After playin` the hell outta my "Return Of The Boom Bap" tape back in the day, ya best believe that I was super stoked when KRS-One dropped his self titled second solo album 9 days before my 15th birthday in 1995. I still hadn`t quite upgraded to a CD player at the time so I eventually copped the cassette thru one of those mail order tape/CD clubs, either Columbia House or BMG Music. I can`t really remember which, it`s been a long while since I`ve seen the tape, it`s still at my parents` crib in storage somewhere. I also played the fuck out of that "KRS-One" cassette, it`s a great album!!!
My only gripe with it is all them DaMn interludes in between most of the songs. I understand why they are included; either he needed an ego stroke or just wanted to show the listeners how Hip Hop he is by gettin` shout outs from many of Hip Hop`s key players. It all depends on how ya want to look at it. Either way, after hearing it once or twice you really don`t need to hear it again & again. Unfortunately for me since I had the tape the only way to skip the interludes was to hit the ol` fast forward button on my stereo`s tape deck or walkman. So once I had enough money saved up I made the upgrade & bought the CD...
Unfortu-FuCKiN-Ly you still have to skip the interludes on the CD version of the album. However it`s a little easier to do this time around, hit the skip/next track button. The interludes should have been separate tracks, but for some odd reason KRS intended for us to hear these shout outs upon every listen. Maybe it was Jive Records` choice to format the album like that, who knows for sure? Either way it`s not something that I particularly enjoy about the album! I just want to dive into the head noddin` Boom Bapp`N sounds whenever I throw it on. FuCK all these interludes!....LoL, so it was only fitting for me to put my HeRBaN DeLuXe touch on this KRS classic!!!
With this VeRSioN I didn`t have to adjust any of the volume on the songs, they were all at a decent level. I simply separated the previously mentioned shout outs/interludes from the songs & made them individual tracks. I did boost the volume on some of the interludes because I found them to be a little on the low side, also I decided to separate the lil` 'taggin` intro' that starts before "Out For Fame" & made it it`s own track so we can get right into the song. The "Outro" was simply separated from the end of "Health, Wealth, Self". The 3 bonus tracks come from a variety of sources; the "Rappaz R. N. Dainja [Kenny Parker Mix]" comes from a 12 Inch single, "The Truth [Original Version]" comes from some untitled KRS-One compilation that I found on my hard~drive (so unfortunately I have no clue where it truly came from, see what I did there?...LoL) & the "1-2 Pass It [Stretch Armstrong Rmx]" came from one of the members on the Philaflava T.R.O.Y. forum. Essentially this is the way that the album should have been formatted, my opinion of course. Enjoy...
With this VeRSioN I didn`t have to adjust any of the volume on the songs, they were all at a decent level. I simply separated the previously mentioned shout outs/interludes from the songs & made them individual tracks. I did boost the volume on some of the interludes because I found them to be a little on the low side, also I decided to separate the lil` 'taggin` intro' that starts before "Out For Fame" & made it it`s own track so we can get right into the song. The "Outro" was simply separated from the end of "Health, Wealth, Self". The 3 bonus tracks come from a variety of sources; the "Rappaz R. N. Dainja [Kenny Parker Mix]" comes from a 12 Inch single, "The Truth [Original Version]" comes from some untitled KRS-One compilation that I found on my hard~drive (so unfortunately I have no clue where it truly came from, see what I did there?...LoL) & the "1-2 Pass It [Stretch Armstrong Rmx]" came from one of the members on the Philaflava T.R.O.Y. forum. Essentially this is the way that the album should have been formatted, my opinion of course. Enjoy...
Label: Jive
Released: 2018
1. Intro
2. Rappaz R. N. Dainja
3. Interlude #1
4. Da Automatic {ft. Fat Joe}
5. MC`s Act Like They Don`t Know
6. Interlude #2
7. Ah Yeah!
8. R.E.A.L.I.T.Y.
9. Interlude #3
10. Free Mumia {ft. Channel Live}
11. Hold
12. Interlude #4
13. Wannabemceez {ft. Mad Lion}
14. Represent The Real Hip Hop {ft. Das EFX}
15. Interlude #5
16. The Truth
17. Rich Nice Speaks [Interlude #6]
18. Build Ya` Skillz {ft. Busta Rhymes}
19. Interlude #7
20. Taggin` Intro
21. Out For Fame
22. Squash All Beef
23. Interlude #8
24. Health, Wealth, Self
25. Outro
26. Rappaz R. N. Dainja [Kenny Parker Mix]
27. The Truth [Original Version]
28. 1-2 Pass It [Stretch Armstrong Rmx] {D&D All-Stars}
N`JoY...
