#LoveWs - LGBTQ support om rappers varyg gre of tensy— much like the rappers themselv. Some of the guys kicked off their reers lettg everyone know they were down wh the LGBTQ e om the get-go. Others took years to acknowledge or even embrace the margalized populatn. It’s a topic that didn’t eva even rap legends like Biggie Smalls. It turned out his support was more personal when was revealed 2011 that one of his bt iends was openly gay and that the ceased rapper never had a problem wh wh a Supreme Court lg that brought marriage equaly to the USA, not everyone is down for the e for even voicg support. Check out this set of rappers who still managed to enjoy the us of succs even wh, as 50 Cent lik to put , "gay stuff." — Jon Rey(Photos om left: Frazer Harrison/Getty Imag for C... - One love.
Contents:
- HIP-HOP’S MOST ANTI-GAY LYRICS
- LIL NAS X HOP GAY RAPPERS FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF FEMALE RAPPERS
- 10 PRO-LGBTQ {MARG:12PX TO 0;}@MEDIA (M-WIDTH:980PX){{MAX-WIDTH:50%;}}{FONT:NORMAL 400 1.4REM/1.5 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;MARG:12PX TO 0;}@MEDIA (M-WIDTH:980PX){{MAX-WIDTH:50%;}}ONE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;OVERFLOW-X:HIDN;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;-WEBK-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;-MS-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;BOX-SHADOW:0 4PX 8PX 0 RGBA(0,0,0,0.08);MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;}{WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:NTA;}{WIDTH:1800PX;HEIGHT:1014PX;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:18PX 24PX;DISPLAY:GRID;GRID-GAP:18PX;TEXT-ALIGN:CENTER;}{LOR:#0A0A0A;}{FONT:NORMAL 700 2.0REM/1.25 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:#0A0A0A;}1 / {LOR:#0A0A0A;} A{FONT:HER;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} STRONG, B{FONT-WEIGHT:BOLR;}{FONT:NORMAL 400 1.4REM/1.5 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:#0A0A0A;} A{FONT:HER;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} STRONG, B{FONT-WEIGHT:BOLR;}#LOVEWS - LGBTQ SUPPORT OM RAPPERS VARYG GRE OF TENSY— MUCH LIKE THE RAPPERS THEMSELV. SOME OF THE GUYS KICKED OFF THEIR REERS LETTG EVERYONE KNOW THEY WERE DOWN WH THE LGBTQ E OM THE GET-GO. OTHERS TOOK YEARS TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR EVEN EMBRACE THE MARGALIZED POPULATN. IT’S A TOPIC THAT DIDN’T EVA EVEN RAP LEGENDS LIKE BIGGIE SMALLS. IT TURNED OUT HIS SUPPORT WAS MORE PERSONAL WHEN WAS REVEALED 2011 THAT ONE OF HIS BT IENDS WAS OPENLY GAY AND THAT THE CEASED RAPPER NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WH WH A SUPREME COURT LG THAT BROUGHT MARRIAGE EQUALY TO THE USA, NOT EVERYONE IS DOWN FOR THE E FOR EVEN VOICG SUPPORT. CHECK OUT THIS SET OF RAPPERS WHO STILL MANAGED TO ENJOY THE US OF SUCCS EVEN WH, AS 50 CENT LIK TO PUT , "GAY STUFF." — JON REY(PHOTOS OM LEFT: FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAG FOR C...