Jecorey “1200” Arthur is an award-winning teacher, musician, and activist from the West End of Louisville, KY. He earned his nickname “1200” after teaching himself to produce hip hop on a KORG D-1200 studio at age 12, making music with family and neighborhood friends. A decade later he earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s in music education at the University of Louisville. He most recently earned the title of Councilman, as the youngest elected official in city history, representing Louisville Metro District 4.

“Mr. Arthur — your new favorite music teacher” (New York Times), has taught thousands of students around the world in public schools, community centers, and beyond, including a tour to Boys and Girls Clubs of America, a cultural exchange with De Montfort University in England, an artist-in-residency at New York City’s 92nd Street Y, and digitally as host of The Music Box, which peaked at #3 on podcast charts for kids education.

As a musician, Arthur has performed at Tennessee’s Big Ears Festival, Kentucky’s Forecastle Festival, and Switzerland’s Jungfrau Erzählfestival; performed as a soloist with the Stereo Hideout Brooklyn Orchestra and the Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Nashville, Columbus, and Oregon Symphony Orchestras; performed as the first hip hop artist with the Louisville Orchestra including world premieres of folk opera The Way Forth and rap opera The Greatest: Muhammad Ali, where he starred as his hometown hero; and composed music for theatre, film, television, radio, podcast, and studio albums.

As an activist, Arthur has produced multi-media content educating people about the state of Black America, organized hundreds of events while hiring thousands of regional artists, and used music to advocate for but also pass laws. In 2020 his work led him to win the primary and general elections for Louisville Metro Council District 4, representing downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. As a member of the American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS) Advocacy Foundation, he writes local, regional, and federal public policy. Arthur has been featured on Al Jazeera, PBS, BBC, CBC, NPR, BET, and more.

Arthur is also a professor at Louisville’s HBCU — Simmons College of Kentucky, an artist roster member of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), and an endorsed artist with Salyers Percussion. In 2019 he became a BMe Genius Fellow, using his cash reward to help open the Parkland Plaza, an outdoor green oasis, community venue, and natural playground in his childhood neighborhood. The plaza is a collaboration with Center for Neighborhoods, where he serves on their Board of Directors, and 1200®, the independent music agency specializing in compositions, performances, and events that Arthur founded. Since joining Louisville Metro Council, he has legislated dozens of policies focused on abolishing poverty. You can follow Arthur online at @jecoreyarthur, @1200llc, and @parklandplaza.