Lawrence Christopher Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage name KRS-One is an American MC and producer. 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. Lawrence grew up in the Southview and Mott Haven neighborhoods of the South Bronx (A borough of New York City). As a teenager, he frequently accompanied the Hare Krishnas and was subsequently given the nick-name Krishna (also where the nick name Kris comes from).