Lawrence Parker, better known as KRS-One, lived here at age 19 and met Scott Sterling, a social worker who also DJ'd under the name Scott LaRock. Together they formed several partnerships - Scott La Rock and the Celebrity Three, Boogie Down Crew, - before deciding on Boogie Down Productions. BDP's second single, "South Bronx," was a response to MC Shan's "The Bridge", kickstarted The Bridge Wars, which lasted several years and led to the experimental album Edutainment.

While living at shelters and park benches for 7 years, Lawrence Parker took a liking to the generosity of the Hare Krishnas and earned from other shelter residents the nickname Krisna, or Kris. The shortened KRS is his own graffiti tag, and the addition of "One" only happened after others started claiming his tag.