What is the agenda of an artist? Be it with music, acting, directing, fashions, you name it, across the board, everything boils down to the impact they are making with their craft. Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone, or simply as KRS-One, has arguably been one of the most relevant voices in the history and preservation of Hip Hop culture. Being a part of the culture longer than I've been alive (which is 21 years) and still touring shows his devotion to the music. No, he isn't on MTV on a regular. No, he isn't on the couch with A.J. and Free (or their current incarnations). No, he doesn't have a new single blazing on Hot 97 or the newest P. Cutta mixtape. But, no, he doesn't give a shit.

CL Smooth certainly needs no introduction to true hip-hop fans. Starting in the early 1990s, his collaborations with fellow Mount Vernon, NY native Pete Rock are the stuff of legend. The combination of Pete’s jazz-based samples and CL’s persuasive baritone and timely lyrics, resulted in several masterpieces, including their best remembered song, They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.). After their working relationship soured, CL left the music business for just over a decade. He returns with the triumphant American Me, 17 tracks of fire, made by a man who understands that he is a part of history, but also has a lot more history to make.