LGBTQ+ representations in hip hop music

Last updated

LGBTQ+ representations in hip hop music have existed since the birth of the genre despite blatant discrimination. Hip hop has long been portrayed as one of the least LGBT-friendly genres of music, with a significant body of the genre containing homophobic views and anti-gay lyrics, with mainstream artists like Eminem and Tyler, the Creator having used homophobia in their lyrics. [1] [2] [3] Attitudes towards homosexuality in hip hop culture have historically been negative. Slang that uses homosexuality as a punchline like "sus", "no homo", and "pause" can be heard in hip hop lyrics from the industry's biggest stars. [4] However, since the early 2000s there has been a flourishing community of LGBTQ+ hip hop artists, activists and performers breaking barriers in the mainstream music industry. [5]

Contents

Labels such as homo hop or queer hip hop group all artists identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community into a subgenre of hip hop based solely on their sexuality. These subgenre labels are not marked by any specific production style, as artists within it may simultaneously be associated with virtually any other subgenre of hip hop, or may also make music that falls outside the subgenre entirely. [6] Rather, the terms are defined by a direct engagement with LGBT culture in elements such as the lyrical themes or the artist's visual identity and presentation. [7] [8]

Artists who have been labelled as part of the genre have, however, varied in their acceptance of the terminology. Some have supported the identification of a distinct phenomenon of "LGBTQ+ hip hop" as an important tool for promoting LGBTQ+ visibility in popular music, while others have criticized it for essentially ghettoizing their music as a "niche" interest that circumscribed their appeal to mainstream music fans.

Many artists have contributed to the increased visibility and social acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community's presence in hip hop music, most notably Frank Ocean, who penned an open letter addressing his sexuality in 2012. [5] There has also been an increased presence of LGBTQ+ allies in the mainstream hip hop community, such as Jay-Z, [9] Murs, Kanye West, [10] Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. [11]

History

Origins (1970s)

Hip-Hop was developed in the late 1970s following the popularity of disco. [12] Disco music, which contains origins within Black American culture, had an impact on hip-hop from samples to early hip-hop fashion. The disco scene which was derived from disco music was known for its vibrant nightlife that was considered a haven for those in the LGBTQ+ community, particularly LGBTQ+ youth of color.

Despite these origins, early hip-hop artists expressed anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments and epithets common of the time in their music. Sugarhill Gang's 1979 song "Rapper's Delight", the first hip hop record to become a top 40 hit, referred to fictional character Superman as a "fairy" for wearing a skin-tight garment.

1980s-1990s

In 1986, the hip hop trio Beastie Boys originally wanted to name their debut album Don't Be A Faggot, but their record label Columbia Records refused to release it under that title, so it changed the title to Licensed to Ill . Years later, the Beastie Boys formally apologized to the LGBT community for the "shitty and ignorant" things they said on their first record. [13]

During what was considered third-wave feminism, there was an infusion of Black feminist thought into hip-hop by way of Black women in the genre who emphasized issues of race, gender, and sexuality. This included Black LGBTQ+ musicians like Meshell Ndegeocello whose 1993 album Plantation Lullabies is considered an example of the evolving attitudes and politics of the hip hop generation, specifically from younger Black feminists. According to Andreana Clay, "Ndegeocello's lyrics are a product of early Black feminism, radical lesbian feminism, and hip-hop feminism." [14]

In her music, Ndegocello has addressed sexuality and Blackness as a Black bisexual woman, garnering a following from LGBTQ+ feminists of color. Her musical content and appearance also drew criticism from certain listeners and radio stations who refused to play her music. The ideas of Black queer and lesbian feminism influenced hip hop during a moment when politics surrounding sexuality, gender, and race were shifting. [15]

Although more radical queer politics were influencing more mainstream areas of music and society, discrimination remained and LGBTQ+ artists continued to face marginalization and barriers in airtime and commercial success. [14]

2000s-Present

Kanye West denounced homophobia in hip hop in an August 2005 interview with Sway Calloway for MTV News. He discussed how his environment led him to be homophobic, and how finding out his cousin was gay changed his perspective. This statement was radical at the time; it was the first major statement against homophobia in hip hop by a popular artist. [16]

Homo hop

The homo hop movement first emerged in the 1990s as an underground movement spearheaded by the hip-hop group Rainbow Flava, [17] [18] particularly in California, [19] in part as a reaction to the widespread acceptance of homophobia in the lyrics of mainstream hip hop performers such as Eminem. [20] Lyrics in songs such as "Criminal" on The Marshall Mathers LP demonstrate this homophobia. [21] [22] [23] Initially coined by Tim'm T. West of Deep Dickollective, [19] the term "homo hop" was not meant to signify a distinct genre of music, but simply to serve as a community building tool and promotional hook for LGBTQ+ artists. According to West:

It reflected an effort to give credence to a subgenre of hip hop that the mainstream was ignoring. It's not a different kind of hip hop, but places identity at the center of production, which is a blessing and curse. I'm a hip hop artist, ultimately, who happens to be queer. Homo Hop, as a mobilizing medium for queer artists, did, in fact, serve a purpose, initially. [19]

West's bandmate Juba Kalamka offered a similar assessment:

Should there be a separate term for female emcees like femcee? Or ones like gangsta? Crunk? Trap music? Snap? Africentrist? Conscious? Whatever. In many cases the terms get created or reappropriated by people because they need something to make them stand out, or to validate their cultural or social space. 'Homohop,' like any other subcultural subgenre designation, gave and still gives a listener or fan something to grab onto. The first person I heard say 'homohop' was my former bandmate Tim'm West in the context of an interview in 2001...and even then it was a big joke, totally tongue-in-cheek. If you called it 'Fruit Rollup,' people would be saying that now. [24]

In a 2001 interview with SFGate.com , West elaborated on the movement's goals:

