KRS-One - "Maximum Strength" (c7 version)

"Maximum Strength" was an album supposed to be released on Jive in 1999 to fullfill KRS-One's contractual obligations with the label. Only one single was released from the album, "5 Boroughs" with the B-side "Temple Tactics" and even ad's for the LP appeared in magazines like The Source. Kris also did several interviews about the album which he stated was completed but ultimately it ended up being shelved. Jive instead released the Greatest Hits compilation "A Retrospective", sporting the same cover that was seen in the "Maximum Strength" promo ads.

The album was finally supposed to be released independently in 2008 and was promoted with a new cover and the original tracklists; but once it came time for release in late '08 we got something completely different; 12 newly recorded songs. Several songs on the '99 album has surfaced on the net while some appeared on "The Sneak Attack" and "D.I.G.I.T.A.L.".

This lost album became somewhat of an obsession for me for a long period of time and eventually I managed to get my hands on ten of the songs from that tracklist and as the original album had 15 songs I added 5 additional tracks that was recorded around the same era and most likely was recorded for the album (for example the song "Aquarius" is produced by Showbiz and he was one of the producers on the LP according to interviews with Kris), but might have been scrapped before a tracklist was finalized.

This is a must download for any KRS-One fan, as I really took my time to find as much info as possible in form of Kris interviews, extensive search of his discography from that period and then worked extremely hard on the sequencinging to really make it sound like an actual album rather than a compilation. To me this was a worthy follow-up to "I Got Next" and a better album than "The Sneak Attack". Judge for yourself..

 01. "5 Boroughs" (Ft. Buckshot, Keith Murray, Cam'ron, Killah Priest, Redman, Vigilante, Bounty Killer, Prodigy & Rev. Run)

02. "For Example"

03. "Warning Shot (Clap 'Em)"

04. "Boogie Down (Better Run)" (Ft. Wyclef)

05. "Tell The Devil HA!"

06. "No Satisfaction"

07. "Protect Yourself (Ghetto Lifestyle)"

08. "I Will Make It" (OG Mix)

09. "Yeah Yeah Yeah" (Ft. Young Zee, Last Emperor & Channel Live)

10. "Bring it to the Cypher" (Ft. Truck Turner)

11. "Aquarius" (Ft. Courtney Terry)

12. "Let It Flow (Do What You Know)"

13. "No Wack DJ's"

14. "Temple Tactics"

15. "Purified (Acapella)"

KRS-One - "Maximum Strength" (1999)