KRS-One, a.k.a “The Teacha,” brought his brand of conscious hip hop to Original Mike’s in downtown Santa Ana Thursday night. The veteran artist, whose career began in the mid-’80s is distinguished not just for his longevity, but for the subject matter of his rhymes.

Click here for a photo slide show of fans and KRS-One’s performance.

KRS-One’s lyrics are more concerned with expounding upon the individual’s place in society and in the greater universe than which coast one represents. For decades, the majority of rap artists who have achieved mainstream recognition have done so speaking about nothing but endless partying, self-aggrandizement and public feuds with rivals.

One of the highlights of his performance came when the sound cut out accidentally (or by design?) and KRS-One improvised a lighning-quick polemic about 2012 and the Mayan Calendar before slowing down a bit and calmly stating, “The end of times for some, the beginning of times for us [hip hop culture].”

Photos and article by Daniel Yoshinari, for OrangeCounty.com.

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