--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You are not doing hip hop; you ARE hip hop." description: "\"You are not doing hip hop; you ARE hip hop.\" — KRS-One" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b69/krs-one-2404_bboy_you-are-not-doing-hip-hop-you-are-hip-ho_1750842.png" --- # You are not doing hip hop; you ARE hip hop. ![“You are not doing hip hop; you ARE hip hop.” quote by KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b69/krs-one-2404_bboy_you-are-not-doing-hip-hop-you-are-hip-ho_1750842.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b69/krs-one-2404_bboy_you-are-not-doing-hip-hop-you-are-hip-ho_1750842.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b69/krs-one-2404_bboy_you-are-not-doing-hip-hop-you-are-hip-ho_1750842.png) > “You are not doing hip hop; you ARE hip hop.” [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Authenticity in hip hop comes from embodying its spirit, not merely performing it. **In simple terms:** Hip hop is about being, not just doing. Key Takeaway Live the culture you claim. Themes identity authenticity music culture Mood inspirational assertive Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - music creation - community events - personal branding - artistic projects Key Concepts hip hop ethos cultural expression Questions to Reflect On - What does authenticity mean to you? - How can you embody hip hop values daily? A Different Perspective May overlook technical skill development. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bboy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bboy/) [Dancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancer/) [Hip hop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hip-hop/) [Rapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rapper/) ## Related quotes > [The courage to be yourself is the essence of hip hop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/the-courage-to-be-yourself-is-the-essence-of-hip-hop/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [If I were to critique myself - step out of KRS objectively and look at him - I would say that KRS has introduced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/if-i-were-to-critique-myself-step-out-of-krs-objectively-and-look-at/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [If you really look at hip-hop dance, it's really a rites-of-passage thing. You never see the arms release down. They're always up in fighting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rennie-harris/if-you-really-look-at-hip-hop-dance-it-s-really-a-rites-of-passage/) Rennie Harris > [If you think too much about being original, you're gonna be stuck some day. The most stupid or easy movements can be dope; don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/menno-simons/if-you-think-too-much-about-being-original-you-re-gonna-be-stuck-some/) [Menno Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/menno-simons/) > [That's what's gonna make me come up with new stuff, if you get a good break or a good beat, you get a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxrite/that-s-what-s-gonna-make-me-come-up-with-new-stuff-if-you-get-a-good/) [Roxrite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxrite/) > [Don Cornelius did not want to see how I really danced - I was doing hip-hop, and it was foreign to people out in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-perez/don-cornelius-did-not-want-to-see-how-i-really-danced-i-was-doing-hip/) [Rosie Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-perez/) > [I have a duty to myself to do the best that I can do at anything that I'm doing. And right now Hip Hop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-dre-2/i-have-a-duty-to-myself-to-do-the-best-that-i-can-do-at-anything-that/) [Dr Dre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-dre-2/) > [I just don't think many people would have crossed the street to hear me doing a hip hop-influenced album!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/i-just-don-t-think-many-people-would-have-crossed-the-street-to-hear/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [I had danced with Janet Jackson and P. Diddy so I had done a bunch of hip hop. Really and truly my roots are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-dewan/i-had-danced-with-janet-jackson-and-p-diddy-so-i-had-done-a-bunch-of/) [Jenna Dewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-dewan/) > [I think hip hop allows us to talk about everything, and Africa is what I choose to talk about now. If people are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-hip-hop-allows-us-to-talk-about-everything-and-africa-is-what/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [Rev Run is a living legend of Hip-Hop, who's still making great music, but now he's also the dad to an amazing family, ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-disanto/rev-run-is-a-living-legend-of-hip-hop-who-s-still-making-great-music/) Tony DiSanto > [For me, growing up in hip-hop culture, it's all about having the next style, the new fashion, the new way to express yourself, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/el-p/for-me-growing-up-in-hip-hop-culture-it-s-all-about-having-the-next/) [El-P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/el-p/) > [Wherever I go, I bring the culture with me, so that they can understand that it's attainable. I didn't do it any other way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/wherever-i-go-i-bring-the-culture-with-me-so-that-they-can-understand/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [By the time you get into other kinds of music - R&B, country, or whatever - it becomes something that's romantic. It becomes something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-kweli/by-the-time-you-get-into-other-kinds-of-music-r-b-country-or-whatever/) [Talib Kweli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-kweli/) > [I've been writing songs since I was 10 years old and always had a penchant for rhyming. I started listening to hip hop through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-10-years-old-and-always-had-a/) [Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/) ## More by KRS-One > [If you don't know hip-hop, at least a little bit of it, you can't even call yourself an American.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/if-you-don-t-know-hip-hop-at-least-a-little-bit-of-it-you-can-t-even/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [It's not about a salary, it's all about reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/it-s-not-about-a-salary-it-s-all-about-reality/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [It's not that you don't make any money doing conscious rap music. You make a lot of money doing this, but if you're greedy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/it-s-not-that-you-don-t-make-any-money-doing-conscious-rap-music-you/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [Hip-hop is not about crime. Hip-hop is not about being a gangster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/hip-hop-is-not-about-crime-hip-hop-is-not-about-being-a-gangster/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [I break an emcee off proper Yo don't check me, Ask your Moms and Pops, Yo they respect me, But here you stand, tryin'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/i-break-an-emcee-off-proper-yo-don-t-check-me-ask-your-moms-and-pops/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [I mistakably paid respect and condolences to the wrong Beastie Boy