AUDIO: Boots Riley Interview

Man... Boots is a truly great MC, really underappreciated outside of the Bay Area. But I've got a nasty story to tell.

My station, KZSC in Santa Cruz, hired the Coup to play a free student concert on the campus of UCSC two years ago. There were a number of other acts on the bill, and they were paid quite well for the gig.

When their check was issued, we realized that the accounting department had mistaken a 2 in the hundreds column for a 7, and made out the check for $500 too much. After much discussion between Boots, the station manager, and the broadcast advisor (that is, the professional staff member of the station), Boots and their manager wrote a short contract acknowledging that they'd been overpaid $500, and that they would release a check for the difference the next day (this was on a Sunday iirc).

Needless to say, they didn't. We called, and they apologized, and said they'd mail it right away. This happened a couple of times. Then they stopped answering and returning our calls.

My mother had brought Boots up to her college to make a lecture (another well-paid gig, for which she fought very hard), so she sent him an email. He emailed her back, said the money had just dissapeared, and he would personally make sure that it got back to KZSC. It didn't. He didn't respond to my or my mothers emails after that.

Which part of the revolution is stealing $500 from a community radio station? One that almost certainly has a smaller annual budget than even the Coup? We have *one* professional staff member, the rest of the station is volunteers and students. Really dissapointing.

Ask him about that shit.

I know I've made this post before, but because you are talking about Boots Riley I thought I should reiterate. The Coup will be performing April 15 at the Skirball Center for Performing Arts (566 LaGuardia Place/Washington Square South). Tickets are $25 for the general public. It's the finale for our two week long event, Fest Forward Hip Hop Unbound. For more information check out www.hiphopunbound.com

Thanks, yeah I plugged the event hard on the radio show. Out of curiousity, can I ask who you are?