Lawrence Krisna Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage name KRS-One, is an American rapper. Over his career, he has been known by several pseudonyms including "Kris Parker", "The Blastmaster", "The Teacha", and "The Philosopher". KRS-One is a significant figure in the hip hop community and is often credited by critics and other hip hop artists as epitomizing the "essence" of an MC and for being one of the greatest MC's to hold the mic.At the 2008 BET Awards, KRS-One was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, for all his work and effort towards the Stop the Violence Movement as well as the overall pioneering of hip-hop music and culture.