Why has BDP and KRS become so underrated?
- Thread starter Mike Wins
- Start date
I wouldn't say underrated. More like underappreciated.
Plankton
Superstar
It was downhill after KRS battled Nelly and lost. KRS had a rep for going after rappers and their careers never being the same again. And that all stopped when he went after Nelly. KRS wanted the people to boycott Nelly's 2nd album only for that album to be super successful. The people chose Nelly over KRS. That to me was the exact moment when the south officially started to take the game over. Prior to that KRS was having a descent little comeback after a hiatus. Dude threw everything away he was preaching on the Spiritual Minded to battle Nelly. The hype of "Ova Here" was the last song KRS had that was ripping thru the streets during the Mixtape era of the early 2000's. After that none of his projects captivated the streets like they did in the 90's ever again. A joint album with Buckshot didn't do it and neither did a joint album with Marly Marl. Only way KRS can make a force level project in 2025 is if it's a joint venture with Drake or Kendrick.
Most folks today, dont care about him or no damn BDP. Also KRS and his "I AM HIP HOP" mantra pushed alot of people away. Dude created a mandate for hip hop and was talking as if they gotta follow his "laws" or else which is weird when you have Melle Mel just flat out saying him and all these hip hop purists are full of shyt. Not to mention the Bambatta stuff that just confirms how batshyt crazy his "Book of Life(aka Hip Hop)" is.
That being said, I'm in my 20s but I got a love for the
era.
I remember when I first heard My Philosphy for the first time. I thought that was so dope that it took me down me down a rabbit hole to his inception. Found out he was homeless and got his fame from dissing big name rappers/crews. From that, I learned about the Bridge wars, Roxanne Shante, Marley Marl, Juice Crew. I thought dude was GOAT and probably still is. Rapping is effortless for him. He's like a prehistoric Black Thought with the concepts he comes up with. Dude could rap with anybody and NOT get washed.
That being said, I'm in my 20s but I got a love for the
era.I remember when I first heard My Philosphy for the first time. I thought that was so dope that it took me down me down a rabbit hole to his inception. Found out he was homeless and got his fame from dissing big name rappers/crews. From that, I learned about the Bridge wars, Roxanne Shante, Marley Marl, Juice Crew. I thought dude was GOAT and probably still is. Rapping is effortless for him. He's like a prehistoric Black Thought with the concepts he comes up with. Dude could rap with anybody and NOT get washed.
He’s older and his time has passed but the fact that he was able to stay relevant well into the late 90’s after Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, and others had fallen off in a mainstream sense is proof of his talent and force of personality. Only LL Cool J was able to stay more relevant and successful longer and he transitioned into the acting/Hollywood sphere while Krs never did.
He got a little too full of himself and the Nelly situation was…ill-advised but what rapper DOESN’T get a little full of themselves at some point, its basically a job requirement.
He can still rap his ass off, the last project he put out was really good. He still has his fanbase and he can go anywhere in the WORLD and “The Bridge Is Over” will get a Hip Hop crowd going. He’s done damn well for a rapper who, for the most part has stayed a “purist” with very few crossover attempts. He’s a legend who will be remembered forever. You talk about Hip Hop in the 80’s and the MC’s who brought lyricism to the forefront you gotta bring up Rakim and right after him you gotta bring up Tha Teacha.
Wish he never said that bullshyt about Bambatta though. Was hella out of pocket and just fukking wrong.
He got a little too full of himself and the Nelly situation was…ill-advised but what rapper DOESN’T get a little full of themselves at some point, its basically a job requirement.
He can still rap his ass off, the last project he put out was really good. He still has his fanbase and he can go anywhere in the WORLD and “The Bridge Is Over” will get a Hip Hop crowd going. He’s done damn well for a rapper who, for the most part has stayed a “purist” with very few crossover attempts. He’s a legend who will be remembered forever. You talk about Hip Hop in the 80’s and the MC’s who brought lyricism to the forefront you gotta bring up Rakim and right after him you gotta bring up Tha Teacha.
Wish he never said that bullshyt about Bambatta though. Was hella out of pocket and just fukking wrong.
Peter Parker
Superstar
The sound is dated, I never had an appreciation for that production style until I got older and became a fan/gained an appreciation of that time and aesthetic
side note: speaking of underrated, I heard Masta Ace for the first time today(he may have a feature on a major song I might not remember), and damn, I didn't know dude was this good, seen the name around forever and never really thought to check him out but im a fan rn
side note: speaking of underrated, I heard Masta Ace for the first time today(he may have a feature on a major song I might not remember), and damn, I didn't know dude was this good, seen the name around forever and never really thought to check him out but im a fan rn
Dissagree it's dated compared to other acts from that era that get more recognition today. Similar to EPMD. True, BDP sound don't directly resemble anything in popular hip hop in 2025. But plenty tracks considered classics from the mid-90s through early-00s that still get play now, they use the same samples BDP used 8-15 years earlier.
Awesome Wells
The Bobby Womack of Crack
KRS didn't lose anything to Nelly, lol.
That wasn't a battle. Nelly's a pop act. KRS had issues with him using his "#1" sh*t and he told people not to buy that Nellyville album, while Nelly was one of the biggest acts in music. Most of Nelly's fanbase wasn't Hip Hop fans, which Nelly admitted. So nobody was going to boycott the album. But this wasn't an MC battle where Nelly was barring up and crushed another MC. This was about culture against commerce.
If Rakim said in '88 that George Michael was wack and told people not to buy the Faith album, but people still went out and copped it, that wouldn't be Rakim losing the battle. HAHA! George Michael would have to come with some bars and actually battle for it to even be a thing. Nelly ain't got that kinda ammo.
