Boots Riley

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Boots Riley

Riley onstage with The Coup.
Background information
Birth name Raymond Riley
Genres Hip hop, rap rock
Occupations Musician, songwriter, activist
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1980–present
Associated acts The Coup, Street Sweeper Social Club

Boots Riley (born Raymond Lawrence Riley in 1971) is an American musician most known for being the front man of The Coup and lately Street Sweeper Social Club.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Boots Riley was born in 1971. His interest in politics began at a young age, inspiring him to join the Progressive Labor Party and the International Committee Against Racism. He traveled around the country attending meetings and rallies, learning the art of public speaking in the process. In 1992 Riley founded the political hip hop group The Coup with Pam the Funkstress. The group released their debut album Kill My Landlord in 1993 and a second album, Genocide & Juice, the following year. The group's fourth album, Party Music, was released in 2001. Its cover art depicted group members standing in front of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center as they explode. Riley is depicted pushing a button on a guitar tuner. The album was scheduled to be released just after the September 11, 2001 attacks. In response to the uncanny similarity of the artwork with the attacks, the album release was held back until alternative cover art could be prepared. In 2006, the band released Pick a Bigger Weapon which featured a guest apperence by Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello. Morello and Riley met during Billy Bragg's Tell Us the Truth Tour in 2003 where they often shared the stage performing The Coup songs. Morello later approached Riley to form a band together under the name Street Sweeper. The duo who later changed their name to Street Sweeper Social Club, releasing their self-titled debut album in 2009. They toured in support of it along with Nine Inch Nails and the recently reunited Jane's Addiction.

[edit] Discography

With The Coup:
With Street Sweeper Social Club:
Other appearances:

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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