Krip Hop facts for kids

Krip-Hop is a special movement where hip hop artists with disabilities share their music and stories. It helps them connect with others through social media, events, and even with teachers and journalists. Krip-Hop uses hip hop music as a powerful way for people with disabilities to express themselves and share their experiences with the world.

The Start of Krip-Hop

Krip-Hop was started by Leroy F. Moore Jr.. He is an African American writer, poet, and activist. Leroy was born in New York in 1967 and has cerebral palsy. His father was also an activist, which taught Leroy a lot about fairness and helping others.

As he grew up, Leroy noticed that many people didn't know much about the history of African Americans with disabilities. This made him want to learn more, especially about their impact on music.

In the early 2000s, Leroy began to highlight hip hop artists with disabilities. He helped create a radio series called "Krip Hop" for a station in California. This series was part of a show called Pushing Limits, which focused on news and culture for the disabled community. The radio series became very popular. This inspired Leroy to create Krip Hop Nation. He wanted to create a place for disabled musicians, because their cultural work and music were not often recognized. Leroy said that the Krip-Hop movement helps make the "pain of the people feel visible." He explained it goes "a lot deeper than what people can see."

What Krip Hop Nation Does

The main goal of Krip Hop Nation is to show the world the amazing talents of people with disabilities in the hip-hop industry. They want music and media outlets to recognize their history and rights. Leroy Moore hopes that when people listen to Krip-Hop music, they will think about what they are told and learn more about their communities. He wants listeners to be open to all people.

Krip Hop Nation often talks about important issues like racism and sexism. Leroy also hoped people would think about ableism. Ableism is when people treat others unfairly because of their disabilities. Krip Hop Nation is not just about making music. It is also about speaking up for people, educating others, and helping people overcome unfair treatment.

Leroy Moore explained that "Krip Hop" is a fun way to say "Hip Hop." The "Krip" part of the name refers to "crippled," but it is spelled with a "k." This is to make sure people do not confuse it with the Crips gang. Krip Hop Nation works to change negative words about disability, like "crazy" or "lame," into words that make people think and respect the disabled community. They fight against unfair treatment of disabled artists in hip hop. They do this by publishing articles and holding events, talks, and workshops. Krip Hop Nation has over 300 members from all over the world.

Krip Hop Achievements

Krip Hop Nation has achieved many things since it started. They have released two mixtape CDs. They have also held conferences with other organizations at universities like UC Berkeley and New York University.

Krip Hop Nation organized a show in Sacramento, California, featuring six artists. They also put on a show in Liverpool, England, at Disability and Deaf Arts (DADA). In February 2011, they hosted a Krip Hop Nation conference in Atlanta, Georgia, for Black History Month. This event featured musicians, writers, and activists.

In February 2012, DJ Quad joined Krip Hop Nation. They worked together to create a CD with 17 disabled artists from the UK, the US, and Germany. This CD focused on issues like unfair treatment by police. Emmitt Thrower of Artist Magnet was one of the artists who helped. A documentary about this project was released in 2014.

Talented Krip Hop Musicians

Krip Hop Nation includes many talented artists. Some of these are Counterclockwise, Preach-man, Wheelchair Sports Camp, Miss Money, and Fezo.

Kalyn Heffernan is a rapper from Denver, Colorado. She has a condition called Osteogenesis imperfecta, which means her bones are fragile. Kalyn is about 107 centimeters (3 feet 6 inches) tall and uses a wheelchair. She leads a hip-hop group called Wheelchair Sports Camp. Their music mixes hip-hop with jazz and other styles. Kalyn's raps often talk about politics and the challenges she faces as a disabled person in America.

After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Kalyn created music beats for Haitian rappers. These rappers were dealing with extreme poverty. In July 2017, Kalyn was arrested after a three-day protest at a senator's office. She said, "I'd rather go to jail than to die without Medicaid" when talking about healthcare.

See also

• Dance therapy
• Disability
• Hip hop
• POOR Magazine