Rapper with felony record defends his school performances

Fame can be odd. You can use it for good or evil and rapper Kenny Lou says he's choosing good these days.

"Tell them the things that I've been through, basically point them in the right direction, especially with the violence that's going on in our community," says Kenny Lou. He knows a lot about it. His videos and lyrics are full of images of the street life. So is his criminal record. 

Kenny Lou has multiple felonies on that record and he is a gang member. He says that is what gives him the credibility with the children. Around one year ago, Kenny Lou started to turn his life around, but the road to redemption is not always a straight line.

He was arrested on a weapons charge in September. That's why Joe Gamaldi, the president of the Houston Police Officers Union, was so angry to hear that Kenny Lou and fellow rapper OMB Bloodbath performed at Crispus Attucks Middle School in the Houston Independent School District.

"Our officers are out there risking their lives every day to combat gang violence in our community and the school invites it in," said Gamaldi in a previous interview with FOX 26 News.

"I understand that," says DJ Smoove, the person who arranged the on-campus performances. He adds that the optics may have been bad, but it wasn't like that and the performers heard that from him.

"All your music needs to be clean," explains DJ Smoove. "We don't need there to be no issues. We need to let these kids know they need to stay in school. They already have that on their minds."

DJ Smoove says the performers did just that. If the cliche is true that everyone has a purpose, Kenny Lou believes his is to be an example.

"You can still do good," says Kenny Lou. "Even though you have a past, a bad past, it's never too late to change your life."

FOX 26 also asked OMB Bloodbath through her manager for an interview, but she declined.