Big Moe
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Moore better known by his stage name
Big Moe, was an American
rapper/singer from Houston, Texas
. He was known for a softer and slower style than other Houston rappers, including a mixture of rapping and singing that he called "rapsinging" as well as for his music that celebrated codeine-laced syrup
as a recreational drug.
and a former high school football star.
mixtapes before being signed to Wreckshop Records. Wreckshop Records released Big Moe's debut album, City of Syrup
in (2000); the title a nod to Houston's reputation for drinking codeine-laced syrup
, which Moe pours from a Styrofoam
cup on the album's cover. "City of Syrup" album featured the single, "Mann!", which Moe intended to be The South Side's answer to Black Rob
's East Coast hit "Whoa!". A year and half later, Moe returned with his second album, Purple World
in (2002). This release showcased a Who's Who of Houston vocalists and two versions of Moe's breakthrough single, "Purple Stuff". The Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
-themed video for "Purple Stuff" was played on MTV
and the album ranked as high as No. 3 on Billboard
s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Big Moe's third and last album, Moe Life, was issued in 2003, including the commercially successful single "Just a Dog." A posthumous album entitled Unfinished Business was released on March 18, 2008 via Wreckshop Records and Koch Records. In 2009 his album City of Syrup was named number 25 on houstonpress.com's list of the 25 Best Houston Hip Hop Albums.
DJs - Rapper Big Moe Dies, contactmusic.com, Oct. 15, 2007 There was speculation that recreational codeine
use in the form of Purple Drank
may have contributed to his death.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Big Moe, was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rapper/singer from Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. He was known for a softer and slower style than other Houston rappers, including a mixture of rapping and singing that he called "rapsinging" as well as for his music that celebrated codeine-laced syrup
Purple drank
Purple drank is a slang term for a recreational drug popular in the hip hop community in the southern United States, originating in Houston, Texas. Its main ingredient is prescription-strength cough syrup containing codeine and promethazine. Cough syrup is typically mixed with ingredients such as...
as a recreational drug.
Early life
Kenneth Moore was born in Houston on August 20, 1974, and he grew up in southeast Houston. He was a graduate of Yates High SchoolYates High School
Jack Yates Senior High School is a secondary school located at 3703 Sampson in the Third Ward in Houston, Texas with a zip code of 77004. Yates High School handles grades nine through twelve and is part of the Houston Independent School District ....
and a former high school football star.
Career
As one of the founding members of the "Original Screwed Up Click," Big Moe started out in music by freestyling on DJ ScrewDJ Screw
Robert Earl "DJ Screw" Davis, Jr. was a Houston, Texas-based DJ. He was known as a central figure in the Houston hip-hop community and was the creator of the now-famous Chopped and Screwed DJ technique...
mixtapes before being signed to Wreckshop Records. Wreckshop Records released Big Moe's debut album, City of Syrup
City of Syrup
City of Syrup is the first album by southern rapper Big Moe. It is a concept album about purple drank. There is also a "Wreckchopped and Screwed" version of this album-Track listing:# "Momma M.O.E "# "Barre Baby"...
in (2000); the title a nod to Houston's reputation for drinking codeine-laced syrup
Purple drank
Purple drank is a slang term for a recreational drug popular in the hip hop community in the southern United States, originating in Houston, Texas. Its main ingredient is prescription-strength cough syrup containing codeine and promethazine. Cough syrup is typically mixed with ingredients such as...
, which Moe pours from a Styrofoam
Styrofoam
Styrofoam is a trademark of The Dow Chemical Company for closed-cell currently made for thermal insulation and craft applications. In 1941, researchers in Dow's Chemical Physics Lab found a way to make foamed polystyrene...
cup on the album's cover. "City of Syrup" album featured the single, "Mann!", which Moe intended to be The South Side's answer to Black Rob
Black Rob
Black Rob is a rapper who was formerly signed to Bad Boy Records.-Music career:Black Rob began associating with the label as early as 1996, appearing on the Bad Boy remix to 112's "Come See Me"...
's East Coast hit "Whoa!". A year and half later, Moe returned with his second album, Purple World
Purple World (album)
-Track listing:...
in (2002). This release showcased a Who's Who of Houston vocalists and two versions of Moe's breakthrough single, "Purple Stuff". The Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of Charlie Bucket as he receives a golden ticket and visits Willy...
-themed video for "Purple Stuff" was played on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and the album ranked as high as No. 3 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Big Moe's third and last album, Moe Life, was issued in 2003, including the commercially successful single "Just a Dog." A posthumous album entitled Unfinished Business was released on March 18, 2008 via Wreckshop Records and Koch Records. In 2009 his album City of Syrup was named number 25 on houstonpress.com's list of the 25 Best Houston Hip Hop Albums.
Death
Moe died on October 14, 2007 at 33-years-old, after suffering a heart attack one week earlier that left him in a comaComa
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
DJs - Rapper Big Moe Dies, contactmusic.com, Oct. 15, 2007 There was speculation that recreational codeine
Codeine
Codeine or 3-methylmorphine is an opiate used for its analgesic, antitussive, and antidiarrheal properties...
use in the form of Purple Drank
Purple drank
Purple drank is a slang term for a recreational drug popular in the hip hop community in the southern United States, originating in Houston, Texas. Its main ingredient is prescription-strength cough syrup containing codeine and promethazine. Cough syrup is typically mixed with ingredients such as...
may have contributed to his death.
Discography
| Year | Title | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
U.S. R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
U.S. Indep. Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
||
| 2000 | City of Syrup City of Syrup City of Syrup is the first album by southern rapper Big Moe. It is a concept album about purple drank. There is also a "Wreckchopped and Screwed" version of this album-Track listing:# "Momma M.O.E "# "Barre Baby"... |
176 | 52 | 8 |
| 2002 | Purple World Purple World (album) -Track listing:... |
29 | 3 | - |
| 2003 | Moe Life Moe Life Moe Life is the third album by southern rapper Big Moe.-Track listing:# "Noke N Moe Live" - # "Hell Yeah" # "Throwdsville" # "My Girl"... |
- | 33 | 29 |
| 2004 | Classics: Vol. 1 | - | - | - |
| 2007 | The Best of Big Moe | - | - | - |
| Forever Moe | - | - | - | |
| 2008 | Unfinished Business Unfinished Business (Big Moe album) -Track listing:# "Intro" # "Big M.O.E." # "Maan " # "Mama Moe Skit"# "Ride Candy"... |
- | - | - |