Kathleen Kiley and Leroy Moore Jr.

Recorded September 3, 2021 Archived September 3, 2021 40:31 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id: mby021033

Description

Leroy Moore Jr. (53) is interviewed by his friend, Kathleen Kiley (59), about the process of co-creating Krip-Hop, a music collective and label for artists with disabilities. They discuss the importance of visibility for hip-hop musicians with disabilities and the work that Leroy Moore Jr. is doing now whilst working on a PhD at UCLA school of Anthropology.

Subject Log / Time Code

KK shares how she met LM and about some of the acolytes he’s gained over the years. She asks him to talk about where he is now and to speak about his work with Krip-Hop.
“We didn’t see ourselves in the music industry, we didn’t see ourselves in hip-hop,” LM says as he describes why he started Krip-Hop, a music collective for disabled music artists.
KK asks how likely it is for LM to build a platform for more musicians through his Krip-Hop Institute and partnerships with UCLA and Warner Music.
LM shares some of his history as a poet doing open mics. He also speaks on facing racism and ableism.
KK asks LM to share about how two of his Krip-Hop artists worked on music for a Paralympics documentary.
LM shares about the books he has written.
“I tell my nieces and nephews, you can be anything, but you can’t be a landlord and you can’t be a cop,” LM jokes as he reflects on an experience with a landlord.
LM shares his dream for the Krip-Hop Institute.

Participants

  • Kathleen Kiley
  • Leroy Moore Jr.

Initiatives


Transcript

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00:02 Leroy Moore.

00:06 I am 53 years old. Today's date is Friday, September 3rd 2021.

00:28 And we are good friends.

00:33 My name is Kathleen, Kiley, 59. And today's date is September 3rd 2021. Right now. I'm in Westport Connecticut. And I'm going to be having conversation interviewing and Leroy Moore Jr. And we've become good friends over the years.

00:57 Great, so we just Jump Right In.

01:07 You know just for people who don't I met Leroy gosh more than 15 years ago on a documentary project has Soulja and I've been following your career and your trials and tribulations and of late, you know, finally, you're a lot of you've had a lot of Accolade but it's been a long time coming with your disability rights work activism, your poetry. You are trying to elevate what and I let Leroy Pugh talk about this more about crip hop, what that is, but it's, it's I'm going to say it's, you know, black musicians with disability and because it's to break through the music industry.

01:52 Unless you're perfect. It's really hard, but you a couple of artists have recently run a couple Emmys, so I want to talk about that, but I just

02:04 Tell me where you are right now because you made a move from San Francisco to UCLA's. You got a full scholarship PhD.

02:13 And that's exciting. I mean, it's so tell me where you are now and what you're doing and we can talk about your criphop institute. There's just so much going on, but maybe tell me where you are and how you got there. I was in Berkeley, California for the last Seventeen years, since 2001 and we'll just seven Sisco, New York.

02:55 Valentine's I do is against police brutality and guards all hip hop on the corner. You boys got the bling, bling.

03:15 Lilia hardrocker.

03:28 I didn't control and call myself and I saw like, like to see what was Michigan's. You don't even Blues are. So I realized that today.

04:03 A problem has been around for 14 years by South Jones and do it later. See you again when the results of last year's UCLA Facebook, message.

04:48 If you're doing this hip-hop book.

04:59 Leroy, when you take criphop for those if I mean we've had so many conversations over the year. I know what it means. He'll and that means artist, musician, born with a disability, correct? And then your platform is to try to elevate.

05:20 Very kind of largely unknown group of artists and actually do look historically. Many of the black musicians and artists.

05:32 I have had disabilities. We just don't we just don't know it. When are you going music?

05:59 Are you there at the end of his life? Indians Curtis Mayfield.

06:19 So you guys are, it's why we're probably still wrong. It's going on today. With the words. Are you enjoying your day calls?

06:53 Yeah, I hear you. Think about doing it to you. It's like now I'm just doing the work.

07:02 Erie had a PhD in any way, you know, it could be a free ride.

07:24 You know, I feel really, really help with that Professor GRE.

07:46 It's it's a prayer and nobody should ever cheat day.

07:51 Reese's classes. You sister. Now today. I'm sitting in my kitchen in LA on the studio apartment housing.

