![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() It was in this album where KRS defined himself as the “teacha” or “teacher” symbolizing his emphasis on educating his audience members and fans about relevant social issues surrounding the African-American experience. He went on to publish four more albums under the title of Boogie Down Productions, and each one was increasingly innovative and expanded from the thuggish imagery of Criminal Minded and began to explore themes like black-on-black crime, and black radicalism, using a riff on the words of, “by any means necessary”, which became the title of the second BDP album, and still remains as one of the most political hip-hop albums to date. La Rock’s death symbolized all of the injustices that BDP reacted to and lyrically described in their music, and thus inspired KRS-One, now the only original member left in the group, to become more passionate about the relevance of the message of BDP’s music. The music of BDP became significantly more politically astute after the death of disc jockey Scott La Rock, KRS-One’s mentor and partner. This conflicts with the general stigma surrounding gangsta rap, which thrives off of displaying messages of violence in such a way that it doesn’t challenge these social ills, but rather supports them through the culture of the music. This album art is not meant to advocate for violence but to challenge the conception of a criminal, to assert that those who are really criminally minded are those who hold power. This is not an encouragement of the violence described in BDP’s music, but rather a portrayal or hinting at the violence present in the South Bronx as a means of expression, escape, and even condemnation. For instance, the cover art of Criminal Minded displays the two artists in this group brandishing drawn guns and displaying other firearms. This misinterpretation or stigma is closely related to Boogie Down Productions and the general purpose behind their underlying themes of violence. ![]()
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