Boots Riley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Boots Riley
|
|
|---|---|
Riley in 2010
|
|
| Born |
Raymond Lawrence Riley
April 1, 1971 |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Labels | |
Raymond Lawrence "Boots" Riley (born April 1, 1971) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, rapper, and activist. He is well-known as the lead singer for the music groups The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club. Boots Riley directed his first movie, Sorry to Bother You, which came out in July 2018. He also wrote the story for this film. In 2023, his TV show I'm a Virgo was released, which he also wrote and directed.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Boots Riley was born in 1971 in Chicago. His family was very involved in working for social justice and fairness. His father, Walter Riley, was an African-American lawyer. His mother, Anitra Patterson, had an African-American father and a Jewish mother. Boots' grandmother came to the U.S. as a teenager in 1938, fleeing Europe with her family.
When Boots was one year old, his family moved to Detroit. Later, when he was six, they moved to Oakland, California. He went to Oakland High School there. In the 1980s, his school faced money problems. Boots and his friends helped organize a protest where 2,000 out of 2,200 students walked out of class. From a young age, Boots was interested in politics. He joined the International Committee Against Racism when he was 14.
Music Career
Boots Riley is famous for his music. He has been involved in several groups and projects.
The Coup
In 1991, Boots Riley started a political hip hop group called The Coup with his friend E-roc. Their DJ, Pam the Funkstress, joined them the next year. Boots Riley wrote most of the lyrics and produced the music for The Coup's albums.
In 1992, The Coup signed with Wild Pitch Records/EMI. They released their first album, Kill My Landlord, in 1993. Two songs from the album, "Dig It" and "Not Yet Free," were played on national Black radio and TV shows.
In 1994, The Coup released their second album, Genocide & Juice. This album included guest artists like E-40. The album became popular, but its success slowed down when EMI took over Wild Pitch Records. After this, E-roc left the group.
Their 1998 album, Steal This Album, was released on an independent label. Rolling Stone magazine called it "a masterpiece." This album also inspired a novel called Too Beautiful for Words.
The group's fourth album, Party Music, came out in 2001. The original album cover showed the group in front of the Twin Towers as they exploded. This picture was taken in May 2001, before the September 11, 2001 attacks. Because the cover looked so much like the real attacks, the album release was delayed. A new cover was made. The album was later named "Pop Album of the Year" by The Washington Post.
Boots Riley released a statement on September 18, 2001, about the attacks. This statement and the album's lyrics caused some controversy. Riley appeared on TV shows to discuss his views.
In 2006, The Coup released Pick a Bigger Weapon. This album featured other famous musicians like Tom Morello and Talib Kweli.
Working with Tom Morello
In 2003, guitarist Tom Morello asked Boots Riley to join a tour called "Tell Us the Truth Tour." This tour aimed to raise awareness about media control.
In 2006, Morello asked Riley to form a new band. They called themselves Street Sweeper Social Club. Their first album came out in 2009. They toured with popular bands like Nine Inch Nails. In 2010, they released The Ghetto Blaster EP.
Other Music Projects
In 1991, Boots Riley and other activists started the Mau Mau Rhythm Collective. This group put on "Hip-Hop Edutainment Concerts." These concerts supported community groups working on issues like women's economic rights and police accountability. The Collective used their concerts to bring young people to local government meetings to speak out.
In 2005, Riley created the music for an episode of The Simpsons called "Pranksta Rap".
From 2007 to 2008, Riley toured with the New Orleans band Galactic. They performed songs from The Coup and their own collaboration, "Hustle Up." In 2008, a concert with Galactic was stopped by police. Riley was charged with using "abusive language," which was a very rare charge.
Film and Television Career
In 2012, Boots Riley finished writing a movie script. It was a dark comedy with elements of magical realism and science fiction. The story was inspired by his own experiences working as a telemarketer.
In 2017, he began making his movie, Sorry to Bother You, and directed it himself. The film starred Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, and Steven Yeun. It first showed at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival in January 2018. It was released in theaters in July 2018. The movie received praise for its cast, unique ideas, and Riley's writing and directing.
In July 2018, Riley signed a deal to create TV shows. In June 2020, he announced a new seven-episode series called I'm a Virgo, starring Jharrel Jerome. The show premiered in March 2023 and was released on Amazon Prime Video in June 2023.
Activism and Social Work
Boots Riley is a strong activist. He believes in communism, which is a political idea about how society should be organized.
After E-Roc left The Coup in 1994, Riley took a break from music. He formed an organization called The Young Comrades with other activists. This group worked on campaigns in Oakland and had some small successes.
In 2000, Riley led a group of young artists to create "Guerilla Hip-Hop Concerts." These concerts were held on a flatbed truck that traveled around Oakland. They protested against a California law called Proposition 21. His group also gave out free music tapes that he called "newspapers on tape."
In 2002, Riley taught a high school class in East Oakland. The class was called "Culture and Resistance: Persuasive Lyric Writing."
In 2011, Riley became very involved with the Occupy Oakland movement. This was a protest movement about economic inequality. In 2018, he spoke at a conference about socialism.
At an awards show in 2019, Boots Riley spoke out about the U.S. involvement in the 2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis. He gave his full speech to the press after it was cut short during the live broadcast.
In 2020, Boots Riley supported Bernie Sanders for president.
Riley also supports Palestinian liberation. In 2022, he signed a pledge with "Musicians For Palestine." This meant he would not perform in Israel. In October 2023, he signed an open letter called "Artists4Ceasefire." This letter asked for a ceasefire during the conflict in Gaza.
Discography
Group Albums
The Coup
- Kill My Landlord (1993)
- Genocide & Juice (1994)
- Steal This Album (1998)
- Party Music (2001)
- Pick a Bigger Weapon (2006)
- Sorry to Bother You (2012)
- Sorry to Bother You: The Soundtrack (2018)
Street Sweeper Social Club
- Street Sweeper Social Club (2009)
Guest Appearances
- 2007 – "Hustle Up" from From the Corner to the Block by Galactic
- 2009 – "Soledad" from Este Mundo by Rupa & the April Fishes
- 2011 – "Black Flags" by Atari Teenage Riot
- 2014 – "Black Is Beltza" by Fermin Muguruza
Filmography
Movies
| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Sorry to Bother You | Yes | Yes |
| TBA | I Love Boosters | Yes | Yes |
Television Shows
| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | I'm a Virgo | Yes | Yes |
Images for kids
-
Boots Riley speaking at a rally in 2017
