An Uneven Set From KRS-One

It seemed as if rap icon KRS-One had spent as much time preparing for his concert on Saturday at the Reseda Country Club as promoters did publicizing the event: hardly any. The Bronx native usually delivers one of hip-hop’s most electrifying stage shows, but he appeared to be improvising during far too much of his routine before a half-full house.

That’s not to say the 30-minute set was devoid of highlights. KRS-One rose to prominence when break-dancing was still a substantial component of rap shows, and on Saturday he allowed four of the dancers who accompanied him on stage to showcase their gravity-defying acrobatics during an adrenaline-raising rendition of his hyper “Step Into a World.”

While the politically charged rapper--one of the handful of rap artists able to maintain his stature for more than a decade--was ripping through classics such as “My Philosophy” and “The Bridge is Over,” he came off as a polished performer able to bring the crowd to a fever pitch. When he rapped off the top of his head about his surroundings and what members of the crowd were wearing, it became evident that his heart wasn’t into the show. His rhymes lacked the punch of his normally explosive performances.