By All Means Necessary was released a little under a year and a half after the masterful Criminal Minded. Criminal Minded was the portrait of young man, Lawrence “KRS-One” Parker, doing what he needed to survive on the streets of the South Bronx, accompanied by Scott “La Rock” Monroe Sterling, his DJ and mentor.
 
Meanwhile, By All Means Necessary presented a more focused KRS-One, an emcee who was ready to take on the police, the government, and protect hip-hop’s honor. Criminal Minded may be the slightly better album, but KRS-One built his career and legacy on By All Means Necessary.