On June 15, 2010, KRS-One released his 17th solo project, Back in the L.A.B. (Lyrical Ass Beating), which also happens to be his 23rd overall. The six-track EP features the production of Freddie Foxxx, DJ Kenny Parker, DJ JS1 and the Beatminerz. And according to his management, a full-length will be released this upcoming Fall!

In the final segment of AllHipHop’s exclusive four-part interview, hip-hop’s incomparable living legend reflects on the 20th Anniversary of “Self Destruction” and the obstacles he faces with the distribution of his pioneering book, The Gospel of Hip Hop.  If you’re just tuning-in, then be sure to check out Parts One, Two and Three.

AllHipHop.com:  One last thought, as we bring this interview to a close, I wanted to get some comments on “Self Destruction,” which celebrated in twentieth anniversary in 2009. When you look back on its creation and evolution in the public imagination, what is your lasting impression of that song?

KRS-One:  Oh, man, it’s funny you mention that. Jesse West is working on a mix and I came up with a song called “Self Construction,” which celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the Stop the Violence Movement. We did “Self Destruction,” the record you’re referring to, in 1989. And 2009 marks twenty years, so we we’re going to come out with a brand new song. It’s excellent, by the way. We have two versions of it, one called “Self Construction” and one called “Self Respect.” But the movement still exists. And it’s funny, what I learned when I first started with the Stop the Violence Movement in ’89, I thought that it was supposed to be a national movement where everybody was gathered in peace and in support of a stop the violence movement. Over twenty years I’ve learned now that that’s a fantasy. That’s not going to happen. Adults like violence, simple and plain. They like it, they want it, they need it. And we’re not giving it up so quickly. Plus, violence is natural. It’s a necessary part of nature. Nature is very violent, or it least appears that way to us, in that sense. Nature will burn down her own forests just to create a new one. Pregnancy and birth is violent. Self-defense, even, can be violent.

Having realized this, I realized that this movement cannot rely upon people. It cannot rest upon the trust of people. People are fickle. One minute they’re in, one minute they’re out. Most of the people on the record were there—they were there for their hearts, no doubt, but they did expect KRS to go ahead and lead the movement. And KRS never intended that or intended for that, so it kind of just waned. And one thing I’ll say is that I learned over twenty years the difference between being an artist and being an activist, and they are two different things. The people who shout positivity on records, they’ve got the red, black and green going, the dreadlocks, their women have the head-wrap with the long skirt and the backpack and it’s all black and we’re doing it and it’s all thug. And what I learned is really, honestly, I get more support from thugs, pimps, hoes, hustlers before I get the support of the so-called conscious, hip hop community or conscious urban community, neo-soul, whatever it’s called.

They’re afraid of what KRS is about or just plain critical of it, in that sense. But nonetheless, I don’t have an opinion either way. The job of the teacher is to teach. So it’s a shame. I mean, I hope that the so-called conscious hip hop community — and let me be specific — hip hop’s so-called conscious artists, I hope they read the Gospel of Hip Hop and at least glean some understanding from it, or hip hop from this perspective, and it helps them. But to be honest with you, based on the experiences that I’ve been having, it’s going to be the thugs that’s going to get this book first and start acting on it. And in a way, that’s probably how it should go down. But it will be a shame if we repeat again the same nonsense we do every time a philosopher, a prophet, a leader — any time that dude steps up to say, “Yo, we got a new way out of the ghetto. We’ve got a new way off the plantation.” It’s always those who think that somehow they’re going to be threatened or shown up, it always become a Cain and Abel kind of thing. “Why did God bless him and not me?”

AllHipHop.com:  Have you thought about distributing the book to schools or jail ministries?

KRS-One:  Yes, as a matter of fact, it’s difficult because the United States doesn’t allow spiritual materials to be taught in public schools. I’ve got to be really careful with where I teach this at, because of the separation of church and state. And I had this conversation with a teacher just the other day at a book signing, just about this very issue. How can you teach the Gospel of Hip Hop in a public school? You can’t. What we have to do is create a textbook from the tenants or principles of the Gospel of Hip Hop.

If you even want to teach the principles of the Gospel at all, keep this in mind: the principles of the Gospel of Hip Hop is just the truth. This truth can be taught, really, through any medium, as long as it’s hip hop. You can teach this through anything. If you were an architect, if you were into medicine, law, anything. The idea that we teach in the Gospel of Hip Hop is self-creation, that hip hop gives us the ability to self-create, and we go through a few of the techniques of that self-creation. That could be taught in any medium, really. There’s nothing unique about that. What’s unique is to apply hip hop logic to the logic of self-creation. A new kind of creative visualization. A new kind of way to notice God, in that sense.

For more information on KRS-One, visit his official website: http://www.krsoneinc.com/

In Part 1, Drake addressed a myriad of topics from critics to Rihanna, haters to Nicki Minaj, Thank Me Later to Lil Kim’s present beef. In Part 2, Drizzy is already thinking about the next move to further his career. He discusses his potential project with Lil Wayne, Young Money and a certain overused rap style. (Click here for Part 1)

AllHipHop.com:  So I gather that you are already working on your next album already.  Maybe Andre 3000, maybe a Wayne project.  What do you have on deck? 

