ABOUT KRIP HOP NATION

The Krip-Hop Nation is a worldwide association of artists with disabilities. Founded in 2007 by Leroy F. Moore Jr. in Berkeley, California, the Movement campaigns for equality for people with disabilities worldwide with concerts, tours, workshops and much more.

It is important to us to be seen as artists and musicians who do their thing seriously, purposefully and professionally. We want to show, that a person with a disability also has the right to equal opportunities, that nobody has to hide, that a person with a disability can also discover their talents, promote them and live them out and thus be a valuable part of society. According to our understanding of inclusion, this is exactly what this means: that the focus is on people with their skills and abilities, not their disabilities. We do not want pity, we want consideration, equality, respect and recognition to the same extent that every physically and mentally healthy person enjoys them.

We are constantly looking for partners, supporters and sponsorships. Many forms of cooperation would be conceivable: from concerts, appearances at congresses, meetings and other events, workshops and music productions to financial support as an official partner and sponsor of the Krip-Hop Nation. Of course, we are also open to any suggestion from outside that makes constructive cooperation possible.

We would be delighted if you would give our mission a moment of your benevolent attention and see whether you could envision working with us.

HISTORY

Krip Hop was founded by Leroy F. Moore Jr., an African American writer, poet, community activist who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Moore was born in New York in 1967 to an activist father loosely connected to the Black Panthers. His upbringing sensitized Moore to the challenges faced by African Americans and the disabled.As a youth, Moore discovered that most people had little knowledge of the historical impact of disabled African Americans. This led him to begin research, initially in the music industry.

Moore first spotlighted disabled hip hop artists in the early 2000s. He co-produced and co-hosted a three-part series on what he called “Krip Hop” for a Berkeley, California radio station. The “Krip Hop” series appeared on KPFA’s Pushing Limits, which focuses on news, arts, and culture for the disabled community. The series’ popularity inspired Moore to create Krip Hop Nation for disabled musicians, since little cultural work or music by people with disabilities had been recognized. “The Krip-Hop movement really makes the pain of the people feel visible”, Moore said. “It goes a lot deeper than what people can see.

The primary goal of Krip Hop Nation is to increase awareness in music and media outlets of the talents, history and rights of people with disabilities in the hip-hop industry. In an interview, Moore expressed the hope that by listening to his music the audience would understand the need to question authority and the information provided to them. He said he wanted his listeners to learn about their community and to become open to all people. Issues such as racism and sexism are commonly discussed, and Moore hoped that people would examine possible ableism in their attitudes. According to Moore, Krip Hop Nation goes beyond producing music and the bling-bling associated with hip hop; the movement is about advocacy, education and overcoming oppression. For Moore the movement has sought to reclaim negative terms associated with the disabled (such as “crazy”, “lame”, “retarded” and “cripple”), using them to shock people into understanding and respecting the disabled African American community. Krip Hop Nation addresses discrimination against disabled artists in hip hop by publishing articles and hosting events, lectures and workshops. It has over 300 members worldwide. Moore has explained that “Krip Hop” is a play on “Hip Hop.” Although the “Krip” part of the name refers to “crippled”, it is spelled with a “k” to avoid association with the Crips.