Ideally, queer hip-hop can create changes. It can be the critical check for all the negative aspects that have come out of the culture in the last few years. You won't be able to assume there isn't a faggot in the room; you won't be able to assume there isn't a feminist in the room. Hip-hop will be different because we decided to participate in it openly and with honor. [25]

The genre received a mainstream publicity boost in 2002 and 2003 when Caushun was widely reported as the first openly LGBTQ+ rapper to be signed to a major label, [26] although Caushun was later revealed to have been a publicity stunt engineered by heterosexual musician Ivan Matias. [20]

Notable events in the 2000s included the PeaceOUT World Homo Hop Festival, which was founded in 2001 [27] and mounted annually until 2008, and the 2006 documentary film Pick Up the Mic . [19] However, some music critics in this era dismissed the genre as too often sacrificing musical quality in favour of a "didactic" political agenda. [20]

The most commercially successful LGBTQ+ rapper in the 2000s was Cazwell, [8] who emerged as a popular artist in gay dance clubs, and has scored at least six top 40 hits on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart, with a hybrid pop-rap style which he has described as "if Biggie Smalls ate Donna Summer for breakfast". [28] Cazwell described his philosophy of music as "create your own space, your own music and have people come to you," and has noted in interviews that he achieved much greater success by "breaking" the rules of the hip hop industry than he ever did in his earlier attempts to pursue mainstream success with the 1990s hip hop duo Morplay. [29]

One of the first mainstream artists to speak out publicly against anti-gay discrimination in hip hop was Kanye West in a 2004 interview with Sway Calloway on MTV News. In the interview Kanye says, "Hip-hop does discriminate against gay people. I want to just come on TV and tell my rappers, my friends, just stop it, fam. Seriously, that's really discrimination". Kanye criticized the hip-hop community, saying, "Hip-hop seemed like it was about fighting for your rights in the beginning, about speaking your mind, and breaking down barriers or whatever, but everybody in hip-hop discriminates against gay people. To me, that's one of the standards in hip-hop is to be like, 'You fag, you gay'". [30] [31]

Later negative representations

In Byron Hurt's 2006 documentary Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes , Hurt explores the nuanced relationships between hip-hop, masculinity, misogyny, and homophobia. [32] Recognizing the presence of these issues in hip-hop, a genre he loves, Hurt felt a sense of hypocrisy and began working on the film. [32] In the documentary Hurt travels around the country and interviews rap and hip hop artists, academics, and fans about their perceptions on these issues in the culture. [32] After conducting dozens of interviews, Hurt sees a continued pattern of homophobia linked to the need to prove one's masculinity. [32]

Through the objectification of women and domination of other men to assert another person's masculinity, a pattern of homophobia occurs in the hip hop and rap community. [32] Rapper Busta Rhymes walks out of his interview when he is asked a question about homophobia in the rap community. [32] Rhymes says, "I can't partake in that conversation," followed by, "With all due respect, I ain't trying to offend nobody. . . What I represent culturally doesn't condone [homosexuality] whatsoever." [32] This reaction from Rhymes exemplifies part of the negative perception of homosexuality in the hip-hop community. [32]

Rapper Boosie Badazz has recently come under fire for his offensive remarks directed towards artist Lil Nas X for joking on Twitter about a song collaboration. [33] The rapper has obsessively made homophobic remarks about Lil Nas X since his rise to superstardom. [34]

Song lyrics

Ice-T stated on his autobiography that record-label executive Seymour Stein took exception to a line in his song "409": "Guys grab a girl, girls grab a guy / If a guy wants a guy, please take it outside". [35] Ice-T later became one of the first rappers to condemn homophobia on raps such as Straight Up Nigga and The Tower in his album O.G. Original Gangster (1991).

Many songs by rapper Eminem have been considered homophobic for his frequent use of anti-gay slurs, especially the song "Criminal" from his third album The Marshall Mathers LP (2000), which contains lines like: "My words are like a dagger with a jagged edge, That'll stab you in the head, whether you're a fag or les', Or a homosex, hermaph or a trans-a-vest, Pants or dress, hate fags? The answer's 'yes'". In an interview with Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes , Eminem denied being homophobic and explained the frequent use of the term "faggot" in his lyrics, that this word was "thrown around constantly" in battle rap, and that he does not use it to refer to gay people. [36]

The Marshall Mathers LP was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards 2001, which led to protests due to the album's controversial content. At the show, Eminem performed "Stan" with openly gay musician Elton John in response. [37] Eminem experienced more backlash in 2018, after he released his surprise album Kamikaze. On December 11, 2017, rapper Tyler, The Creator tweeted "dear god this song is horrible sheesh how the fuck", [38] which fans quickly realised was directed at Eminem's new single at the time, "Walk On Water". On the track "Fall" from Kamikaze, Eminem responded to Tyler, The Creator's criticisms, where he raps "Tyler create nothin', I see why you call yourself a faggot, bitch / It's not because you lack attention, it's because you worship D12's balls, you're sacreligeous". [39]

This is most likely in relation to Tyler's sexuality being a major spectacle within his fanbase, with a lot of his lyrics hinting at homosexuality. [40] Before the album was released, however, the slur was censored. Eminem joined Sway Calloway in a series of interviews after Kamikaze's release, where he explained that he regretted using the slur against Tyler. "In my quest to hurt him, I realised that I was hurting a lot of other people by saying it. At the time, I was so mad, it was just whatever...", "...it was one of the things I kept going back to, going 'I don't feel right with this.'" Justin Vernon, who provided the chorus for "Fall", publicly condemned Eminem's language on the song, tweeting "Was not in the studio for the Eminem track... came from a session with BJ Burton and Mike Will. Not a fan of the message, it's tired. Asked them to change the track, wouldn't do it...". [41]

In 2020, Eminem released his album Music To Be Murdered By , in which he collaborated on a song with openly queer New York rapper Young M.A. In 2010, while being interviewed by Anderson Cooper for 60 Minutes, Eminem was challenged about his homophobic lyrics, to which he said: "The scene that I came up in, that word was thrown around so much. You know? 'Faggot', it was thrown around constantly to each other, like, in battling." When Anderson Cooper asked Eminem if he 'didn't like gay people', Eminem replied: "I don't have any problem with nobody [sic]."

