QUEER RAP - WHERE DOES IT FIT IN TODAYS LANDSCAPE?
Written By IJR (@ONLY.IJR)
The month of June is a special one for many reasons, tons of celebrations and historical events to look forward to during the whole 30 days, but no one can deny that among all of them, the biggest celebration this month, is PRIDE. For those few of you outside of the loop, Pride is a whole month dedicated to the life and struggles of the LGBTQ+, as every year the majority of the world adorns their cities, and corporations in rainbow-colored flags and logos, in an attempt to close a gap fueled by alienation and stigma. Interestingly that got me wondering that since so many people already entertain and tolerate ideas of diversity and respect for those different than them, is that a value shared amongst today’s listeners of rap? The short answer, not exactly, however, I’ve observed that with every passing year we seem to get more and more members of the LGBT breaking through the molds and expectations set in place by rappers, and rap fans alike, despite a general resistance towards change.
Whether we discuss subtle rappers like Tyler, the creator, Stand out acts such as the rapping boy band, Brockhampton, or the gimmick king himself, Lil Nas X, it’s clear that artists that happen to find themselves on the spectrum of sexuality, are topping the charts daily, so what is hip-hop's response to this? Well, realistically it's a mixed bag, whereas most fans will respect the art based on skill and aesthetic, a grand majority of listeners still tend to disregard any release based solely on the artist’s preferences and personal adversities. Gay rap is a subgenre that’s been alive in the underground since the 80s, a fact that I was surprised by when researching the rise queer music in general. The fact of the matter is, despite hip-hop being a genre founded as an outlet for the oppressed to voice their struggle, a grand section of rap listeners ironically would rather partake in gatekeep-like behavior, unfortunately. That being said that doesn’t mean that all hope is lost, take for example the recent outing of TDE rapper Isaiah Rashad, who publicly had an extremely intimate video leaked revealing his sexuality to be fluid, and anything but heterosexual. Now you’d think that this revelation would have destroyed his career, but interestingly enough, the support for the Tennessee rapper came in pouring overwhelmingly, a sentiment I personally appreciated deeply.
My takeaways from watching all of these things unfold lately have honestly felt like learning experiences, It's always disheartening to see creatives get cast out simply because they don’t fit in, however, it seems that when we are able to successfully reach the middle ground, hip-hop reacts positively. Personally, I think hip-hop still has a few things to learn and reflect upon, however, the future seems bright for queer art and artists alike, as long as we can come together, find that middle ground, and allow struggles of all kinds to have a place within the culture.
