KRS-One – It Is What It Is (Feat. Fabolous & Cassidy)

Here’s an overview of the music video for It Is What It Is by KRS‑One featuring Fabolous & Cassidy, along with some thoughts on themes, style and context. While exact credits for the director and production details are sparse in my sources, it aligns with KRS-One’s late-2000s era of output.

🖼 Visual style & setting

• The video features each rapper — KRS-One, Fabolous and Cassidy — in a number of performance-set shots: standing, moving, delivering lyrics directly to camera, often with minimal distractions.

• There is a strong “old-school hip-hop” aesthetic: simple backgrounds, dark/neutral lighting, occasional cityscape or studio elements, giving emphasis to the lyricism rather than flashy production.

• Cuts between each rapper’s verse highlight their individual styles, while maintaining a visual cohesion (e.g., similar colour tones, handheld vs stable camera work).

• The video avoids heavy narrative storylines; rather it is performance-driven, focusing on the rappers themselves and the message of the track.

🎤 Lyrical & thematic highlights

• The chorus/intro emphasises “This is what it is … we gon’ flow with you … you know it’s true, hip-hop” — signalling a declaration of what hip-hop means and what the artists stand for.

• KRS-One’s verse (as available in lyric sources) critiques false notions of what being hip-hop is, pushes for community, culture, and truth:

  “A man once said that the streets are watchin’ us … we must keep hip-hop in us … They’ll never topple us …”

• Themes: authenticity vs superficiality, the legacy of hip-hop, the role of MCs, staying true to the roots.

• By featuring Fabolous & Cassidy, the video also bridges multiple generations in hip-hop: veteran (KRS) + mainstream (Fabolous) + lyrical (Cassidy). The visual style reinforces this unity.

🔍 Interpretation & significance

• KRS-One has long been a voice for “hip-hop culture” rather than just commercial rap, and this video continues that narrative.

• The minimalistic video production emphasises that the message and lyricism take priority. It’s less about spectacle and more about substance.

• The collaboration suggests a passing of the torch, or at least a recognition of the continuum of hip-hop.

• Visually and thematically, the video can be seen as a call-back to early 90s boom-bap style — which aligns with KRS’s roots — yet with enough polish to fit the late-2000s market.

✅ Why to watch it

• If you’re a fan of lyricism and hip-hop culture, this video gives you a raw, focused feel rather than overproduced.

• Good for seeing how hip-hop veterans collaborate with slightly younger peers while maintaining credibility.

• A solid example of how a performance video can communicate culture, attitude and message without relying on heavy narrative.