Gay rap, the unthkable be realy | Hip-hop | The Guardian

Contents:

• IS MISSY ELLTT GAY? INSI THOSE NEVER-ENDG RUMORS
• IS MISSY ELLTT GAY? KNOW HER EARLY LIFE, RELATNSHIPS AND MORE
• EVA MARCILLE ON HOW MISSY ELLTT RPOND TO GAY RELATNSHIP RUMORS
• GAY RAP, THE UNTHKABLE BE REALY
• SOCK' IT TO 'EM: MISSY ELLTT'S "SUPA DUPA FLY" AND THE QUEERG OF HIP HOPHOW THE INOCLAST'S BUT ALBUM—AND THAT FAMO TRASH BAG—PAVED THE WAY FOR A NEW GENERATN OF RAPPERS.BY LTER FABIAN BRATHWAEJULY 17, 2019/11:37 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:1448PX;WIDTH:1448PX;}ELEKTRA RERDSBY LTER FABIAN BRATHWAEJULY 17, 2019 / 11:37 AM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"SOCK' IT TO 'EM: MISSY ELLTT'S \"SUPA DUPA FLY\" AND THE QUEERG OF HIP HOP","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2019-07-17T15:37:35.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2019-07-17T15:37:35.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"LTER FABIAN BRATHWAE"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AFTER A FISH-EYE-LENSED MISSY "MISMEANOR" ELLTT FLOPPED ONTO TELEVISN SCREENS 22 YEARS AGO CKED OUT AN FLATED TRASH BAG, NOTHG WOULD BE THE SAME AGA. WELL, AT LEAST HIP HOP WOULDN'T BE THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE MIC VIO FOR ELLTT'S FIRST SOLO SGLE, “THE RA (SUPA DUPA FLY),” WAS UNLIKE ANYTHG THE GENRE HAD SEEN OR HEARD BEFORE. AND THE SAME ULD BE SAID FOR THE MICIAN HERSELF. WH HER BUT ALBUM, SUPA DUPA FLY, RELEASED THIS WEEK 1997, ELLTT TABLISHED HERSELF NOT ONLY AS A SGULAR RAPPER, BUT ALSO AS AN IRREVERENT VISNARY UNAAID TO PH HIP HOP TO MORE EXPERIMENTAL AND AVANT-GRA DIRECTNS, HER VIOS FTLY TOYG WH AND SUBVERTG GENR {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE RAP WORLD 1997 WAS DISARRAY. IN MARCH OF THAT YEAR, THE NOTOR B.I.G. WAS GUNNED DOWN LOS ANGEL, A YEAR AFTER HIS RIVAL TUPAC SHAKUR SUFFERED A SIAR FATE LAS VEGAS. IN THE EY OF THE MEDIA, HIP HOP WAS OVERWHELMGLY BLACK, OVERWHELMGLY MALE, AND OVERWHELMGLY VLENT. ONLY A HANDFUL OF WOMEN HAD FOUND A SEAT AT THE GENRE'S HYPERMASCULE TABLE, OFTEN HAVG TO SEXUALIZE THEMSELV ORR TO DO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ELLTT'S IEND AND OCSNAL LLABORATOR LIL' KIM WAS THE BIGGT FEMALE MC AT THE TIME OF SUPA DUPA FLY'S RELEASE. ULTRA FEME APPEARANCE BUT ABLE TO SP LIKE A DU, KIM SET THE BAR FOR MID-'90S FEMALE RAPPERS. SHE ROCKED FURS AND BIKIS, MULTIHUED WIGS, AND DRAMATIC MAKP—A FORM OF DRAG UNTO SELF. ELLTT OPTED FOR A MORE ANDROGYNO LOOK ON- AND OFFSTAGE—SWEATSUS AND HER TRAMARK FGER WAV. BUT THAT FLATED TRASH BAG WAS THE BEGNG OF SOMETHG ELSE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHEREAS KIM FLNTED HER BODY, ELLTT AMPLIFIED HERS TO EDIC EXTREM, GETTG SWEET REVENGE ON AN DTRY THAT TOLD HER SHE WAS TOO FAT TO BE A STAR. IN SUBSEQUENT VIOS, HER LOOKS GREW MORE OUTRé, EHER PLAYG UP HER FEMY TO PARODIC HEIGHTS, OPTG FOR TOTAL ANDROGYNY, OR FLNTG A MIX OF THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SHE WAS A MEGA MAN–QUE TERGALACTIC SUPERHERO "SOCK IT 2 ME":{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}A LIVG PRCS DOLL "BEEP ME 911":{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AND, ALTERNATELY, A MEDIEVAL SORCERS AND A BPOKE GANGSTER "H EM W DA