As reported here in the latest weekly Amoeblog Hip-Hop Rap Up Colorado's Wheelchair Sports Camp (WSC), who got added at the last minute to a one-month national tour supporting the Flobots, got booked into the non-wheelchair accessible Cafe Du Nord - something that appears to be an honest oversight by the promoter/booker and or the club, given the last minute nature of WSC been added to the tour. Regardless the oversight caused somewhat of an uproar among the many wheelchair using fans of WSC who cannot make it into the show featuring krip hop star Kalyn Hefferernan along the percussionist she is touring with this time out.  Since earlier in the week Kalyn had been scrambling to try and find an alternate space (I was among those trying to locate somewhere) to do a wheelchair accessible free show in San Francisco this afternoon. But when nothing had materialized by this morning the ever resourceful Hefferenan announced plans to do an impromptu, free pre-show on the sidewalk outside the Market Street, San Francisco club at 4pm this afternoon. See just made flyer left about the last minute show that proudly proclaims "The More Wheelchairs The Better."

A little earlier today I caught up with Kalyn. "I'm usually good at posting whether or not venues are wheelchair accessible but because it was so many shows [on the heavily booked one month tour] and getting ready for the road was so nuts I haven't had the chance to find that out for every venue. I didn't realize the San Francisco show was inaccessible until a few crips hit me up disappointed they couldn't come," she said stressing that, "As a disabled rapper I can't shit on my people! I know what it's like to be excluded from a venue and it blows. I tried to find a way to do a show in a more venue type setting but it was so last minute we figured just take it to the streets!" This is good news to disabled Bay Area fans who, said Kaylyn, were initially "understandably pissed that I'm playing an inaccessible venue in the first place." She added that, "Because my band is support and was added on after all shows were booked I didn't have a say in where we played. And I'm lucky to be small so I can be carried up and down more easily than most. Eventually I hope I have enough leverage to play only accessible shows. This is a great way to start the conversation on how to deal with unaccessible venues."

Leroy Moore (left), friend of Amoeba and the Amoeblog, returns to do another guest Amoeblog. The New York born, Berkeley, CA based artist/activist/educator, who is the founder of Krip-Hop Nation (the global collective for hip-hop artists with disabilities), has been featured several times here on the Amoeblog over the past five years for his work in Krip-Hop and also with Sins Invalid that he co-founded. In July 2008 he wrote an Amoeblog On Being Black and Disabled. Two years ago during Black History Month 2011 he was featured twice both here and here. Then last August he did a guest Amoeblog spot when he penned the popular critique on the Sundance Channel's Push Girls television show.

This is the second part in the Amoeblog Black History Month salute to the Krip-Hop Nation and its founder, Leroy Moore, who attentively oversees the day to day operations of this umbrella organization for hip-hop artists with disabilities worldwide. As noted in the first Amoeblog installment, this New York born, Berkeley, CA based artist/activist has cerebral palsy, which significantly affects both his speech and his mobility but he nonetheless displays a work ethic that would put most to shame. Simply put, the guy never stops striving in his efforts to push forth the Krip-Hop Nation as well as all the other causes and organizations, including Sins Invalid, that he is constantly involved in. Two weekends ago, for example, he was busy with the a two-part series of literary & performance arts themed Black History Month Krip-Hop Nation events in San Francisco at Modern Times bookstore and at the main San Francisco Public Library which, despite torrential rain hitting the region that week and affecting attendance, still managed to be a successful series with an informative and empowering message for disabled artists of color, and for those who support them.

Leroy Moore, the founder of the Krip Hop Nation -- the burgeoning global umbrella organization for hip-hop artists with disabilities -- may appear to have the proverbial chips stacked against him. The Berkeley, CA artist, activist, organizer has cerebral palsy, which significantly affects his speech and slows down his mobility. But in no way does that deter Moore who, in the five years since he founded the growing global Krip-Hop organization, has gotten increasingly busier with every turn.

This Black History Month Amoeblog is part one in a two-part salute to this amazing, hard-working, positive & productive individual. The much longer second part, which will run on Thursday, Feb 24th, will include an in-depth interview with Moore and present a detailed overview of the numerous Krip-Hop artists (hip-hop artists with disabilities) around the world that Moore has been documenting via a series of compilation releases and other projects.

2010 was an incredibly busy year for Moore who, besides Krip-Hop Nation, is involved in a myriad of activities including the Sins Invalid arts & education organization. In 2010 Moore spent a good deal of time out on the road traveling to Krip Hop related events back East, down South, and over in Europe, where he and his group were presenters at the UK's DaDa Fest (Disability & Deaf Arts). We're only seven weeks into 2011 and this new year is already shaping up to be an even more hectic one for the man and the Krip-Hop Nation organization he founded five years ago.