{LOR:#818181;FONT-WEIGHT:400;}{FONT:NORMAL 600 1.4REM/1.2 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:#818181;FONT-WEIGHT:400;}PHOTO BY {LOR:HER;FONT:HER;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;}{LOR:HER;FONT:HER;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;}PHOTOS OM LEFT: FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAG FOR {WIDTH:1800PX;HEIGHT:1073PX;}2 / 11NICKI MAJ - NEVER ONE TO STEER AWAY OM NTROVERSY, EVEN NICKI’S BARS OOZED LGBTQ SUPPORT — HER MALE ALTER EGO WAS A GAY MAN NAMED ROMAN ZOLANSKI. BACK 2010, NICKI VOICED GREAT AMBNS BRIDGG THE GAP BETWEEN HER GAY FANS AND HIP HOP BY MG OVER A HYPOTHETIL TOUR WH LIL WAYNE, "NORMALLY, WAYNE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE GAY GUYS G TO SEE HIS SHOWS MUCH," SHE TOLD OUT, "BUT THEY'RE FELY A BIG PART OF MY MOVEMENT, AND I HOPE THEY'D STILL E OUT AND SEE ME."(PHOTO: ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAG){WIDTH:1800PX;HEIGHT:1254PX;}3 / 11LIL B - THE BERKELEY RAPPER MA SOME SOCIAL MEDIA WAV 2011 WHEN HE TLED HIS ALBUM I’M GAY (I’M HAPPY) SOLIDARY WH THE LGBTQ MUNY. EVEN AFTER RECEIVG ATH THREATS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, HE STUCK TO HIS GUNS A CNN TERVIEW: “I HOPE THAT I N TURN SOME OF MY FANS THAT MIGHT BE HOMOPHOBIC OR SUPPORTERS THAT MIGHT BE HOMOPHOBIC AND SAY, ‘YOU KNOW WHAT? WE’RE ALL ONE PEOPLE. THIS IS LOVE.’” (PHOTO: FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAG FOR COACHELLA){WIDTH:1213PX;HEIGHT:1800PX;}4 / 11A$AP ROCKY - THIS HARLEM NATIVE AND PLATUM-SELLG ARTIST IS A STANDOUT EXAMPLE OF HOW NEW HIP HOP ARTISTS ARE MORE OPEN TO EMBRACG THE LGBTQ MUNY. WH A$AP ROCKY, ME OM PURE OBSERVATN WH REGARDS TO HIS OWN LOVE FOR FASHN, “I ED TO BE HOMOPHOBIC, BUT THAT’S F**KED UP," HE TOLD PCHFORK. "I HAD TO LOOK THE MIRROR AND SAY, ‘ALL THE SIGNERS I’M WEARG ARE GAY.’” (PHOTO: TIM P. WHBY/GETTY IMAG){WIDTH:1800PX;HEIGHT:1381PX;}5 / 11MACKLEMORE - WHILE "THRIFT SHOP" WAS THE SEATTLE RAPPER’S CLAIM TO FAME, WAS ACTUALLY "SAME LOVE," HIS MARRIAGE EQUALY ANTHEM, THAT PROPELLED THE RAPPER TO BEE A MOUTHPIECE FOR LGBTQ EQUALY HIP HOP. THE POPULAR SONG WAS ACTUALLY BORN OUT OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, "I GREW UP WH TWO GAY UNCL ON CAPOL HILL. I WAS ALWAYS AROUND A MUNY OF GAY PEOPLE, AS A HIP HOP ARTIST, 'S STILL A TABOO ISSUE," MACKLEMORE SAID AN TERVIEW WH MIC FOR MARRIAGE EQUALY. "THAT IS CRAZY TO ME. THERE'S SO MUCH FEAR, AND SO MUCH OF DAT BACK TO RELIGN. I THK THAT WE HAVE EVOLVED AS A SOCIETY, AND THIS IS OUR TIME TO CREATE THE CHANGE THAT IS RIGHT." (PHOTO: JONATHAN LEIBSON/GETTY IMAG FOR