08:13 Here we go, with which is which is great because you just as a sign that you had a lot of problem with housing in San Francisco and Aquino and you've been very vocal about saying I've done all this on SSI, you know, which is not a lot of money and globally around the world. I mean, I've been watching you, you know, you know from

09:10 Tapping into musicians in Africa and incredible music. So it's amazing. And from what I know. This is the only platform where you are elevating musicians with this ability to say, primarily black musicians, correct? Just. As soon as I mean, you are all colors. Do you know?

09:53 Experience.

10:06 How how, how first of all the major you gotten this far. And I know you've had conversation with industry people that can possibly make changes and I don't know if you can talk about that. I mean, you know taking you this long, how realistic is or how helpful are you that you will be able to make like a platform, New York hip hop Institute UCLA and to actually get more artists into mainstream with disability.

10:44 Harold. Zeigler see Susan I just popped up so we were just involved with the Grammys in the music recording industry. Where are the pianos in diversity?

11:15 One of the live TV started with car G.

11:23 Advantage song.

11:33 Double panel.

11:39 You only Grammys music industry recently, Warner music group. Is that new? We're really that you.

12:26 Because it has, I think we talked about this before. It's everything has been manufactured Perfection, and that's just it's just, you know, where the industry or any industry is at the image of her industry is

12:42 You know, Park protection, beautiful body, you know, so I think that can you talk a little bit more about that if you want.

12:51 Joe partnership, I mean we're eating right now around music and disability in your keys. And I are on the call with them and we stress that this is more than a lot cheaper than the box. And so I mean, you're not, you know, we have a lot of lip service out there, but you're going to call them out and like wait a minute. This has to be more than just a panel discussion, right?

13:51 I seen all the diversity and

13:56 I really doesn't lead to nothing. But if you don't want, if you don't make it to Paris and you going to get a program of your organization long-term program.

14:19 No meeting and they initiate. Yeah, you are. So that's that's the first one I can only. You know, you don't hear nothing.

14:54 So say, you know of your many artists, you've come across and say of, you know, how do people get get. You know, I guess you're building is platform. How would I get like involved and how can I show you? Their, their music social networks to give me a call, so we can do all kinds of social networks. Are the artists from Brazil.

15:50 You know, all the exposure in the US on my also do work for magazine so I can play this music on the radio song.

16:07 Moore promotions in the UK twice in Toronto.

16:41 Mystique, Heather.

16:45 Chuck, you mention poor magazine and that was such a hat is and has been such a part of your activism and poetry and ride and you and Tiny providing a platform.

17:03 For he know people who I'm going to say from the poor community and to educate and provide them Artistry and give them boys. Can you talk a little bit more about that? How that's influence where you are today?

17:20 Yeah, I drink one magazine in the 90s 1996 on 18 birthday cuz I'm appointing back then Open. Mic was hot. So yeah, I was getting all Steve's in tiny and her mother.

17:49 The Rest In Pieces, where they are.

18:02 I was like, yeah.

18:05 So, I've been laying its call home last.

18:10 1516 years old, the first column on the internet was just cheating on. It's so funny how things come full circle.

18:41 I think we are and when you talk about race and disability, we've had, there's been a lot of conversations and every time I came up, when you were interviewed in New York Times and where are we with that? It's just things have changed. But not obviously not enough black and bronze.

19:09 Yeah, I mean we still have the highest unemployment rate, 90% of black and brown and we still have a cold right into special education. So yeah, Americans with disability.

19:56 Going to slice this job. I was invited to be on a panel about the Paralympics words. Apply for me.

20:25 And we got on and I was listed as a listener as a host. So we reach out to call goli. Coupon deal with,

21:03 Racism racism, because you never got the Masters and overcoming our are so awesome.

21:43 That's really that, you know, that. And this is not a defensive, but you call yourself. If I'm going to get this right, black man with a big mouth. Is that right?

21:54 Why do they do a little bit?

22:05 And that is surgery. What? I think, yes.

22:15 Tell me about your to your artist trip. Hop artists have one. They got two Emmys for a recent movie about the para Olympics.

22:30 That was, that was huge. And this was American Musical supplies in Virginia, or reach out to me is the director of this movie.

23:07 As I called. So I introduced Daniel to

23:21 Tragic Dunham & Jones. All three.

23:34 Song. No one in Jimmy Choo.