member King Ad-Rock when it should have been MCA. In light of this,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/i-mistakably-paid-respect-and-condolences-to-the-wrong-beastie-boy/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [Maybe I'm the prophet of hip hop for real. Maybe I do come with some kind of divine principle behind me, because I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/maybe-i-m-the-prophet-of-hip-hop-for-real-maybe-i-do-come-with-some/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [“The God of your understanding, has chosen you and you've agreed To be here in this space and time to do something, that only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/the-god-of-your-understanding-has-chosen-you-and-you-ve-agreed-to-be/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [There is no forgiveness, justice, or healing on any level when hate is involved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/there-is-no-forgiveness-justice-or-healing-on-any-level-when-hate-is/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [I've enjoyed much success. The IRS is always at my door, constantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/i-ve-enjoyed-much-success-the-irs-is-always-at-my-door-constantly/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [When rap music needed to have a teacher, I became it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/when-rap-music-needed-to-have-a-teacher-i-became-it/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [You know something, it's best no to have what you need because then, you start looking for what you need and make it what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/you-know-something-it-s-best-no-to-have-what-you-need-because-then/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [I used to let the olde english 8- suds bubble in the last car of the Franklin Avenue shuttle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/i-used-to-let-the-olde-english-8-suds-bubble-in-the-last-car-of-the/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [I honestly now know that I'm the physical embodiment of hip-hop on earth. That's my only purpose here on earth is to keep the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/i-honestly-now-know-that-i-m-the-physical-embodiment-of-hip-hop-on/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [If I were to critique myself - step out of KRS objectively and look at him - I would say that KRS has introduced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/if-i-were-to-critique-myself-step-out-of-krs-objectively-and-look-at/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) [Explore all 168 KRS-One quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) ## More Bboy quotes > [That's what's gonna make me come up with new stuff, if you get a good break or a good beat, you get a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxrite/that-s-what-s-gonna-make-me-come-up-with-new-stuff-if-you-get-a-good/) [Roxrite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxrite/) > [If you think too much about being original, you're gonna be stuck some day. The most stupid or easy movements can be dope; don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/menno-simons/if-you-think-too-much-about-being-original-you-re-gonna-be-stuck-some/) [Menno Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/menno-simons/) > [People say they throwing a bboy jam but it is really a bboy competition, there's a difference! Call it the correct thing, please!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skeme/people-say-they-throwing-a-bboy-jam-but-it-is-really-a-bboy/) Skeme > [If you really look at hip-hop dance, it's really a rites-of-passage thing. You never see the arms release down. They're always up in fighting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rennie-harris/if-you-really-look-at-hip-hop-dance-it-s-really-a-rites-of-passage/) Rennie Harris > [The floor is milk, churn it and make it butter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crazy-legs/the-floor-is-milk-churn-it-and-make-it-butter/) Crazy Legs > [If haters hadn't made me angry and made me practice, I wouldn't have gotten this good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bebe/if-haters-hadn-t-made-me-angry-and-made-me-practice-i-wouldn-t-have/) Bebe > [I'm not gonna change my way of dance because I lost and the judge tells me I should do it a certain way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxrite/i-m-not-gonna-change-my-way-of-dance-because-i-lost-and-the-judge/) [Roxrite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxrite/) > [The one thing that can solve most of our problems is dancing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-brown/the-one-thing-that-can-solve-most-of-our-problems-is-dancing/) [James Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-brown/) > [Originality is when you mix two things that haven't been mixed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-marlboro/originality-is-when-you-mix-two-things-that-haven-t-been-mixed/) DJ Marlboro > [If you're not messing up every now and then at practice, you're not doing anything above your ability to progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crazy-legs/if-you-re-not-messing-up-every-now-and-then-at-practice-you-re-not/) Crazy Legs > [After an hour your power goes sour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frosty-freeze/after-an-hour-your-power-goes-sour/) Frosty Freeze > [Each individual cat got up and did his thing. It wasn't like today where they come down and put down some nice linoleum so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazzy-jay/each-individual-cat-got-up-and-did-his-thing-it-wasn-t-like-today/) Jazzy Jay > [You can't help but be creative, we all are unique beings and have a unique story to tell from different walks of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bebe/you-can-t-help-but-be-creative-we-all-are-unique-beings-and-have-a/) Bebe > [If you want to join the ranks of the people who changed the game, change yourself and the people around you as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bebe/if-you-want-to-join-the-ranks-of-the-people-who-changed-the-game/) Bebe [Browse all 15 Bboy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bboy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You are not doing hip hop; you ARE hip hop.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "KRS-One" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/you-are-not-doing-hip-hop-you-are-hip-hop/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bboy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/you-are-not-doing-hip-hop-you-are-hip-hop/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b69/krs-one-2404_bboy_you-are-not-doing-hip-hop-you-are-hip-ho_1750842.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b69/krs-one-2404_bboy_you-are-not-doing-hip-hop-you-are-hip-ho_1750842.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b69/krs-one-2404_bboy_you-are-not-doing-hip-hop-you-are-hip-ho_1750842.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You are not doing hip hop; you ARE hip hop.” — KRS-One", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "KRS-One", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You are not doing hip hop;...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/you-are-not-doing-hip-hop-you-are-hip-hop/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/you-are-not-doing-hip-hop-you-are-hip-hop/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```