In 2020, rappers Insane Clown Posse denounced past use of homophobic slurs in their lyrics, saying that their producer Mike E. Clark is gay, and that "We wanted to be like gangsta rap, and gangsta rap said it all the time" but "There was never a time when we had a problem with gay people." [42]

In the lyrics of one song on rapper Trick-Trick's 2008 album The Villain , he refers to Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O'Donnell as "dyke bitches" and says that he will send a "scud missile right through their fucking cruise ship". Trick-Trick expressed his dislike towards homosexuals in an interview with music site AllHipHop: "Faggots hate me and I don't give a fuck. I don't want your faggot money any goddam way." [43]

The phrase "No Homo" is often used in today's hip hop lyrics and Black culture. It means "no gay things" or "nothing gay". One example of the term's usage is in the Jay-Z song, "Run This Town". Kanye West, one of the featured artists on the song, stated, "It's crazy how you can go from being Joe Blow / to everybody on your dick...no homo." [44]

Evolution

It's not a different kind of hip hop, but places identity at the center of production, which is a blessing and curse. I'm a hip hop artist, ultimately, who happens to be queer.

Tim'm T. West [19]

By the early 2010s, a new wave of openly LGBTQ+ hip hop musicians began to emerge, spurred in part by the increased visibility and social acceptance of LGBTQ+ people, [45] the coming out of mainstream hip hop stars such as Azealia Banks and Frank Ocean, [46] and the release of LGBT-positive songs by heterosexual artists such as Murs, Macklemore, and Ryan Lewis.

Although inspired and empowered by the homo hop movement, [19] this newer generation of artists garnered more mainstream media coverage and were able to make greater use of social media tools to build their audience, [24] and thus did not need to rely on the old homo hop model of community building. [19] Many of these artists were also strongly influenced by the LGBTQ+ African American ball culture, [45] an influence not widely seen in the first wave of homo hop, and many began as performance art projects and incorporated the use of drag. [47] Accordingly, many of the newer artists were identified in media coverage with the newer "queer hip hop" label instead of "homo hop". [19]

In 2008, Jipsta released the single "Middle of the Dancefloor" which spent a total of 14 weeks (peaking at #6 for two consecutive weeks) on the Billboard Dance Club Play chart. This achievement was noteworthy for LGBTQ+ hip-hop as it marked the first time an openly gay white rapper earned a Top 10 single on the Billboard Club Play chart. [48] The following year, Jipsta released a cover of the George Michael song "I Want Your Sex", which rose to the #4 position on the Billboard Dance Club Play chart in only 4 weeks time, resulting in the first Top 5 Billboard charting record by an LGBTQ+ hip-hop artist. [48]

In March 2012, Carrie Battan of Pitchfork profiled Mykki Blanco, Le1f, Zebra Katz and House of Ladosha in an article titled "We Invented Swag: NYC Queer Rap" about "a group of NYC artists [who] are breaking down ideas of hip-hop identity". [47]

In October 2012, Details profiled several LGBTQ+ hip hop artists "indelibly changing the face—and sound—of rap". [49]

In March 2014, the online magazine Norient.com published a first overview of queer hip hop videos worldwide. The article talks about topics, aesthetics and challenges of LGBTQ+ hip hop in Angola, Argentina, Cuba, Germany, Israel, Serbia, South Africa and the USA." [50]

Increasingly, focus on the development of Queer voices in the international hip-hop community has gained more precedent with articles published looking at how Queer rappers use the art-form as a type of therapy. A Winter 2016 article from Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education looked at how utilizing the art-form helped challenge traditional notions of hip hop and sexual identity. [51]

In December 2016, Los Angeles-based rapper Thed Jewel, who raps "My skin is black, sexuality is Fuchsia" said: "There are a lot of rappers that are homosexuals and their day to be open with it will come one way or another". [52]

In August 2018, openly gay member of Brockhampton, Kevin Abstract voiced his efforts to change hip hop's issue with homophobia in an interview with the BBC by stating: "I have to exist in a homophobic space in order to make change and that homophobic space would be the hip hop community. So me just existing and being myself is making change and making things easier for other young queer kids". [53]

In June 2019, Lil Nas X, who performed the hit song "Old Town Road", took the opportunity to publicly come out during Pride Month, making him one of the most visible Black queer male singers to do so, [4] especially in country or hip hop genres, which emphasize machismo and "historically snubbed queer artists". [4] Black queer male artists in hip hop gaining mainstream acceptance are relatively new—preceding Nas X by less than a decade—including Frank Ocean (with his 2012 album Channel Orange ), Tyler, the Creator, ILoveMakonnen, Brockhampton frontman Kevin Abstract and Steve Lacy. [4] Black queer female artists have been accepted more readily; [4] while the underground queer hip hop movement goes back to the 1990s. [19]

Criticism

Some artists have criticized the genre as an arbitrary label that can potentially limit the artist's audience and may not actually correspond to their artistic goals or career aspirations. In 2013, Brooke Candy told The Guardian :

What is so bothersome to me, with these emerging gay rappers, is that they've created a new genre called 'queer hip-hop'. Why the fuck is there a new genre for the same-sounding music? Half of the people rapping up there are gay and people don't even know it. [54]

One unspecified artist declined to be interviewed for the Guardian feature at all, stating that he preferred to be known as a rapper rather than as a "gay rapper". [54] Eric Shorey, author of "Queer Rap is Not Queer Rap," contests "queer rap" labeling, arguing that "comparisons between gay and straight rap (as if they were two distinct genres) simply doesn't make sense without implied bigotry". [55] As Shorey writes, this subversive genre is steeped in racism and homophobia in and of itself, and merely serves to further marginalize the identities and narratives it allegedly gives a voice to.

