Party People in the Park

Cleveland rappers Tut and Adrenaline Rush headline today’s Bisbee Connection Cookout. But don’t expect to hear songs about gangbanging, hos, and bling. “These are artists that rap about positive things,” says organizer Joseph Moore. “They ain’t trying to teach anybody how to shake their booty.”

The sixth-annual picnic targets inner-city families, but everyone is invited. Barbecue chicken, burgers, and hot dogs make up the menu. Moore says he’s doing his part to bring back the “old-school way” of throwing an outdoor party without booze and drugs. Poets, choirs, and spitboxers will also “deliver some tough love” messages from the stage. “Back in the day, if you had a baby before you got out of high school, people looked at you like you was nasty,” says the 40-year-old Moore. “Now you gotta have a couple diseases and at least one child before you get out. Society is going backward.” He should know. By the time he was 20, Moore spent time in jail for drugs. Nearly 10 years later, he found his niche in fashion design. He hopes his troubled past inspires kids to get off the streets, return to school, and find jobs. “Quit being a follower,” he says. “Let’s set a trend and be leaders.”
Sun., Sept. 2, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.