HEE":{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SHE ARGUABLY H HER QUEER, OFF-KILTER PEAK WH HER BLACK, BALD, AND BONDAGE-Y VIO FOR "SHE'S A BCH," THE LEAD SGLE OM HER SEND ALBUM, DA REAL WORLD, WHICH CELEBRATED S 20TH ANNIVERSARY LAST {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ELLTT'S IDSYNCRATIC PERSONALY AND STYLE LED TO MORS THAT SHE'S A LBIAN THAT PERSIST TO THIS DAY—SHE'S BEEN LKED TO EVERYONE OM HER PROTéGéS AALIYAH AND TWEET TO, MOST RECENTLY, R&B SGER KERI HILSON AND REALY STAR EVA MARCILLE OF THE REAL HOEWIV OF {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AS THEY BLAZE THEIR TRAIL THROUGH A MALE-DOMATED DTRY, NEARLY ALL FEMALE RAPPERS ARE SUBJECTED TO GAY MORS. SOME ARE MORE PERSISTENT THAN OTHERS: ELLTT, DA BRAT, AND QUEEN LATIFAH IMMEDIATELY E TO MD. NO DOUBT STOKG THE SAPPHIC FLAM, ELLTT JOED THE SEMAL SISTERS-DOG--FOR-THEMSELV MIC-FT LILH FAIR AS PART OF SUPA DUPA FLY'S PROMOTNAL TOUR, BEG THE FIRST RAPPER TO APPEAR ON THE BILL.STEVE EICHNER/GETTY IMAGMISSY ELLT PERFORMS AT LILH FAIR AT JON BEACH, NEW YORK, NEW YORK, JULY 16, 1998. (PHOTO BY STEVE EICHNER/GETTY IMAG){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MISSY ELLT AT LILH FAIR AT JON BEACH, NEW YORK, ON JULY 16, {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT NO MATTER HOW GENRE-FYG OR GROUNDBREAKG MISSY ELLTT WAS, SHE ME OF AGE WHEN HIP HOP WAS STRINTLY HOMOPHOBIC, WHEN THE THOUGHT OF A RAPPER BEG OUT AND VOL ABOUT WAS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WRG ABOUT THE QUEERG OF HIP HOP THE GUARDIAN 2013, HATTIE COLLS RELLED THE FAMO "FX LEZFT AT THE 2003 MTV VMA AWARDS" WHICH MADONNA SMOOCHED BRNEY SPEARS AND CHRISTA AGUILERA. LT WE FET, MISSY WAS THERE, {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}COLLS REUNTED ASKG HER AT THE TIME WHY SHE DIDN'T JO "WH THE SNOGGG":{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}[MISSY] LOOKED AT ME AGHAST AND NEARLY CHOKED ON AN M&M. "NO, NO, NO," SHE GASPED, "HIP-HOP WOULD NEVER DO THAT. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER A LN YEARS."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ONLY RECENTLY HAVE QUEER RAPPERS BEEN ABLE TO BE OPEN AND SUCCSFUL. THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE: LIL NAS X, WHO ME OUT AT THE TAIL END OF PRI MONTH THIS SUMMER. HIS H SONG "OLD TOWN ROAD" IS SPENDG S 15TH WEEK AS THE NO. 1 SONG THE UNTRY. MEANWHILE, ACTS SUCH AS YOUNG M.A, MYKKI BLAN, BROCKHAMPTON'S KEV ABSTRACT, AND ANGEL HAZE HAVE MANAGED TO RVE OUT THEIR OWN KD OF {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}FOR HER PART, ELLTT HAS NEVER SHIED AWAY OM SEXUALY HER MIC—SHE'S JT ALWAYS PRENTED HERSELF AS A PURVEYOR OF HETEROSEXUAL SIRE. HOW CLOSE THIS PUBLIC PERSONA HEWS TO HER PRIVATE SELF IS UP FOR BATE, BUT FOR ALL THE THGS THAT MAKE MISSY ELLTT QUEER, HER SEXUALY IS THE LEAST OF THEM. IT'S HER OTHERNS THAT OPENED THE DOOR SO THAT THE NEXT GENERATN OF RAPPERS N WALK ON {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MISSY, MORE THAN ANY OTHER HIP-HOP ARTIST RECENT MEMORY, MA OKAY TO BE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
• IS MISSY ELLT GAY? IS SHE MARRIED?
• EVA MARCILLE ON HOW MISSY ELLTT RPOND TO GAY RELATNSHIP RUMORS
• INQUIRG MDS STILL WANT TO KNOW ‘IS MISSY ELLTT GAY?’