Though Western society has a predisposition to impose socially construed labels and binaries, Shorey dismisses the notion of heteronormative categorical identification, insisting that listeners ignore these sexuality-based hip hop classifications and listen more closely to the quality of music being produced. He also suggests that queer artists should be booked alongside straight artists, showing that they are equally talented, and deserve the same amount of recognition.

Despite criticism, others have been more circumspect about the dichotomy. British rapper RoxXxan told the Guardian that "I want to be perceived as 'RoxXxan,' but if people label me as 'gay rapper RoxXxan' I'm not offended." [54] Nicky Da B told Austinist that "Basically, I perform for a LGBTQ+ crowd but also for everyone. A lot of the bounce rappers that are rapping and touring at the moment are all gay. The LGBTQ+ community just capitalizes on that I guess, from us being gay, and they support us on it, so that's how it goes I guess." [56]

Commercialization

Another criticism arises from the perceived commercialization of LGBTQ+ representation by hip hop artists. A good example of this is with Nicki Minaj and her approach to presenting sexuality and sexual orientation. She often presents queerness in her music videos and lyrics. [57] This approach has been analyzed by critics of Nicki as "strategic queerness". [58] Fly Young Red went viral on YouTube for his song "Throw That Boy Pussy" in 2014. Other artists, such as Azealia Banks, Angel Haze, and Young M.A. have openly discussed their sexuality in their lyrics and expression of style. [59]

Notable artists

See also

Related Research Articles

Lynise Walters, better known by her stage name Queen Pen, is an American rapper, singer, and novelist. She also has experience as a record producer, and has received a Soul Train nomination for Best New Artist. She has dealt with some controversy in relation to her use of lesbian themes—it being a taboo within hip-hop—in some of her music. Walters has written eight novels.

Eminem American rapper (born 1972)

Marshall Bruce Mathers III, known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Eminem is among the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated worldwide sales of over 220 million records. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclaimed as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Eminem's global success and acclaimed works are widely regarded as having broken racial barriers for the acceptance of white rappers in popular music. While much of his transgressive work during the late 1990s and early 2000s made him widely controversial, he came to be a representation of popular angst of the American underclass, and has been cited as an influence for many artists of various genres.

Juba Kalamka is an African American bisexual artist and activist recognized for his work and founding member of homohop group Deep Dickollective (D/DC) and his development of the micro-label sugartruck recordings.

Lorenzo Dechalus, known professionally as Lord Jamar is an American rapper, DJ, record producer, actor and podcaster. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Brand Nubian, which was formed in 1989. In 1996, he discovered Dead Prez and got them signed to Loud Records.

QBoy is a UK-based rapper, producer, DJ, writer and presenter. One of the original few out rappers in hip hop circa 2001 that became pioneers of the new subgenre colloquially known as "homo hop". QBoy is currently DJ and promoter of popular LGBTQ club night and party 'R & She: The Queens Of Hip-Hop & R&B' which hosts events in London, Berlin and New York City.

Joseph Thomas Lee, better known by his stage name Deadlee, is an American rapper and songwriter. He is based in Los Angeles, California, is of Mexican American and African American descent, and launched his career in 2000. In 2002, he released his critically acclaimed first album 7 Deadlee Sins. The follow-up album, Assault With a Deadlee Weapon, was released in late 2006.

No homo is a phrase used as slang at the end of a sentence to assert the statement spoken by the speaker had no intentional homosexual implications. The phrase is also "added to a statement in order to rid [oneself] of a possible homosexual double-entendre".

Misogyny in rap music refers to lyrics, videos, or other aspects of rap music that support, glorify, justify, or normalize the objectification, exploitation, or victimization of women. It is an ideology that reduces women to objects for men's ownership, use, or abuse. It diminishes women to expendable beings. It can range from innuendoes to stereotypical characterizations and defamations.

Tyler, the Creator American rapper and record producer from California

Tyler Gregory Okonma, professionally known as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper and record producer. Following a large contribution to Odd Future's early work, Tyler released his debut solo mixtape, Bastard, in 2009. After releasing his debut studio album, Goblin, via XL Recordings in April 2011, he signed a joint deal with RED Distribution and Sony Music Entertainment for himself and his label, Odd Future Records.

BEN (song) 2012 single by Adair Lion

"BEN" is a hip hop song written by rapper, producer, and director Adair Lion, a native of El Paso, Texas. The song samples Michael Jackson's 1972 song of the same name and gives a pro-LGBT message. One report described it as a message to the rap world, and a stance against gay discrimination. Towleroad called it a "beautifully-spun message about doing away with homophobia in hip-hop and Christianity, and accepting gay parents". Originally titled "It Gets Benner" in homage to the It Gets Better Project, Lion decided to use "Ben" with the name also serving as an acronym for "Better Everything Now".

Angel Haze American rapper and singer

Raykeea Raeen-Roes Wilson known professionally as Angel Haze, is an American rapper and singer. In 2012, Wilson released the EP Reservation and later signed a record deal with Universal Republic Records before moving to Republic Records. On December 31, 2013, Wilson released their debut album Dirty Gold, which featured the singles "Echelon " and "Battle Cry.” Wilson has released a number of mixtapes, including Reservation, which was ranked the sixth-best mixtape of 2012 by Mike Diver of the BBC, the most recent one Back to the Woods appeared in 2015.

Rap God 2013 single by Eminem

"Rap God" is a song by American rapper Eminem. The song premiered via YouTube on October 14, 2013, and was released in the United States on October 15, 2013, as the third single from Eminem's eighth studio album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013). It contains references to previous conflicts in Eminem's career, as well as to other rappers' conduct. The song received mixed reviews and some accusations of homophobic lyrics.