23:45 That's made it talk about. But I know you were both from the same state, Connecticut and your parents are. Your parents are activist. Yes. I'm on vacation and being twins.

24:18 Yo, awkward, Services United. True you be going to the prayer?

24:36 Disabled Sports met my mentor.

24:52 Greg Beverly Jackson. See what is a zebra sound like

25:15 Wow, so here you are. You started Connecticut activism.

25:22 You sound like you're starting to your artists are winning Awards. Now. Also you have poetry books and you know illustrations. Can you talk about that? Which also kind of talks about what we've been talking about?

25:38 Yeah, I was on my first or to breakfast 1990 leaving. Going to hide you for magazine to live in the Bay Area.

26:16 Was another coach she was?

26:25 News on black to see with our history 101 and Isaac music.

26:48 Buy comic books.

27:06 Black disabled ancestors.

27:09 United magazine stories of coming back to life to today, into the u.s.

27:29 Play Jim Crow, a real person. So just call in Puerto Rican back to buy. A me. Downtown Oakland.

28:04 The Outsiders City Hall in a talk about what?

28:23 Your voice to listen to now. So they don't think that the Super Bowl that the ancestors and don't know why.

28:48 What makes you whole filet mean? If I'd asked you this, I mean

28:54 Over the years, I've interviewed Leroy say for having and post. And we talked about the pipeline of

29:04 Kids disabled kids students going directly to jail, and I'm even very vocal about that. Police brutality. Excetera. What what makes you whole. You that five years ago? I don't know.

29:20 You know, what would you say? And are you more helpful now?

29:25 I see my niece and nephew. I see that the other day when you were really holding onto I work now, so that is a size that that is that

30:04 Disability platform, which is good and you give me the Congress. How many decades and you just woke up.

30:41 We have so much so much, so much work to do, So you're saying all this work. I think people might see all this great stuff which is happening to Leroy witches.

31:04 Begin a long time, and, you know, and so what you're saying is, you have to be in the trenches. It just, you have to participate. You have to act even though it may seem rather daunting and hopeless. I mean, your your, your career, and where you are now and your work is just a testament to

31:26 And I and I seen you on days where it's like, I think sleeping in a bathtub because you had bed bugs in Europe.

31:41 Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I mean, you know, they don't give me any way you can we

32:01 So yeah, I know we finally do it before your teeth. Always Anthony.

32:39 No, I was going to go in and I do understand your 50s.

33:05 Change The Arcanist stories change. Hopefully, yes, we are leaving now, but he is not only the parts department. Do you still have to deal with it?

33:38 So it's now only about us. This is what we deal with did Tina, Fey, child, surround disability, and we can countries really enforce these laws in lakes and forests. So should we look good on paper?

34:18 Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

34:23 All about appearances, which is what we are trying to break through.

34:30 Our perceptions. It sounds like of an 11 year old is Salinas in institutional stamp. So do you want to leave the artist Career Institute?

34:53 Where are you going to be busy or artist Gallery with a free t-shirt? I want to quit. It was so exciting about that.

35:46 Is 4 years old today. Are you doing Siri? You're doing that song UCLA with doing everything is?

36:19 I think you should have Warner Brothers fund it when that be great.

36:25 Is that a good looking? What you really want? Really? Because on the Ford Explorer Of The Seas on the walls, so childish can talk to each other equal to really argue with us to do this because

37:24 Oh my God, it's so cheap. If I can only like $5,000.

37:35 Ambassador.

37:55 Age policy group. So he's easy. Ambassadors on YouTube. Disability into International. So we're we're using 9, I mean Facebook crib. I need Siri and Google me.

38:40 Yeah, and you know, you email me, female, black female, you're around at, we're so lucky that you're around because you made so much happen. It seems like a lifetime, but, you know, sometimes it takes a lifetime to make these huge changes and how lucky how lucky I am to have met you. It was my own work and how lucky that I stayed in contact. So, you know, I can let you know, I can report on your so we can have these conversations and, you know, I want to thank story corpse for allowing us to

39:26 For this platform because it's, it's such a great registering and just so I want to thank them to Rob annoys Temple, scholarship, 3 minutes. The ride to Norwich technical scholarship. Disabled.

39:57 Just don't want to become musicians.

40:13 We think Leroy 90's party words. Are we done?

40:23 Thank you.