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I have been a huge fan of the hip-hop artist KRS-ONE ever since I first hear 'Criminal Minded' way back in 1987. Here is a rapper who has NEVER been involved in any music that could be considered pop-friendly.

I got a pop friendly track with KRS-ONE -- Too Much Joy's Good Kill:

He also appeared in R.E.M.'s "Radio Song"-is that poppy enough? However, I like him, though I don't collect his records. At least he stayed true to his own ideas, just like Public Enemy did (and they did a pretty crap pop album too with "He Got Game"). And I don't think that Vedder and Cobain came from rich middle classes, or did they? It's just when "teen spirit" is in the air, the majority buys the records. During the history of pop music this spirit has been rock, heavy metal, disco and punk and rave. Then it become grunge, and that's it. And there are pretty much "unrecognised" but often namechecked artists (Thrill Kill Kult, Meat Beat Manifesto, Negativland, Throbbing Gristle) of whom the majority never heard of, but they do have a constant career and many people mention them in interviews. They were and still are onestep before the pop industry. Marylin Manson and Rammstein made their whole f***ing career out of just one Laibach album, "Jesus Christ Superstars". The Prodigy were a lame re-mix of Genaside II, just hear the Genaside remix of Prodigy's "Fire" and you'll know who is the originator and who has the power. Now the Prodges are well behind the "best rock band in the world" and can't do nothing. They'll never imitate GII's now-sound, because nobody would take them seriously. Or just see the trip-hop bandwagon. Just when Portishead stopped making music (I know they aren't disbanded), a miriad of imitators followed. Now Moloko went back to a kinda "intelligent disco" sound. Then, what was the whole thing about? It started as a new thing, but now it sounds like the Motown stuff! Brand new you're retro! _________________________________________________________________ Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail