Big Moe

Big Moe (Kenneth Moore)
b. Houston, Texas, 1974-1999.
2000: City of Syrup. 2002: Purple World. 2003: Moe Life.

Big Moe sort of looks like some half-adorable/half-scary anime creation or something- all body and no limbs, all head and little face...but that sorta matches his weird place amongst the S.U.C He never really fucked with tough-talk, but was never far from it because more often than not, it was Big Moe's sing-rapping (as opposed to rap-singing which everybody does) that gelled those S.U.C songs and freestyles together. As the perfect complement to the darker, scarier aspects of Screw music, he mainted a sense of resignation to his voice that allowed him to fit right in-line with the wonderfully depressive and oppressive sounds, but he was also fucking belting out a chorus or verse, adding some real sense of fun to tracks that otherwise, harshly rumbled along. His solo albums were generally more positive affairs, brighter and more overtly funny- best exemplified in the 'Purple Stuff' video- and inconsistent in a way that ends up making sense...how could Big Moe make a "tight" album? Also- he's not the guy who could sing amongst a bunch of rappers that simply can't, Moe's voice was legitimate; It's why a song like Mike Jones' 'Flossin' ends up being great. The integrity of S.U.C and Big Moe is so great it's self-destructive...just as those guys still devote songs and their lives to a heart-stopping drink, they continually pop-up on one another's albums with no interest in variation or expanding boundaries (fuck that). A part of me wants to imagine an out-and-out R & B album from Moe but his S.U.C devotion makes it not even worth fan-boy dreams...and that's how it should be...only for the uninitiated, would it be an irony that one of the biggest proponents of syrup-sipping would also make such musical rap and infect every verse with joy...this is written only a few days after Moe's death and of course, it makes his legit soul-singing much more affecting and mournful. 'Codine Fiend Freestyle' which is on some old-ass tape I have- has Moe's rap/croon over a chopped-n-screwed version of 'Every Breath You Take' by the Police, which of course became Puffy's stupid tribute to Biggie but now, it goes from a cool S.U.C freestyle to a vaguely sad but appropriate eulogy to the guy.

Songs You Should Have On Your iPOD:
'Sippin Codine' off DJ Screw's 3 'n the Mornin Pt. 2
'City of Syzzurp' off DJ Screw's Best of the Best
'Codine Fiend Freestyle'
'Barre Baby' off City of Syrup
'Payin' Dues' off City of Syrup
'Po It Up' off City of Syrup
'Freestyle (June 27)' off City of Syrup
'Purple Stuff' off Purple World
'Dime Piece' off Purple World
'The Letter' off Purple World
'Parley' off Purple World
'Hell Yeah' off Moe Life
'My Girl' off Moe Life
'My Life #2' off Moe Life
'Flossin' off Mike Jones' Who Is Mike Jones?