Rocco Kayiatos

A black and white photo of Rocco.

**Rocco Kayiatos**, also known by his stage name **Katastrophe** (later **Rocco Katastrophe**), is an an American former slam poet and hip-hop artist, writer, actor, director, feminist, LGBT activist, and editor.

As a hip-hop artist, he used his music to speak on homophobia and personal struggles with gender. “I think it is impossible to be a queer creating hip-hop and not somehow reflect on the fact that as of yet we have no place in hip-hop. Just the act of me being openly queer and rapping about it is absolutely, directly going to respond to the blatant homophobia that goes along with hip-hop and its culture.” He released his first album, *Let's Fuck, Then Talk About My Problems*, in 2004, becoming the first open trans male musician to release an album.

In 2009, Kayiatos and Amos Mac created *Original Plumbing* magazine, the first magazine on trans male culture.

He founded Camp Lost Boys in 2017.

## Personal life

He was born in Burlingame California. His parents were supportive, allowing him to call himself "George", helped him select his name, and funded his top surgery.

Before recording as an musician, he found success in beatboxing and slam poetry, eventually joined Youth Speaks, an educational slam poetry organization. He has this poetry featured on four compilation albums previous to *Let's Fuck, Then Talk About My Problems.*

After winning the 1998 Youth Slam, he became a Youth Speaks mentor, helping begin the Queeriosity event and was featured in the documentary *Poetic License* in 1999. He then was invited to tour with Sister Spit, a then all-female feminist slam poetry group, performing every night for six weeks. He started making beats for other musicians in 2002, leading into creation of his own music.

He dated feminist author and fellow former Youth Speaks and Sister Spit member Michelle Tea, , though they later split. He and Amos Mac were roommates. He currently works as Head of Video at Grindr.

### Social media

* Instagram
* Tumblr
* Twitter
* YouTube

## Discography

### Albums

2. Written in Flames
3. Underachievers
4. Bricks
5. Bad Bad Feelings
6. August
7. Slow Down
8. You Can't Escape
9. Things That We Do
10. Day After Day
11. Something Different
12. As Good
13. Let You Know
14. Man Enough
15. Two Tons Heavy
 Cherchez La Femme
2. Break Down
3. Diamond Rings
4. Drop a Line (feat. Ruby Valentine)
5. Drunk (Interlude)
6. Read Me
7. Last Laugh
8. No Fun
9. Dig Up (feat. Pointfivefag)
10. Out to Dinner (Interlude)
11. Bad Mood (feat. Cindy Wonderful, Aggracyst and JB Rap)
12. Oh No
13. Easy and Nice (feat. Ruby Valentine)
14. Fake Meat
 *The Worst Amazing* | 307 Knox
2. Year of the Dog
3. Get Info
4. Tunnel Vision
5. Raindown
6. Tonight
7. Crybaby
8. Big Deal
9. Freshgoldwatch
10. Wakow!
11. Unlikely Pirates
12. Halfway Happy
13. Sigh
14. Shoulda Wished
15. Tickled Sick
16. Left, Right. Okay?
 *Second Hand Emotion* | 307 Knox
2. Pick Up The Line
3. Let Me Go
4. Give You More
5. Casanova
6. Slow Motion
7. Fair-Weather Friend
8. Fantasy
9. Crush
10. Wake Me If I'm Dreaming

## Filmography

### Film

 *Pick Up the Mic* | himself
 *52 Tuesdays* | New York interviewee
 *Wedlocked* | Bob

## Videography

### Music videos

 "Eat Everything (feat. Margaret Cho, De=MC2 and Athens Boys Choir)"
 "Losing My Religion" | 2016

## Sources

1. ↑ https://www.alternet.org/2004/03/queering\_the\_mic/
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 http://www.roccokayiatos.com/about
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://www.allmusic.com/album/lets-fuck-then-talk-about-my-problems-mw0000337153
4. ↑ https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/21030/1/the-original-plumbing-manifesto
5. ↑ https://www.camplostboys.org/past-camps
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://www.sisterspit.com/99ladies.html
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Michelle-Tea-mines-her-colorful-past-for-a-2699256.php
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Heavy-handed-but-tender-hearted-transgender-2727826.php
9. ↑ https://www.enwoven.com/collections/view/103/timeline?eventId=889
10. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20010406025527/http://poeticlicense.org/htmlFiles/film.html
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 https://www.worldcat.org/title/poetic-license/oclc/45665426
12. ↑ https://www.mic.com/articles/72699/16-beautiful-portraits-of-humans-who-happen-to-be-trans
13. ↑ https://www.allmusic.com/album/fault-lies-and-faultlines-mw0000751029
14. ↑ https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-worst-amazing-mw0001327797
15. ↑ https://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8763890
16. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0422952/
17. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3100636/?ref\_=nm\_knf\_t1
18. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3835382/?ref\_=nm\_knf\_t2
19. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4864654/fullcredits?ref\_=tt\_cl\_sm#cast
20. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVX9uf-KvHk
21. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7rZz93ni1E
22. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6\_aGzVEeh4
23. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3nglLQL5r0
24. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi2Mu9KKA\_g