KRS-One, born Lawrence Parker, is an American rapper, producer and writer from New York, first known as a founding member of Boogie Down Productions in the 1980s. His style blends East Coast hip-hop, hardcore rap and conscious rap, with lyrics focused on education, hip-hop culture, social inequality, politics and media criticism. With albums such as Criminal Minded with Boogie Down Productions, followed by solo records including Return of the Boom Bap and KRS-One, he became one of the most respected and influential figures in hip-hop history.