that album..

"Woop Woop!" is the SOUND OF DA POLICE remix, but it is the remix by DJ KENNY PARKER (the original version was produced by Showbiz)..

"OUTRO/I'll be back" is KRS' verse lifted from the SWAY & KING TECH "This or that" LP single..

On "FREE MUMIA" the lyrics are even more explicit than the album version.. KRS and Channel Live really go at colin powell, c delores tucker, jesse jackson..

It seems that some of the tracks were given different titles to avoid copyright hassles, as they all come from varying sources of original release..

All in all, this is not a bad LP to have. The dedicated KRS-One completist may have most these individual tracks in some format or other, but this makes a great convenient compilation. For casual fans, they will not be disappointed, especially if they also buy A RETROSPECTIVE (2000); but for the uninitiated, it is best to start with CRIMINAL MINDED (1987) and start moving forward..

Chinky

At times it is good, at times I'm ready for him to either out with Puff Daddy again, and or Lionel Richie.



KRS has been getting pretty since Return Of The Boom Bap. Of course he still manages to impress here and there, but as for this album...



...more crap than good.



I still prefer the KRS self titled CD over all.

Solid Release

This is a solid release of good street poetry peppered with flashes of brilliance by a very good lyricist. Although the liner notes say that some of these songs are re-mixes, I only found 4 out of 20 easily recognizable.

I think this album is well worth the money.