Plankton
Superstar
That was a battle and KRS lost because the culture didn't side with KRS like he thought was going to happen. You're in denial but I'm not. I didn't want to see KRS take that L either but it happened.
They both threw bars at each other.
KRS had a whole campaign in an attempt to boycott Nellyville before it dropped. Dude was doing interviews and everything.
KRS dropped the Mix Tape album and lead off with the Nelly diss "Ova Here"
And Nelly responded and gave KRS a couple of lines on the Roc The Mic remix
I strike a nerve and old MC's wantin' a comeback
I got repsect but it's lost and that's a fact
Like
K, nooone here even said your name
R, You really feeling guilty bout something man
S, Sad to see you really just want just
One more hit please please!
You the first old man who should get a rapper's pension
(time stamped)
Lets be honest here. KRS made up that nonsense about Nelly's #1 being about him. KRS ran with it and thought the culture was going to follow suit. But that never happened. KRS once had a reputation where if he went at you, your career was pretty much finished. Hence Shan, Kool Rock Steady, X Clan and dude from PM Dawn. But we weren't in the early 90's anymore. KRS hold wasn't what it once was. At some point you have to ask "What was the point of KRS really going at Nelly?" And as time has revealed it was just KRS using Nelly to clout chase. The streets damn sure didn't just dismiss Nelly and side with KRS. "Hot In Here" and that "Dilemma" song with Kelly Rowland was everywhere. Air Force Ones was a hit. Pimp Juice became a popular term. Nelly killed KRS with success. KRS wanted a boycott and the culture said "fukk you we bumping Nelly." You're not going to dismiss Nelly as some pop act like he was N'Sync or Britney Spears, Nope. Hot In Here and Dilemna was heavy in the streets. No one gave a fukk about what KRS was talking about not even the streets, I live in NYC, KRS's city. I was right there. Nelly is not from NYC and his music was everywhere in '02. The streets did not stop fukking with Nelly. KRS's boycott was a failure while Nelly was super successful, that's why KRS lost.
And lets not forget that Nelly's diss was on Beans and Freeways song. That was a Rocafella co sign and KRS expressed on the Beef DVD how that gesture coulda made The Roc a target but KRS wasn't dumb enough to go there. Nelly giving KRS little jabs on a Rocafella song was genius because even if the bars were mild sauce it was a gesture that The hottest crew repping NYC and Philly was on Nellys side. And it also showed how Nelly wasn't taking it as serious so he just jumped on someone else's song to serve KRS. Nelly hopped on someone else's song while KRS is going all out and making whole albums and doing boycott campaigns. All that effort KRS did was for nothing.
And in the end, KRS tucked his tail in and linked up with Nelly a few years later on that second attempt at a Self Destruction part 2 with the song "Self Construction" that was yet another failure (IMO it was poorly executed, poorly promoted and the beat and hook was weak even tho the line up was dope). It came off as KRS was saying "If I can't beat'em, play it off in an attempt to do something positive and join'em."
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Awesome Wells
The Bobby Womack of Crack
I saw the culture siding with Kris because nobody took Nelly seriously.
The people who didn't listen to KRS weren't from the culture. Those were pop fans. That's why this wasn't a battle. Nelly wasn't Hip Hop. Most Hip Hop people said they didn't even understand why KRS was even bothering with someone like Nelly. That's like saying Tribe lost to Hammer because they dissed him and he said some sh*t back, but still went on to sell millions of records. That's not a battle, bro, lol.
One was way more popular than the other, and KRS not liking Nelly wasn't going to stop Nelly from selling mad records. That's the truth. But we can't pretend that this was KRS vs Shan or LL vs Moe Dee or some sh*t. That's a wild reach.
MajesticLion
Veteran
Whether or not you choose to see it, acknowledge it, appreciate it, understand it, know it, improve upon it...
The foundation is the foundation.
The foundation is the foundation.
Plankton
Superstar
You said "I saw the culture siding with Kris because nobody took Nelly seriously" while totally ignoring me just pointing out that The Roc gave Nelly a co sign by allowing Nelly to diss KRS on the Beans and Freeway song "Roc The Mic remix." A remix to a song that was very popular at the time. Meanwhile Kim O and Steph Lova were the only relevant figures of that time on that KRS Mix Tape album. The Roc, Beans and Freeway were the top dogs of the culture in '02. Yet here you are saying you saw the culture siding with KRS. Sounds like you are saying Kim O and Steph Lova were more of "The culture" then Rocafella as a crew.
We just gonna have to agree to disagree. I stand on everything I said.
Awesome Wells
The Bobby Womack of Crack
You said "I saw the culture siding with Kris because nobody took Nelly seriously" while totally ignoring me just pointing out that The Roc gave Nelly a co sign by allowing Nelly to diss KRS on the Beans and Freeway song "Roc The Mic remix." Meanwhile Kim O and Steph Lova were the only relevant figures of that time on that KRS Mix Tape album. The Roc, Beans and Freeway were the top dogs of the culture in '02. Yet here you are saying you saw the culture siding with KRS. Sounds like you are saying Kim O and Steph Lova were more of "The culture" then Rocafella as a crew.
We just gonna have to agree to disagree. I stand on everything I said.
Marley Marl was on the radio with Mobb Deep, speaking about the song. And he asked them, if they thought KRS "was in trouble". They said no because Nelly's not a Hip Hop artist. Marley said, "I don’t understand why he paid him any mind". A lot of MC's spoke about this back then. Nobody gave that sh*t any credence. We can't start rewriting history decades later.
I know you don’t like KRS. But nah, Nelly ain't no MC that people took seriously against one of the GOAT's because KRS couldn't stop him from going platinum mad times. LOL!!