27

WEDNESDAY

It would be easy to label KRS-One an aging hiphop blowhard if his stage presence had diminished as his commercial viability slid. The South Bronx’s enlightened rap bulldog, however, can still sling rhymes with majestic force and brutal honesty. At times, his 10th disc, Spiritual Minded, delivers mediocre rehashings of past lessons: Respect your body, develop your soul, remember your friends, and respect your mentors. And even at his artistic height, about a decade ago, KRS had the hit-and-miss creative rhythm of a populist newspaper columnist, so it’s probably unfair to expect an airtight funky treatise at this point. The self-made teacher still has his two most important assets, though: a dedication to making hiphop safe for political debate and a brand of hardheaded charisma that most rap rookies would be unable to sustain over an entire record, much less an entire career. He’ll prove it at 7:30 p.m. at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $20. (202) 393-0930. (JW)