PEPSI){MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:NONE;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;} + .E1IATVX90{DISPLAY:NONE;}(:EMPTY){DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;}(:EMPTY) + .E1IATVX90{DISPLAY:BLOCK;}{BACKGROUND-LOR:#0A0A0A;LOR:#FAFAFA;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;-WEBK-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MOZ-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MS-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;PADDG:2PX 5PX;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;PADDG:3PX 5PX 4PX 5PX;LOR:#C4FF2C;BACKGROUND-LOR:#000000;LOR:#FFFFFF;DISPLAY:BLOCK;TEXT-ALIGN:CENTER;}{FONT:NORMAL 600 1.4REM/1.2 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;BACKGROUND-LOR:#0A0A0A;LOR:#FAFAFA;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;-WEBK-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MOZ-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MS-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;PADDG:2PX 5PX;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;PADDG:3PX 5PX 4PX 5PX;LOR:#C4FF2C;BACKGROUND-LOR:#000000;LOR:#FFFFFF;DISPLAY:BLOCK;TEXT-ALIGN:CENTER;}{WIDTH:1380PX;HEIGHT:1800PX;}6 / 11FAT JOE - THE NYC RAPPER JOED THE NVERSATN OF LGBTQ ACCEPTANCE HIP HOP WH AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO VLADTV THAT HE’S WORKED ON SONGS WH GAY RAPPERS, “IN 2011 YOU GOTTA HI THAT YOU GAY? BE REAL! ‘YO, I’M GAY. WHAT THE F**K!’ IF YOU GAY, YOU GAY. THAT’S YOUR PREFERENCE. F**K IF THE PEOPLE DON’T LIKE .” (PHOTO: ROB FOLDY/GETTY IMAG){WIDTH:1680PX;HEIGHT:1800PX;}7 / 11KANYE WT - KANYE WT'S OUTSPOKEN LGBTQ SUPPORT DAT BACK TO 2005, WHEN HE TOLD SWAY ON MTV ABOUT HIS PERSONAL NNECTN TO THE LGBTQ MUNY, “I WOULD E THE WORD ‘F*G’ AND ALWAYS LOOK DOWN UPON GAYS. BUT THEN MY TOLD ME THAT ANOTHER ONE OF MY S WAS GAY, AND I LOVED HIM. HE'S ONE OF MY FAVORE S. AND AT THAT POT WAS KD OF LIKE A TURNG POT WHEN I WAS LIKE, ‘YO, THIS MY , I LOVE HIM AND I BEEN DISCRIMATG AGAST GAYS." SCE THEN, RANTS AND CRAZS ASI, KANYE HAS BEEN A QUIET BUT NSISTENT LGBTQ ALLY. (PHOTO: EZRA SHAW/GETTY IMAG){WIDTH:1800PX;HEIGHT:1239PX;}8 / 11QUEEN LATIFAH - WHILE KEEPG TOTALLY MUM ABOUT HER OWN PERSONAL LIFE (WHICH HAS ALWAYS LEFT PEOPLE SPECULATG ABOUT HER OWN SEXUALY), THE RAPPER OM NEWARK, N.J., HAS BEEN STEADILY MAKG MOV TOWARDS OUTRIGHT LGBTQ SUPPORT. DURG THE 2014 GRAMMY AWARDS, SHE OFFICIATED A MASS WEDDG OF SAME-SEX UPL. EARLIER THIS YEAR, WHEN ASKED ABOUT MARRIAGE EQUALY BY PEOPLE, SHE STATED, "WHO YOU CHOOSE TO MARRY IS REALLY UP TO YOU AND ’S NOT SOMETHG YOU SHOULD BE JUDGED ON. I DON’T FD BEG GAY OR LBIAN TO BE A CHARACTER FLAW. COUPL SHOULD BE PROTECTED UNR THE LAWS OF THIS UNTRY, PERD. IT ACTUALLY ANGERS ME. IT’S NOT UNUAL SO LET’S BE ADULTS AND LET’S MOVE FORWARD." (PHOTO: FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAG FOR AFI){WIDTH:1259PX;HEIGHT:1800PX;}9 / 11EMEM - THGS BETWEEN THE DETRO NATIVE AND THE LGBTQ MUNY HAVE BEEN GHT WH NTROVERSY SCE HIS BUT THE LATE '90S, BUT 2013, EMEM TOLD ROLLG STONE, “THE REAL ME STG HERE RIGHT NOW TALKG TO YOU HAS NO ISSU WH