Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Ross a.k.a. Legrand.
Hi Chris, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, I was relocated to the Charlotte, NC area a few years back and then relocated to Atlanta at the start of the pandemic. I have always had a passion for hip-hop music and the environment but those passions were reinvigorated during the pandemic. I made the decision to use my independent recording artist music platform to support my climate activism. The platform boasts placing the movement (climate action) above the music, and that is what lead to the first annual Comedians For Climate Action event. The hope is that annually this event will reach a large diverse population of people that while being entertained will feel inspired to commit to climate action.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
At its roots, climate change can be challenging to understand and is often misunderstood; so the devastating impacts that it has on communities are hidden behind false narratives. I often hear people say that no one in our communities believes in that stuff, it’s fiction, or none of us care. However, whenever I talk to people about climate change or whenever I engage in conversations with people at charging stations, the overwhelming majority of those folks look like me. Most people when they understand that climate change is what is happening to the planet that impacts us, and climate action is what we can do to stop what is happening to the planet; they want to act. So for me, it is about taking every opportunity to educate our communities about the little things that they can do to help save the planet and then let them choose how they want to fight climate change.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a climate activist, I have very limited patience about responding to the threat; therefore I’d like to think that I am known for my focus on sustainability and more radical approaches to reducing our planet’s carbon footprint; i.e. soil carbon sequestration, soil drawdown. Locally, you may catch me volunteering with TreesAtlanta to plant trees or help with reforestation efforts when I am not organizing community clean-up events. As a recording artist, I believe that one of the things that has set me apart over the years is that I have recorded hip-hop music using several different languages. At one point in my past, I was nearly proficient in writing and recording in the following languages: Spanish, Hindi, Brazilian Portuguese and Japanese. The latter has rewarded me with an opportunity to tour in Japan as a follow-up to the “Legrand in Second Life” #linsl project collaboration with students from Temple University-Tokyo and an artist for the Kansai Music Conference. Legrand may be performing at the Tokyo Beyond Festival in Tokyo, Japan in November 2022 as well.
In addition to the Comedians for Climate Action event, Legrand will be performing at Bonfire ATL on November 11th. The link to that event is below:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/440170079557
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
That it is a journey and you have to prepare for the marathon and not the sprint. People have been destroying the planet for centuries, and it is not going to fix itself nor will it change by what I alone am doing. This is definitely a ‘we and not a me” thing to correct. The frustrations and setbacks are a part of the process to be set up for success. There is no blueprint for what I am doing so a lot of people cannot relate to it, and they often look at it like if it doesn’t make dollars, it doesn’t make sense. This Comedians for Climate Action event and the eventual tour will be an opportunity to raise money for nonprofit organizations that are doing great work to help the planet and fight for environmental justice; however we will do it supported by a platform of positive music.
Pricing:
- $25 -$35 tickets for the comedy event
- $25-$35 #keepthatsamegreenenergy merchandise
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.legrandescape.com
- Instagram: @legrandescape
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheOfficialLegrandPage
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/EscapeLegrand
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCPMs5W3Q69G2-HW9wODzZg/videos
- Other: www.eventbrite.com/e/legrand-presents-comedians-for-climate-action-tickets-417097488817