Cakes da Killa Musical artist

Rashard Bradshaw, better known as Cakes da Killa, is an American rap artist who fuses genres of hip hop, house, and electronic dance music. He came to prominence in the "queer explosion" of hip hop music stemming from New York in 2012 and is among the credited performers for the current trend of LGBTQ+ acceptance in the rap community. Bradshaw is currently based in Atlanta and his latest release MUVALAND, a hip house EP, was released on November 13, 2020, via Classic Music Company.

Timothy Terrell West, better known as Tim'm T. West, is an American educator and multi-discipline performance artist, author, hip hop recording artist, poet, activist, and youth advocate. Humboldt State University notes West as a Renaissance man who has achieved success as a performer, activist, author, teacher, and poet. He has been featured in many documentaries about hip hop culture, in addition to his books, he is widely anthologized, and has produced nine hip hop albums including with Deep Dickollective. West has been interviewed by an array of media outlets from Newsweek to the New York Times. He was awarded a "2013 Esteem Award", and in 2015 was named an LGBTQ icon.

Homophobia in ethnic minority communities is any negative prejudice or form of discrimination in ethnic minority communities worldwide towards people who identify as–or are perceived as being–lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT), known as homophobia. This may be expressed as antipathy, contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, irrational fear, and is sometimes related to religious beliefs. While religion can have a positive function in many LGB Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities, it can also play a role in supporting homophobia.

The African-American LGBT community, otherwise referred to as the Black LGBT community, is part of the overall LGBT culture and overall African-American culture. The initialism LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. A landmark event for the LGBT community, and the Black LGBT community in particular, was the Stonewall uprising in 1969, in New York City's Greenwich Village, where Black activists including Stormé DeLarverie and Marsha P. Johnson played key roles in the events.

"Fall" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his album Kamikaze (2018). It was sent to Italian and UK contemporary hit radio on September 14, 2018, as the album's first single.

City Girls American hip hop duo from Florida

City Girls is an American hip hop duo from Miami, Florida consisting of Yung Miami and JT. The duo originate from Miami, Florida, and garnered attention after making an uncredited guest appearance on "In My Feelings", the 2018 chart-topping single by Drake.

Lil Nas X American rapper and singer (born 1999)

Montero Lamar Hill, known by his stage name Lil Nas X, is an American rapper and singer. He rose to prominence with the release of his country rap single "Old Town Road", which first achieved viral popularity in early 2019 before climbing music charts internationally and becoming diamond certified by November of that same year.

Hip hop music, developed in the South Bronx in the early 1970s, has long been tied to social injustice in the United States, particularly that of the African American experience. Hip hop artists have spoken out in their lyrics against perceived social injustices such as police brutality, poverty, mass incarceration, and the war on drugs. The relationship between hip hop music and social injustice can be seen most clearly in two subgenres of hip hop, gangsta rap and conscious rap.

