Kenneth Doniell Moore
(August 20, 1974 – October 14, 2007),
better known by his
stage name Big Moe, was an American rapper from Houston, Texas.
Early life
Kenneth Doniell Moore was born in
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
on August 20, 1974, and he grew up in southeast
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
.
In 1992 he graduated from
Yates High School, where he was a football star.
Career
Originating from Houston, Texas, and as one of the founding members of the "Original Screwed Up Click," Big Moe started out in music by freestyling on
DJ Screw
Robert Earl Davis Jr. (July 20, 1971 – November 16, 2000), better known by his stage name DJ Screw, was an American hip hop DJ based in Houston, Texas, and best known as the creator of the now-famous chopped and screwed DJ technique. He ...
mixtapes
A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...
like many of his Houston peers before being signed to Wreckshop Records.
[Big Moe](_blank)
Koch Records website[Peralta, Eyder.]
" ''Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
''. October 16, 2007. Retrieved on September 20, 2009. Wreckshop Records released Big Moe's debut album, ''
City of Syrup'' in (2000); the title was a nod to Houston's reputation for drinking
codeine-laced syrup, which Moe pours from a
Styrofoam
Styrofoam is a trademarked brand of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), commonly called "Blue Board", manufactured as foam continuous building insulation board used in walls, roofs, and foundations as thermal insulation and water barrie ...
cup on the album's cover. The album featured the single "Mann!", which Moe intended to be the South Side's answer to
Black Rob
Robert Ross (June 8, 1968 – April 17, 2021), known professionally as Black Rob, was an American rapper who was signed to Bad Boy Records. He was best known for his 1999 single " Whoa!", which peaked at number 43 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. ...
's East Coast hit "Whoa!"
In 2002, Moe returned with his second album, ''
Purple World''. This release showcased a "who's who" of Houston vocalists and two versions of Moe's breakthrough single, "Purple Stuff." The ''
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1971 American musical fantasy film directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. It is an adaptation of the 1964 novel ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' by Roald Dahl. The film ...
''-themed video for "Purple Stuff" was played on
MTV, and the album peaked at 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.
]
Death
Moe died on October 14, 2007 at 33 years old, after suffering a heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
one week earlier that left him in a coma.[DJs – Rapper Big Moe Dies]
contactmusic.com, Oct. 15, 2007
Discography
Studio albums
Guest appearances
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Big Moe
1974 births
2007 deaths
African-American male rappers
American male rappers
Drug-related deaths in Texas
MNRK Music Group artists
Gangsta rappers
Place of death missing
Priority Records artists
Rappers from Houston
Screwed Up Click members
Southern hip hop musicians
Underground rappers
20th-century American male musicians
20th-century African-American musicians
21st-century African-American people