IS MISSY ELLTT GAY? INSI THOSE NEVER-ENDG RUMORS

Is Missy Elltt Gay?

Missy Elltt fans are cur if the female rapper is gay — si all we know about her sexualy! And sce her sexualy has been qutn for years, they're cur: Is Missy Elltt gay?

IS MISSY ELLTT GAY? KNOW HER EARLY LIFE, RELATNSHIPS AND MORE

Article ntu below advertisementIt's unclear if Missy Elltt is gay, as she's never directly spoken out and said whether or not she is or isn't. Is Missy Elltt gay?

At the same time, she also tweeted that she wasn’t sure if she was straight or gay. So, do you thk Missy Ellt is gay?

But furthermore, like I said, my irratn really is the fact that there’s like this negative nnotatn or ia around homosexualy. Dpe trottg out the old "I don't have a problem wh gay people.

EVA MARCILLE ON HOW MISSY ELLTT RPOND TO GAY RELATNSHIP RUMORS

I even have some gay homi" le, Snoop Ln né Dogg recently echoed Elltt's thoughts when he said that hip-hop would stggle to accept a gay rapper.

Photograph: Alis Pellchi"Hip-hop is so homophobic, " sighs Californian rapper Brooke Candy.

GAY RAP, THE UNTHKABLE BE REALY

A lbian who is open and (often explicly) ank about her sexualy, she is a livg riposte to Elltt's suggtn that gay rap would never be allowed to flourish. It's like a dad who has spent his whole life tellg his son not to be gay, only for the son to turn out to be gay. Also, people n be gay whout beg excsively flamboyant or nstantly throwg themselv at other men.

I thk there's room hip-hop for tons of gay rappers. Dpe the culture articulated by Snoop, spe the breezy, bigoted tchphras like "no homo", gay rappers are g out and takg centre stage. There have always been exceptns to the le, of urse, a smatterg of openly gay rhymers such as Yo!

"Hontly, for me what really feels like is that I now actively… explore life now my natural gay, homosexual, mascule way, and this very different feme way. Ined, one artist cled to take part this feature for that very reason, preferrg to be known first as a rapper rather than a "gay rapper" Candy is sympathetic: "What is so bothersome to me, wh the emergg gay rappers, is that they've created a new genre lled 'queer hip-hop'. Half of the people rappg up there are gay and people don't even know .