References

  1. MacPherson, Alex (May 10, 2011). "Is hip-hop homophobia at a tipping point?". Guardian. London. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
  2. Gilchrist, Todd (May 13, 2011). "Odd Future Plays Secret L.A. Show". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 13, 2011.
  3. Garcia, Marcelo (January 28, 2018). "From Eminem to Offset, an analysis of hip-hop's history of homophobia". Highlander. Archived from the original on May 7, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Kennedy, Gerrick D. (July 31, 2019). "Lil Nas X came out, but has hip-hop? A macho culture faces a crossroads". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on August 1, 2019. Retrieved August 1, 2019. ...d one would be hard pressed to not find a gay slur embedded in the lyrics of any of the genre's most famous architects. In fact, an entire lexicon dedicated to pointing out discomfort with gay men has permeated rap lyrics. Slang such as "sus" and "No homo" and "Pause" that use queerness as a punchline have been thrown around casually for years.
  5. 1 2 Julious, Britt (June 24, 2016). "A gay man is making the most anticipated album of the year". Esquire . Archived from the original on March 11, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 "Is British Rap Finally Going to Have a Gay Hip Hop Scene?" Archived February 25, 2015, at the Wayback Machine . Noisey , August 7, 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Homo Hop". Studio 360 , June 26, 2009.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Underground fruit gangstas: uncovering the hidden subculture of homo-hop music". Columbia Chronicle , September 10, 2012.
  9. Life+Times (July 4, 2012). "Thank You, Frank Ocean". Life+Times. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  10. "Watch Kanye West Get Upset About Homophobia in Hip-Hop, 10 Years Ago". MTV .
  11. Grow, Kory (November 26, 2013). "UN Names Macklemore "Equality Champion"". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  12. Alridge, Derrick P.; Stewart, James B. (2005). "Introduction: Hip Hop in History: Past, Present, and Future". The Journal of African American History. 90 (3): 190–195. doi:10.1086/JAAHv90n3p190. ISSN   1548-1867. JSTOR   20063997. S2CID   140377377.
  13. "Hip-Hop's History Of Homophobia (LIST)". GlobalGrind.com. September 18, 2012. Archived from the original on April 17, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  14. 1 2 Clay, Andreana (2008). ""Like an Old Soul Record": Black Feminism, Queer Sexuality, and the Hip-Hop Generation". Meridians. 8 (1): 53–73. doi:10.2979/MER.2008.8.1.53. ISSN   1536-6936. JSTOR   40338911. S2CID   197656722.
  15. Clay, Andreana (2008). ""Like an Old Soul Record": Black Feminism, Queer Sexuality, and the Hip-Hop Generation". Meridians. 8 (1): 53–73. doi:10.2979/MER.2008.8.1.53. ISSN   1536-6936. JSTOR   40338911. S2CID   197656722.
  16. "Kanye West Addresses Hip-Hop's Homophobia In 2005 Interview | MTV News". YouTube . Archived from the original on April 10, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  17. Wilson, D. Mark (2007). "Post-Pomo Hip-Hop Homos: Hip-Hop Art, Gay Rappers, and Social Change". Social Justice. 34 (1 (107)): 117–140. ISSN   1043-1578. JSTOR   29768425.
  18. Smalls, Shanté Paradigm (January 2018). "Queer Hip Hop: A Brief Historiography". The Oxford Handbook of Music and Queerness.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Homo Hop is dead, Queer hip hop is the real deal" Archived March 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine . 429 Magazine, March 11, 2013.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 "Hip-Hop's Great Gay Hope: Rainbow Noise" Archived August 28, 2017, at the Wayback Machine . Spin , April 1, 2011.
  21. Binder, Kevin (2013). Homophobic Hip-Hop Music and Its Effect on Attitudes Toward Homosexuality (PDF) (Thesis). p. 82. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2019 via Google Scholar.
  22. Eminem – Criminal, archived from the original on April 19, 2019, retrieved May 7, 2019
  23. Stephens, Vincent (2005). "Pop Goes the Rapper: A Close Reading of Eminem's Genderphobia". Popular Music. 24 (1): 21–36. doi:10.1017/S0261143004000261. ISSN   0261-1430. JSTOR   3877592. S2CID   45080116.
  24. 1 2 "Homohop's Role Within Hip-Hop: Juba Kalamka Interview" Archived 2013-05-11 at the Wayback Machine . Amoeba Music, July 7, 2009.
  25. Chonin, Neva (December 16, 2001). "Hip to homo-hop: Oakland's D/DC fuses gay and black identities with eyebrow-raising rhyme". San Francisco Chronicle. p. PK - 54. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved November 19, 2008.
  26. "Move over, gangstas: Here comes homo-hop" Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine . The Globe and Mail , May 31, 2003.
  27. Thomas, Devon (July 12, 2004). "'Homo-Hop' Has a Say". Newsweek. p. PK - 54. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved November 19, 2008.
  28. ""Makin' Music with Cazwell". Rage Monthly, August 10, 2012". Archived from the original on February 25, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  29. "Rapper Cazwell Opens Up About Being Gay in Hip Hop" Archived February 25, 2015, at the Wayback Machine . NBC Miami, July 6, 2011.
  30. MTV News (August 20, 2015), Kanye West Addresses Hip-Hop's Homophobia In 2005 Interview, archived from the original on April 10, 2019, retrieved May 7, 2019
  31. "The Acceptance of Women & LGBTQ Artists in Hip-Hop". BallerStatus.com. December 7, 2017. Archived from the original on May 7, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Hurt, Byron (February 22, 2007). "A daring look at hip-hop - baltimoresun.com". Baltimore Sun . Archived from the original on February 22, 2007. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  33. Love, Bettina L. (2017). "A Ratchet Lens: Black Queer Youth, Agency, Hip Hop, and the Black Ratchet Imagination". Educational Researcher. 46 (9): 539–547. doi:10.3102/0013189X17736520. ISSN   0013-189X. JSTOR   44972482. S2CID   149117733.
  34. "Boosie Badazz Targets Charlamagne tha God and Lil Nas X With Latest Homophobic Remarks". Complex. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  35. Marrow, Tracy; Century, Douglas (2011). Ice: A Memoir of Gangster Life and Redemption—from South Central to Hollywood. Random House. pp. 100–101. ISBN   978-0-345-52328-0.
  36. "Eminem Discusses Homophobic Lyrics With Anderson Cooper- News - Towleroad". October 24, 2012. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  37. Sieczkowski, Cavan (March 24, 2017). "Elton John Defends Eminem Against Charges Of Homophobia". Huff Post. Archived from the original on December 21, 2017. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  38. "Tyler The Creator Disses Eminem Says "Walk On Water" Is Trash". Urban Islandz. November 14, 2017. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  39. ago, Music-3 years (September 14, 2018). "Eminem Reveals Tyler, The Creator Diss Was Because Tyler And Earl Sweatshirt Criticized His Music". Okayplayer. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  40. "Tyler the Creator has been 'coming out' as gay or bisexual for years and no-one cared". The Independent. November 23, 2018. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  41. "Bon Iver's Justin Vernon Says 'We Are Gonna Kill' Eminem Track With Homophobic Slur". Billboard. August 31, 2018. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  42. 1 2 Breihan, Tom (May 18, 2020). "We've Got A File On You: Insane Clown Posse". Stereogum. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  43. "U.S. Rapper Trick Trick Tells Gays Not to Buy His Homophobic Album - Towleroad". Towleroad.com. November 12, 2008. Archived from the original on September 7, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  44. "No Homo? Hip-Hop and Homophobia (Park 1)". November 4, 2009. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  45. 1 2 3 4 5 "Zebra Katz, Mykki Blanco and the rise of queer rap" Archived June 22, 2017, at the Wayback Machine . The Guardian , June 9, 2012.
