By All Means Necessary

Accompanied by minimalist production and hard-hitting drum beats, KRS-One covers social issues that include government and police corruption, safe sex, government involvement in the drug trade, and violence in the hip hop community.

The album's cover art and title both make reference to Malcolm X. The cover, depicting KRS-One, references an iconic photograph of Malcolm X peering through a window while holding an M1 carbine rifle, and the title is a modification of Malcolm X's famous phrase "by any means necessary".^[3]

As of September 25, 1989, the album was certified gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America.^[4]

More information Review scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[5]
NME	9.9/10[6]
The Philadelphia Inquirer	[7]
RapReviews	9.5/10[8]
Record Mirror	5/5[9]
Rolling Stone	[10]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[11]
The Source	[12]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	8/10[13]
The Village Voice	B+[14]

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The album is widely seen as one of, if not the first, politically conscious efforts in hip-hop. AllMusic critic Steve Huey described the album as a landmark of political hip hop that's unfairly lost in the shadow of Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back.^[5] Anthony DeCurtis of Rolling Stone praised its social commentary and wrote, "Over irresistible beats provided by his BDP cohorts, KRS delivers the word on the drug trade, AIDS and violence—three forces that threaten to destroy minority communities."^[10]

In 1998, By All Means Necessary was included in The Source's "100 Best Albums" list.^[15]

In 2008, the single "My Philosophy"^[16] was ranked number 49 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.

• All songs were written, produced and performed by KRS-One.

• "My Philosophy" contains a sample from the Stanley Turrentine song "Sister Sanctified".
• "Ya Slippin'" contains an interpolation of the Deep Purple song "Smoke on the Water" and has the beat from "Poetry" from BDP's Criminal Minded.
• "Stop the Violence" contains the riddim from the Courtney Melody recording "This Sound a Dem Trouble".
• "Illegal Business" contains samples from the Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids recording "Creativity" and the Jefferson Starship recording "Rock Music".
• "Nervous" contains samples from the Rhythm Heritage recording "Sky's the Limit" and the War recording "Galaxy".
• "I'm Still #1" contains a sample from the All the People (featuring Robert Moore) recording "Cramp Your Style".
• "Part-Time Suckers" contains samples from the Smokey Robinson & the Miracles recording "Mickey's Monkey" and interpolation from Stevie Wonder's song "Part-Time Lover".
• "Jimmy" contains the basic rhythm from the Wings song "Let 'Em In" and a sample from the Sequence song "Funk You Up."

Album

Singles