GAY, STRAIGHT, TRANSGENR, AT ALL. I'M GLAD WE LIVE A TIME WHERE 'S REALLY STARTG TO FEEL LIKE PEOPLE N LIVE THEIR LIV AND EXPRS THEMSELV.” (PHOTO: KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAG FOR MTV){WIDTH:1249PX;HEIGHT:1800PX;}10 / 11JAY Z - GOOD OL' HOV ALWAYS SIS WH REASON, AND HE DID JT THAT 2012 RIGHT AFTER PRINT OBAMA VOLIZED HIS SUPPORT FOR MARRIAGE EQUALY. MR. CARTER SPOKE TO CNN AND DROPPED A LTLE B OF TTH ABOUT THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO DISCRIMATE: “IT’S NO DIFFERENT THAN DISCRIMATG AGAST BLACKS. IT’S DISCRIMATN PLA AND SIMPLE. I THK 'S THE RIGHT THG TO DO, SO WHETHER STS HIM VOT OR NOT — AGA, ’S NOT ABOUT VOT. IT’S ABOUT PEOPLE. IT’S THE RIGHT THG TO DO AS A HUMAN BEG.” (PHOTO: THEO WARGO/GETTY IMAG FOR GLOBAL CIZEN FTIVAL){WIDTH:1800PX;HEIGHT:1304PX;}11 / 11THE GAME - BACK 2011, GAME TOLD VLADTV, “I DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM WH GAY PEOPLE. BEYONCé SHOULDA SAID, ‘WHO SHOULD N THE WORLD?’ GAYS. BEE THEY’RE EVERYWHERE AND RIGHTLY SO.” DON’T GET TWISTED, GAME’S SUPPORT FOR THE LGBTQ MUNY IS ACTUALLY ONLY RERVED FOR THOSE THAT ARE OUT OF THE CLOSET. HIS PROBLEM IS “WH PEOPLE WHO ARE PRETENDG NOT TO BE GAY.” (PHOTO: STT DULSON/GETTY IMAG)
HIP-HOP’S MOST ANTI-GAY LYRICS
But when Orville Peck’s myster barone follows the twangy guar to “My mama told me when I was young/ We are all born superstars, ” brgs the gay anthem to another level.
If you walk to a gay club wh the next few months and don’t hear the openg, heart-poundg stras of Vct’s “Kill My Heart, ” ll the police, bee a crime has been mted.
LIL NAS X HOP GAY RAPPERS FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF FEMALE RAPPERS
In the same ve, we also tend to see and hear a certa type of emcee over others—one who checks every box that aligns wh the genre’s firm power stctur both sonilly and athetilly, leavg many talented artists out of the equatn simply bee of who they self is an extensn of black culture and the muny that birthed , one that rri a longstandg, well-documented history of homophobia and transphobia. This mdset often translat to the lyrics ma famo by some of the game’s top artists, such as Emem’s rampant homophobia 2000’s “Crimal, ” Lil Wayne’s e of “faggot” 2008’s “A Milli, ” and Kanye Wt’s “no homo” bar Jay-Z’s 2009 h “Run This Town, ” stanc hardly scratchg the surface.
We always have to be strong, ” Rosar, who intifi as gay and Ao-Lato, explas to The Root. “[A song or beat] n be fire, but ’s not accepted [by listeners] bee ‘Oh they’re gay, they’re trans, we don’t know what that is, we don’t know what that looks like, I don’t want to hear that gay sh, ’” she explas. Gee says that the dtry has a propensy to prop up “men who don’t appear to be gay” as hip-hop’s LGBTQ figur.
(“A lot of didn’t know Frank Ocean was [bisexual], ” she not, and as we know, Lil Nas X did not e out as gay until after the succs of “Old Town Road.