  46. "Hip-Hop's Bustin' out the Closet" Archived October 31, 2012, at the Wayback Machine . David Atlanta , August 1, 2012.
  47. 1 2 3 4 5 "We Invented Swag: NYC's Queer Rap" Archived April 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine . Pitchfork, March 21, 2012.
  48. 1 2 3 "Jipsta - Chart history - Billboard". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  49. "Hip Hop's Queer Pioneers" Archived May 28, 2013, at the Wayback Machine . Details, October 2012.
  50. "Queer Hip Hop Clips From 8 Countries" Archived March 27, 2014, at the Wayback Machine . Norient, March 2014.
  51. Adam J. Kruse (2016). ""Therapy Was Writing Rhymes": Hip-Hop as Resilient Space for a Queer Rapper of Color". Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education (207–208): 101–122. doi:10.5406/bulcouresmusedu.207-208.0101. JSTOR   10.5406/bulcouresmusedu.207-208.0101.
  52. "Newcomer: Los Angeles-based rapper Thed Jewel shared debut track "Fuchsia"". HighClouds. December 21, 2016. Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  53. Blake, Jimmy (August 31, 2018). "The rapper taking on hip hop's 'homophobic space'". BBC News. Archived from the original on February 17, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  54. 1 2 3 "Gay rap, the unthinkable becomes reality" Archived 2016-01-20 at the Wayback Machine . The Guardian , July 13, 2013.
  55. "Queer Rap is Not Queer Rap - Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. March 31, 2015. Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  56. "Drop It Hot Potato Style: An Interview with Nicky Da B" Archived January 12, 2015, at the Wayback Machine . Austinist, November 1, 2012.
  57. Smith, Marquita R. (May 27, 2014). ""Or a Real, Real Bad Lesbian": Nicki Minaj and the Acknowledgement of Queer Desire in Hip-Hop Culture". Popular Music and Society. 37 (3): 360–370. doi:10.1080/03007766.2013.800680. ISSN   0300-7766. S2CID   191477923.
  58. Shange, Savannah (2014). "A king named Nicki: strategic queerness and the black femmecee". Women & Performance: A Journal of Feminist Theory. 24 (1): 29–45. doi:10.1080/0740770X.2014.901602. S2CID   191486577.
  59. Oware, Matthew (July 11, 2018), The Queer Emcee: Gender, Race, and Social Consciousness in Rap Music, pp. 153–180, ISBN   978-3-319-90453-5 , retrieved November 18, 2021
  60. "Get to Know 070 Shake, G.O.O.D. Music's Shape-Shifting Secret Weapon". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 26, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  61. "Push and slay: Abdu Ali finds his voice" Archived February 26, 2015, at the Wayback Machine . Baltimore Sun , November 5, 2013.
  62. 1 2 3 4 5 "12 Must-Know LGBTQ Hip Hop Acts" Archived February 25, 2015, at the Wayback Machine . Fuse , May 29, 2014.
  63. Simon, Mashaun D. (February 16, 2007). "Hearts A- Phyre': African-American Organizers Want to Make First Black Gay History Week an Annual Event". Southern Voice. Archived from the original on November 6, 2007. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
  64. Ellis, Anye (June 24, 2008). "Gay 101 Honors: In The Margins". Gay 101 Honors. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
  65. Jesse Locke, "Montreal rapper Backxwash invokes self-altering fury" Archived June 21, 2020, at the Wayback Machine . Daily Xtra , May 25, 2020.
  66. Nika, Colleen (September 10, 2012). "Q&A: Azealia Banks on Why the C-Word Is 'Feminine'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  67. Fulton, Nick (May 18, 2018). "bali baby makes cathartic emo rap about queer heartbreak". I-d. Archived from the original on October 8, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  68. "Life Tips with BbyMutha". Office Magazine. February 28, 2018. Archived from the original on November 20, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  69. "Bear Rapper Big Dipper: I Won't Sleep With My Fans" Archived February 25, 2015, at the Wayback Machine . Out , March 10, 2014.
  70. "Free Download + Interview: Big Momma Goes Hard on Infectious LP 'The Plague'" Archived April 2, 2015, at the Wayback Machine . AFROPUNK, June 24, 2014.
  71. "Meet Brooke Candy: Rapper, Stripper, Warrior" Archived March 14, 2013, at the Wayback Machine . LA Weekly , August 28, 2012.
  72. Burke, Minyvonne (April 14, 2016). "D. Smith Explains Why She Wanted To Share Her Story As A Transgender Woman On 'Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta'". International Business Times. IBT Media Inc. Archived from the original on May 19, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  73. Ho, Rodney. "Talk with D Smith first transgender cast member on 'Love & Hip Hop Atlanta'". AJC.com. Cox Media Group. Archived from the original on May 17, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  74. Chonin, Neva (December 16, 2001). "Hip to homo-hop: Oakland's D/DC fuses gay and black identities with eyebrow-raising rhyme". San Francisco Chronicle. p. PK - 54. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved November 19, 2008.
  75. Sharma, Nitasha Tamar (2010). Hip Hop Desis: South Asian Americans, Blackness, and a Global Race Consciousness. Durham and London: Duke University Press. pp. 48, 158. ISBN   978-0822392897 . Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  76. "Drebae Interview: Femme, Queer Rapper Insists 'I Deserve to Exist After Pride Month'". Billboard. July 18, 2018. Archived from the original on July 5, 2020. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  77. 2014, Robert Longfellow Apr 12; This, 12:14pm Share This Tweet This Email (April 12, 2014). "Gay Rapper Fly Young Red Discusses Career & Girls vs Boys [VIDEO]". hiphopwired.com. Archived from the original on November 25, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  78. "Frank Ocean Interview: Happy To Wake Up Without 'This Freakin' Boulder On My Chest'". Instinct Magazine. July 21, 2012. Archived from the original on August 20, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
  79. "Hip Hop Homos : Overview | Logo Online". Archived from the original on February 19, 2010. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  80. Herdandez, Greg (January 20, 2017). "Atlanta rapper iLoveMakonnen comes out as gay on Twitter". Gay Star News. Archived from the original on July 30, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  81. "The Dark Knight Rises." The Challenge: Rivals II. MTV. July 24, 2013. Television.