Drake:  Well I have some time coming up, so I am already trying to figure out where in the world I am going to start this next album.  I have had some discussions with Oliver, who is my creative partner, I know the story I am going to tell, obviously since my story continues naturally but its just more like what is the approach we are going to take.   

Me and 40 (his producer and friend) had a long talk the other day about new sounds that we could use and new equipment we could by. I really do actually want to evolve this go around.  I think I understand what people like about me and I think I can see what the majority likes and I think it will be dope to focus on it then try some new things and see if they like that too.

But yea we are working on it.  Working on the second album, really trying to get the R&B out there and looking to see who is working on a project, who I can lend my talent to and working just waiting for Wayne to get out so we can make more music. 

AllHipHop.com:  Can you talk about the Wayne/Drake project, have you guys discussed it at length at all?  

Drake:  When I went out to see him at jail, he just expressed his mutual interest in making that happen.  I’ll tell you that some of my favorite songs I have ever done, most of the songs that I really like are with me and Wayne.  I just think that we have this dynamic, where its like we have two different and dynamic individuals, so the song is never boring, and its never repetitive.  Me and Wayne really do have two different things to talk about but we do it in a way that everyone loves so I think that project would be very beneficial.  I am excited to work on that because I am excited to compete with Wayne. When we get in the studio it is pleasantly competitive and when what he comes up with makes me realize that I have a lot of work to do. 

AllHipHop.com: How much do Young Money artists bounce off each other? I noticed you have similar inflections and cadences or rhyme patterns. I noticed this one thing that Nicki said, “It’s going down. Basement.”

Drake: Well, that flow has been killed by so many rappers. And, I never want to use that flow again in life. [Laughs] I wanted to take if off my album, because I was like, “I shut ‘em down. Onyx.” I hate the fact that that rhyme is still in there. To be honest, that flow, you can trace it back to like…I trace it back to Big Sean (artist on Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music). That’s the first guy I heard utilize that flow throughout the duration of a verse. I’ll give him that credit. I think Kanye got it from him. Me and Wayne found a dope way to do it. I don’t want to sound cocky, but the best way its been used was on “Forever.” Those lines just all individually make so much sense. They’re all punchlines. Then a bunch of rappers started doing it and using the most terrible references in the world. I don’t want to offend somebody…I hate that rappers picked that flow up. I wish they had left that for people that know how to use it. [They go like] “It’s a parade! MACY’S!”

At that point, you never want to use it.

AllHipHop.com: How hard it for you to appease this Young Money crowd and the commercial realm that you’ve managed to penetrate.

Drake: Well, those two to me are the same thing – Young Money and commercial. Its harder to please my “Comeback Season” / Cudi / J. Cole fans. Those are the people that I only please on songs like “9am In Dallas,” were I really get a chance to rap. Where I really get a chance to rap and rap my heart out – like no breaks.  That’s where I get to please those people. I choose beats that’s still sexy, still melodic, but I can say great raps on it and that appeals to both ends. It’s a toss up. I mean, some people are never gonna give you a break. I feel like I do a great job getting on commercial records and holding it down for lyricism. I spend a lot of time thinking my verses through. I never waste bars. I try to fill a verse. Even if you take the Alicia Keys verse from “Unthinkable,” its not a bunch of punchlines or the most impressive [verse], but I want to make sure that at every moment, I am saying something.  The way I measure it, even though I don’t go on there much, when people quote me on Twitter, that’s how I know I’ve done something right. Its like they are taking pieces of that verse and it means something to you. Its interesting to see what lines mean what to certain people.

AllHipHop.com: How come Nas wasn’t on the album? He’s somebody you admire a lot.

Drake: He was someone that I wanted to study from afar because I didn’t necessarily understand his style.  Nas’ rhyme scheme to me was always so complex so, sometime I realize that the way I am rapping is sort of the same way so I wanted to understand how someone else thinks and how they could not rap like me and Nas was just the best subject because its just so good and so complex.  I have talked to Nas about music, which will happen, just wanted to use him more as a reference point for this album than as a feature.

AllHipHop.com:  How has it been to thrive, I know a lot of times when a leader of a hip hop crew goes to jail, the rest of the crew suffers.  But you and Nicki have managed to thrive, what do you attribute that to? 

Drake:  I would attribute that to our leader being a fearless leader.  He doesn’t try to use his power to control us or change us in any way.  We have been summoned to make people love us for who we are and what we really want to be.

(Phone call is cut and Drake calls back shortly to pick up the conversation)

AllHipHop.com  You were talking about Wayne.

Drake: His approach with his artists is very trusting, very fearless, and because of that, we have been put out into the world like trying to make people love us for who we are on our own, without Wayne. So with Wayne gone, its possible for me and her (Nicki Minaj) to still thrive. I think that’s the best approach and I respect Wayne so much, because he urged us to be ourselves maybe in anticipation for the day that he’s not here. So we can still be ourselves without him. I don’t need Wayne to be Drake. I’m a better Drake when Wayne is here, but I don’t need Wayne to be Drake. Nicki doesn’t need Wayne to be Nicki.  She created Nicki [Minaj]. We’re all a better team when he’s here, but it’s not a necessity. For us, it’s a great thing so we can still carry this movement.