10 PRO-LGBTQ {MARG:12PX TO 0;}@MEDIA (M-WIDTH:980PX){{MAX-WIDTH:50%;}}{FONT:NORMAL 400 1.4REM/1.5 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;MARG:12PX TO 0;}@MEDIA (M-WIDTH:980PX){{MAX-WIDTH:50%;}}ONE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;OVERFLOW-X:HIDN;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;-WEBK-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;-MS-FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;FLEX-DIRECTN:LUMN;BOX-SHADOW:0 4PX 8PX 0 RGBA(0,0,0,0.08);MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;}{WIDTH:100%;HEIGHT:TO;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:NTA;}{WIDTH:1800PX;HEIGHT:1014PX;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:18PX 24PX;DISPLAY:GRID;GRID-GAP:18PX;TEXT-ALIGN:CENTER;}{LOR:#0A0A0A;}{FONT:NORMAL 700 2.0REM/1.25 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:#0A0A0A;}1 / {LOR:#0A0A0A;} A{FONT:HER;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} STRONG, B{FONT-WEIGHT:BOLR;}{FONT:NORMAL 400 1.4REM/1.5 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:#0A0A0A;} A{FONT:HER;LOR:HER;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} STRONG, B{FONT-WEIGHT:BOLR;}#LOVEWS - LGBTQ SUPPORT OM RAPPERS VARYG GRE OF TENSY— MUCH LIKE THE RAPPERS THEMSELV. SOME OF THE GUYS KICKED OFF THEIR REERS LETTG EVERYONE KNOW THEY WERE DOWN WH THE LGBTQ E OM THE GET-GO. OTHERS TOOK YEARS TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR EVEN EMBRACE THE MARGALIZED POPULATN. IT’S A TOPIC THAT DIDN’T EVA EVEN RAP LEGENDS LIKE BIGGIE SMALLS. IT TURNED OUT HIS SUPPORT WAS MORE PERSONAL WHEN WAS REVEALED 2011 THAT ONE OF HIS BT IENDS WAS OPENLY GAY AND THAT THE CEASED RAPPER NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WH WH A SUPREME COURT LG THAT BROUGHT MARRIAGE EQUALY TO THE USA, NOT EVERYONE IS DOWN FOR THE E FOR EVEN VOICG SUPPORT. CHECK OUT THIS SET OF RAPPERS WHO STILL MANAGED TO ENJOY THE US OF SUCCS EVEN WH, AS 50 CENT LIK TO PUT , "GAY STUFF." — JON REY(PHOTOS OM LEFT: FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAG FOR C...{LOR:#818181;FONT-WEIGHT:400;}{FONT:NORMAL 600 1.4REM/1.2 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:#818181;FONT-WEIGHT:400;}PHOTO BY {LOR:HER;FONT:HER;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;}{LOR:HER;FONT:HER;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;}PHOTOS OM LEFT: FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAG FOR {WIDTH:1800PX;HEIGHT:1073PX;}2 / 11NICKI MAJ - NEVER ONE TO STEER AWAY OM NTROVERSY, EVEN NICKI’S BARS OOZED LGBTQ SUPPORT — HER MALE ALTER EGO WAS A GAY MAN NAMED ROMAN ZOLANSKI. BACK 2010, NICKI VOICED GREAT AMBNS BRIDGG THE GAP BETWEEN HER GAY FANS AND HIP HOP BY MG OVER A HYPOTHETIL TOUR WH LIL WAYNE, "NORMALLY, WAYNE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE GAY GUYS G TO SEE HIS SHOWS MUCH," SHE TOLD OUT, "BUT THEY'RE FELY A BIG PART OF MY MOVEMENT, AND I HOPE THEY'D STILL E OUT AND SEE ME."