Known to the world as the front man and lyricist for Oakland’s 20-year-old hip-hop group the Coup, Boots Riley is also the front man for political rock group Street Sweeper Social Club (with Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine) and a headlining performer in this week’s inaugural Santa Cruz Music Festival.
The 42-year-old was born Raymond Riley, to a family of activists in Chicago. After some time in Detroit, the Rileys moved to Oakland where Boots became involved in the Progressive Labor Party and the International Committee Against Racism.
“In high school, I first got involved in summer projects, down in the Delano-McFarland area of Central California,” Riley explains in his laid-back way. “We helped farm workers—grape pickers—organize anti-racist protests. That was good, because I probably wouldn’t have done anything locally. Just like any other high school student, I didn’t want to be seen passing out flyers.”
However, he soon outgrew his trepidations and organized a school march-out against year-round schooling when he was in 11th grade. “We had 2,000 of the 2,200 kids at the school walk-out to change the policy.”
More recently, Riley has worked closely with the Occupy Oakland! Movement in the past few years. He was involved with the General Strike on November 2, 2011, as well as the first and second port shutdowns that were credited with re-energizing the movement. After the shutdowns, he worked against foreclosures, trying to keep people in their homes for as long as possible.
With that kind of background in social activism, it’s no wonder Riley’s lyrics are as visceral as they are smooth. On The Coup’s 1993 debut full-length, Kill My Landlord, Riley raps about life on the streets of Oakland, continuously laying down angry, gangsta-style lyrics over stripped down, old-school beats. It’s not a tough guy act, but rather a channeling of the anger bred by everyday injustices like racism, apathetic slumlords and trying to make ends meet on minimum wage.
With a core of Riley on the mic and DJ Pam the Funktress on beats, the Coup released their sixth full-length studio album, Sorry to Bother You, late last year. Each album is vastly different, influenced by whatever Riley is listening to at the moment, and their latest is no exception.
“I like having sounds that nobody else uses,” he states. “None of our records have been of the sound that was at the time.”
This is what helps the Coup keep their underground status and street cred, regardless of how long they’ve been around or what label they’re on (currently ANTI-Records, label mates with Tom Waits and Mavis Staples).
“Every album we come out with, there’s a good third of the crowd at shows that think the newest album is our first,” Riley says with a chuckle.
As if a hip-hop set with the Coup wasn’t enough, Riley will also be delivering poetry during the Spoken Word and Poetry segment of the Santa Cruz Music Festival.
“After my first couple of albums I wanted to be a songwriter, instead of a lyricist,” he explains. “It’s harder to get in touch with how you feel and to express that in a way for people to relate. That’s the difference between art and craftsmanship and I didn’t want to be a craftsman anymore.”
The DIY, grassroots esthetic of the Santa Cruz Music Festival is something the underground organizer can stand behind and feel proud to be a part of, especially since it’s promoting local artists.
“I think it’s a good thing, and I wish more festivals did that,” says Riley. “A lot of times festivals get the big names to draw folks, and don’t connect to the local community.”
Always looking forward to his next project, the prolific artist has a movie on the way (also titled Sorry To Bother You) and there might even be another Coup album on the horizon.
“Music inspires people and makes them hopeful” says Riley, “And I think we need to be more inspired to take action around issues.”
The Coup performs July 20 at the Catalyst as part of the Santa Cruz Music Festival.