  82. "Rapper Jipsta Returns After Surviving Anti-Gay Hate Crime, Talks Support From RuPaul, Willam & Pandora Boxx". Billboard . August 3, 2017. Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  83. Gross, Dan (January 9, 2008). "VIP Party Boys to visit Tyra". Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  84. Kregloe, Karman (May 14, 2007). "Interview With Jonny McGovern". AfterElton.com. Archived from the original on November 18, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  85. BiNetUSA (2019). "BiNet USA". binetusa.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  86. Sawyer, Terry, "Queering the Mic" Archived June 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine , Pop Matters , March 18, 2004, accessed November 7, 2009
  87. Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (August 6, 2020). "Kate Tempest announces they are non-binary, changes name to Kae". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  88. Frank, Alex (April 5, 2016). "Kaytranada Is Reaching 100%". The Fader . Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  89. "Kehlani Clarifies Her Sexuality Once and for All: I'm Queer". E!. April 23, 2018. Archived from the original on July 15, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  90. "How Many Times Does Kevin Abstract Need to Rap About Being Gay?". DJBooth. Archived from the original on May 1, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  91. "Introducing rapper and alum K.Flay". December 6, 2010. Archived from the original on December 25, 2019. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  92. "K.Flay instagram". Non-loginwalled link at bibliogram.pussthecat.org
  93. Bark, Theo (May 17, 2010). "Lady Sovereign Comes Out in Lesbian Magazine". The Boombox. Archived from the original on July 10, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  94. "Too Gay for Hip-Hop? Le1f Takes On Traditionally Homophobic Genre" Archived April 4, 2013, at the Wayback Machine . The Daily Beast , August 10, 2012.
  95. {{Cite web|url=https://www.stylesrant.com/a-closer-look-at-lil-darkies-sexuality/%7Ctitle=Is Lil Darkie gay? A closer look at his sexuality|website=StylesRant|language=en=US|access-date=May 17, 2021
  96. Jacobs, Julia (July 2019). "Lil Nas X Comes Out on Last Day of Pride Month". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 1, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  97. "Lil Peep Reveals He's Bisexual - XXL". XXL Mag. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  98. Tracer, Dan (August 9, 2017). "Rapper Lil Peep comes out as bi on Twitter". Archived from the original on August 10, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  99. Tenbarge, Kat. "How an internet comedian pivoted to a career in music with in-your-face gay rap that has teens traveling for hours to see his shows". Insider. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  100. "Montreal Musician Lucas Charlie Rose Explains the Politics of Appearing in Trans Photo Series". October 5, 2015. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  101. "The Multiplicities of Mykki Blanco". Interview Magazine. Alex Chapman. April 4, 2012. Archived from the original on April 8, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  102. "Oliver Twixt is bringing queer Black Boy Joy to hip-hop". Music. October 2, 2017. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  103. Caramanica, Jon (August 28, 2020). "'WAP' Is Good, Raunchy Fun. On TikTok, It's at Home". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 1, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  104. "How Princess Nokia Achieved the 'Gay New York Dream'". Out . October 2, 2017. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  105. Bendix, Trish (July 4, 2010). "Samantha Ronson: "I'm Not Gay. I'm an Equal Opportunity Player."". After Ellen. Archived from the original on March 15, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  106. "Saucy Santana Reveals the Key to Making LGBTQ Artists Go Mainstream: 'Keep Banging Down the Door'". CheatSheet]]. Retrieved January 22, 2022.{{cite web}}: Check |archive-url= value (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  107. Timberg, Scott (June 2, 2016). "How Saul Williams found courage: "Prince and Bowie liberated me as an artist to be queer"". Salon . San Francisco, California: Salon Media Group. Archived from the original on October 14, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  108. Times-Picayune, Alison Fensterstock, NOLA com | The. "New Orleans Jazz Fest gets shaking with Big Freedia and Sissy Nobby at Congo Square". NOLA.com. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  109. "Página/12 :: No". Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  110. "Sasha Sathya: Nuestra MIA". March 18, 2018. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  111. "TRANSTORTA: Sasha Sathya en el marco de SATII por primera vez en Uruguay". Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  112. "SHE PROPOSED... (STORY TIME)". YouTube. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  113. Radner, Ronni (October 2005). "Magic Man". Out Magazine. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  114. "Solomon to Head to NYC for Shade 45 Show". OutHipHop.com. June 2008. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  115. Frank, Alex. "Men: Steve Lacy — FANTASTIC MAN". Fantastic Man. Archived from the original on August 27, 2018. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  116. Domanick, Andrea (January 12, 2012). "Odd Future's Syd the Kyd Joins The Internet". L.A. Weekly. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  117. "Chance The Rapper's Brother Taylor Bennett Reveals He's Bisexual". Billboard . January 19, 2017. Archived from the original on October 1, 2017. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
  118. "NewBlackMan (in Exile): DeepDickollective Co-Founder Tim'm West on Frank Ocean". Archived from the original on January 5, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  119. "Titica". Okay Africa. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  120. Tori Fixx interview, Queer Music Heritage radio show, April 2007 Archived February 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine , produced by JD Doyle
  121. Sun, Brandon Weigel, Special To The Baltimore. "Baltimore gay rappers are loud and proud". Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  122. "Tyler the Creator has been 'coming out' as gay or bisexual for years and no-one cared". The Independent. July 11, 2017. Archived from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  123. Murray, Daisy (August 17, 2017). "Tyler The Creator Is The Latest Male Celebrity To Reveal He's Bisexual". ELLE. Archived from the original on February 1, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  124. "Tyler the Creator Likes Girls But 'Ends Up F**king Their Brother'". www.out.com. November 20, 2019. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  125. Henderson, Taylor (June 25, 2019). "Willow Smith Comes Out: 'I Love Men and Women Equally'". Pride.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  126. "Interview by Jim Buzinski in outsports.com interview: Will Sheridan talks about being gay and a basketball player and now a role model". Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  127. Dionne, Evette (June 15, 2017). "Young MA: 'Music is where I'm going to speak about my sexuality'". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  128. "Young MA rapper comes out as a lesbian: 'I just need to be myself'". PinkNews. UK. February 8, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  129. "Yves Tumor — Serpent Music (PAN)". dusted. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020.