(PHOTO: ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAG){WIDTH:1800PX;HEIGHT:1254PX;}3 / 11LIL B - THE BERKELEY RAPPER MA SOME SOCIAL MEDIA WAV 2011 WHEN HE TLED HIS ALBUM I’M GAY (I’M HAPPY) SOLIDARY WH THE LGBTQ MUNY. EVEN AFTER RECEIVG ATH THREATS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, HE STUCK TO HIS GUNS A CNN TERVIEW: “I HOPE THAT I N TURN SOME OF MY FANS THAT MIGHT BE HOMOPHOBIC OR SUPPORTERS THAT MIGHT BE HOMOPHOBIC AND SAY, ‘YOU KNOW WHAT? WE’RE ALL ONE PEOPLE. THIS IS LOVE.’” (PHOTO: FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAG FOR COACHELLA){WIDTH:1213PX;HEIGHT:1800PX;}4 / 11A$AP ROCKY - THIS HARLEM NATIVE AND PLATUM-SELLG ARTIST IS A STANDOUT EXAMPLE OF HOW NEW HIP HOP ARTISTS ARE MORE OPEN TO EMBRACG THE LGBTQ MUNY. WH A$AP ROCKY, ME OM PURE OBSERVATN WH REGARDS TO HIS OWN LOVE FOR FASHN, “I ED TO BE HOMOPHOBIC, BUT THAT’S F**KED UP," HE TOLD PCHFORK. "I HAD TO LOOK THE MIRROR AND SAY, ‘ALL THE SIGNERS I’M WEARG ARE GAY.’” (PHOTO: TIM P. WHBY/GETTY IMAG){WIDTH:1800PX;HEIGHT:1381PX;}5 / 11MACKLEMORE - WHILE "THRIFT SHOP" WAS THE SEATTLE RAPPER’S CLAIM TO FAME, WAS ACTUALLY "SAME LOVE," HIS MARRIAGE EQUALY ANTHEM, THAT PROPELLED THE RAPPER TO BEE A MOUTHPIECE FOR LGBTQ EQUALY HIP HOP. THE POPULAR SONG WAS ACTUALLY BORN OUT OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, "I GREW UP WH TWO GAY UNCL ON CAPOL HILL. I WAS ALWAYS AROUND A MUNY OF GAY PEOPLE, AS A HIP HOP ARTIST, 'S STILL A TABOO ISSUE," MACKLEMORE SAID AN TERVIEW WH MIC FOR MARRIAGE EQUALY. "THAT IS CRAZY TO ME. THERE'S SO MUCH FEAR, AND SO MUCH OF DAT BACK TO RELIGN. I THK THAT WE HAVE EVOLVED AS A SOCIETY, AND THIS IS OUR TIME TO CREATE THE CHANGE THAT IS RIGHT." (PHOTO: JONATHAN LEIBSON/GETTY IMAG FOR PEPSI){MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG-BOTTOM:54PX;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:NONE;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;} + .E1IATVX90{DISPLAY:NONE;}(:EMPTY){DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;}(:EMPTY) + .E1IATVX90{DISPLAY:BLOCK;}{BACKGROUND-LOR:#0A0A0A;LOR:#FAFAFA;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;-WEBK-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MOZ-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MS-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;PADDG:2PX 5PX;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;PADDG:3PX 5PX 4PX 5PX;LOR:#C4FF2C;BACKGROUND-LOR:#000000;LOR:#FFFFFF;DISPLAY:BLOCK;TEXT-ALIGN:CENTER;}{FONT:NORMAL 600 1.4REM/1.2 "SOEHNE",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;BACKGROUND-LOR:#0A0A0A;LOR:#FAFAFA;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;-WEBK-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MOZ-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;-MS-LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;LETTER-SPACG:NORMAL;PADDG:2PX 5PX;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;PADDG:3PX 5PX 4PX 5PX;LOR:#C4FF2C;BACKGROUND-LOR:#000000;LOR:#FFFFFF;DISPLAY:BLOCK;TEXT-ALIGN:CENTER;}{WIDTH:1380PX;HEIGHT:1800PX;}6 / 11FAT JOE - THE NYC RAPPER JOED THE NVERSATN OF LGBTQ ACCEPTANCE HIP HOP WH AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO VLADTV THAT HE’S WORKED ON SONGS WH GAY RAPPERS, “IN 2011 YOU GOTTA HI THAT YOU GAY? BE REAL! ‘YO, I’M GAY. WHAT THE F**K!’ IF YOU GAY, YOU GAY. THAT’S YOUR PREFERENCE. F**K IF THE PEOPLE DON’T LIKE .” (PHOTO: ROB FOLDY/GETTY IMAG){WIDTH:1680PX;HEIGHT:1800PX;}7 / 11KANYE WT - KANYE WT'S OUTSPOKEN LGBTQ SUPPORT DAT BACK TO 2005, WHEN HE TOLD SWAY ON MTV ABOUT HIS PERSONAL NNECTN TO THE LGBTQ MUNY, “I WOULD E THE WORD ‘F*G’ AND ALWAYS LOOK DOWN UPON GAYS. BUT THEN MY TOLD ME THAT ANOTHER ONE OF MY S WAS GAY, AND I LOVED HIM. HE'S ONE OF MY FAVORE S. AND AT THAT POT WAS KD OF LIKE A TURNG POT WHEN I WAS LIKE, ‘YO, THIS MY , I LOVE HIM AND I BEEN DISCRIMATG AGAST GAYS." SCE THEN, RANTS AND CRAZS ASI, KANYE HAS BEEN A QUIET BUT NSISTENT LGBTQ ALLY. (PHOTO: EZRA SHAW/GETTY IMAG){WIDTH:1800PX;HEIGHT:1239PX;}8 / 11QUEEN LATIFAH - WHILE KEEPG TOTALLY MUM ABOUT HER OWN PERSONAL LIFE (WHICH HAS ALWAYS LEFT PEOPLE SPECULATG ABOUT HER OWN SEXUALY), THE RAPPER OM NEWARK, N.J., HAS BEEN STEADILY MAKG MOV TOWARDS OUTRIGHT LGBTQ SUPPORT. DURG THE 2014 GRAMMY AWARDS, SHE OFFICIATED A MASS WEDDG OF SAME-SEX UPL. EARLIER THIS YEAR, WHEN ASKED ABOUT MARRIAGE EQUALY BY PEOPLE, SHE STATED, "WHO YOU CHOOSE TO MARRY IS REALLY UP TO YOU AND ’S NOT SOMETHG YOU SHOULD BE JUDGED ON. I DON’T FD BEG GAY OR LBIAN TO BE A CHARACTER FLAW. COUPL SHOULD BE PROTECTED UNR THE LAWS OF THIS UNTRY, PERD. IT ACTUALLY ANGERS ME. IT’S NOT UNUAL SO LET’S BE ADULTS AND LET’S MOVE FORWARD." (PHOTO: FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAG FOR AFI){WIDTH:1259PX;HEIGHT:1800PX;}9 / 11EMEM - THGS BETWEEN THE DETRO NATIVE AND THE LGBTQ MUNY HAVE BEEN GHT WH NTROVERSY SCE HIS BUT THE LATE '90S, BUT 2013, EMEM TOLD ROLLG STONE, “THE REAL ME STG HERE RIGHT NOW TALKG TO YOU HAS NO ISSU WH GAY, STRAIGHT, TRANSGENR, AT ALL. I'M GLAD WE LIVE A TIME WHERE 'S REALLY STARTG TO FEEL LIKE PEOPLE N LIVE THEIR LIV AND EXPRS THEMSELV.” (PHOTO: KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAG FOR MTV){WIDTH:1249PX;HEIGHT:1800PX;}10 / 11JAY Z - GOOD OL' HOV ALWAYS SIS WH REASON, AND HE DID JT THAT 2012 RIGHT AFTER PRINT OBAMA VOLIZED HIS SUPPORT FOR MARRIAGE EQUALY. MR. CARTER SPOKE TO CNN AND DROPPED A LTLE B OF TTH ABOUT THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO DISCRIMATE: “IT’S NO DIFFERENT THAN DISCRIMATG AGAST BLACKS. IT’S DISCRIMATN PLA AND SIMPLE. I THK 'S THE RIGHT THG TO DO, SO WHETHER STS HIM VOT OR NOT — AGA, ’S NOT ABOUT VOT. IT’S ABOUT PEOPLE. IT’S THE RIGHT THG TO DO AS A HUMAN BEG.” (PHOTO: THEO WARGO/GETTY IMAG FOR GLOBAL CIZEN FTIVAL){WIDTH:1800PX;HEIGHT:1304PX;}11 / 11THE GAME - BACK 2011, GAME TOLD VLADTV, “I DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM WH GAY PEOPLE. BEYONCé SHOULDA SAID, ‘WHO SHOULD N THE WORLD?’ GAYS. BEE THEY’RE EVERYWHERE AND RIGHTLY SO.” DON’T GET TWISTED, GAME’S SUPPORT FOR THE LGBTQ MUNY IS ACTUALLY ONLY RERVED FOR THOSE THAT ARE OUT OF THE CLOSET. HIS PROBLEM IS “WH PEOPLE WHO ARE PRETENDG NOT TO BE GAY.” (PHOTO: STT DULSON/GETTY IMAG)
There’s also Le1f and Brockhampton’s Kev Abstract (who are both gay), Angel Haze (who is openly pansexual) and Mykki Blan (a trans woman), who reprent their muni while lettg their talents take center stage.
A and Chika are lbians who prent as “butch” (mascule), while Big Freedia, who intifi as gay, wears lorful outfs and long wigs, and both “he/him” and “she/her” pronouns.
”)Durg Cak’ dn round performance on the show, judge Cardi B asks him pot-blank: “In the dtry, do you thk that you’re gonna be that first gay artist?