SOCK' IT TO 'EM: MISSY ELLTT'S "SUPA DUPA FLY" AND THE QUEERG OF HIP HOPHOW THE INOCLAST'S BUT ALBUM—AND THAT FAMO TRASH BAG—PAVED THE WAY FOR A NEW GENERATN OF RAPPERS.BY LTER FABIAN BRATHWAEJULY 17, 2019/11:37 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:1448PX;WIDTH:1448PX;}ELEKTRA RERDSBY LTER FABIAN BRATHWAEJULY 17, 2019 / 11:37 AM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"SOCK' IT TO 'EM: MISSY ELLTT'S \"SUPA DUPA FLY\" AND THE QUEERG OF HIP HOP","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2019-07-17T15:37:35.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2019-07-17T15:37:35.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"LTER FABIAN BRATHWAE"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AFTER A FISH-EYE-LENSED MISSY "MISMEANOR" ELLTT FLOPPED ONTO TELEVISN SCREENS 22 YEARS AGO CKED OUT AN FLATED TRASH BAG, NOTHG WOULD BE THE SAME AGA. WELL, AT LEAST HIP HOP WOULDN'T BE THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE MIC VIO FOR ELLTT'S FIRST SOLO SGLE, “THE RA (SUPA DUPA FLY),” WAS UNLIKE ANYTHG THE GENRE HAD SEEN OR HEARD BEFORE. AND THE SAME ULD BE SAID FOR THE MICIAN HERSELF. WH HER BUT ALBUM, SUPA DUPA FLY, RELEASED THIS WEEK 1997, ELLTT TABLISHED HERSELF NOT ONLY AS A SGULAR RAPPER, BUT ALSO AS AN IRREVERENT VISNARY UNAAID TO PH HIP HOP TO MORE EXPERIMENTAL AND AVANT-GRA DIRECTNS, HER VIOS FTLY TOYG WH AND SUBVERTG GENR {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE RAP WORLD 1997 WAS DISARRAY. IN MARCH OF THAT YEAR, THE NOTOR B.I.G. WAS GUNNED DOWN LOS ANGEL, A YEAR AFTER HIS RIVAL TUPAC SHAKUR SUFFERED A SIAR FATE LAS VEGAS. IN THE EY OF THE MEDIA, HIP HOP WAS OVERWHELMGLY BLACK, OVERWHELMGLY MALE, AND OVERWHELMGLY VLENT. ONLY A HANDFUL OF WOMEN HAD FOUND A SEAT AT THE GENRE'S HYPERMASCULE TABLE, OFTEN HAVG TO SEXUALIZE THEMSELV ORR TO DO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ELLTT'S IEND AND OCSNAL LLABORATOR LIL' KIM WAS THE BIGGT FEMALE MC AT THE TIME OF SUPA DUPA FLY'S RELEASE. ULTRA FEME APPEARANCE BUT ABLE TO SP LIKE A DU, KIM SET THE BAR FOR MID-'90S FEMALE RAPPERS. SHE ROCKED FURS AND BIKIS, MULTIHUED WIGS, AND DRAMATIC MAKP—A FORM OF DRAG UNTO SELF. ELLTT OPTED FOR A MORE ANDROGYNO LOOK ON- AND OFFSTAGE—SWEATSUS AND HER TRAMARK FGER WAV. BUT THAT FLATED TRASH BAG WAS THE BEGNG OF SOMETHG ELSE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHEREAS KIM FLNTED HER BODY, ELLTT AMPLIFIED HERS TO EDIC EXTREM, GETTG SWEET REVENGE ON AN DTRY THAT TOLD HER SHE WAS TOO FAT TO BE A STAR. IN SUBSEQUENT VIOS, HER LOOKS GREW MORE OUTRé, EHER PLAYG UP HER FEMY TO PARODIC HEIGHTS, OPTG FOR TOTAL ANDROGYNY, OR FLNTG A MIX OF THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SHE WAS A MEGA MAN–QUE TERGALACTIC SUPERHERO "SOCK IT 2 ME":{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}A LIVG PRCS DOLL "BEEP ME 911":{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AND, ALTERNATELY, A MEDIEVAL SORCERS AND A BPOKE GANGSTER "H EM W DA HEE":{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SHE ARGUABLY H HER QUEER, OFF-KILTER PEAK WH HER BLACK, BALD, AND BONDAGE-Y VIO FOR "SHE'S A BCH," THE LEAD SGLE OM HER SEND ALBUM, DA REAL WORLD, WHICH CELEBRATED S 20TH ANNIVERSARY LAST {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ELLTT'S IDSYNCRATIC PERSONALY AND STYLE LED TO MORS THAT SHE'S A LBIAN THAT PERSIST TO THIS DAY—SHE'S BEEN LKED TO EVERYONE OM HER PROTéGéS AALIYAH AND TWEET TO, MOST RECENTLY, R&B SGER KERI HILSON AND REALY STAR EVA MARCILLE OF THE REAL HOEWIV OF {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AS THEY BLAZE THEIR TRAIL THROUGH A MALE-DOMATED DTRY, NEARLY ALL FEMALE RAPPERS ARE SUBJECTED TO GAY MORS. SOME ARE MORE PERSISTENT THAN OTHERS: ELLTT, DA BRAT, AND QUEEN LATIFAH IMMEDIATELY E TO MD. NO DOUBT STOKG THE SAPPHIC FLAM, ELLTT JOED THE SEMAL SISTERS-DOG--FOR-THEMSELV MIC-FT LILH FAIR AS PART OF SUPA DUPA FLY'S PROMOTNAL TOUR, BEG THE FIRST RAPPER TO APPEAR ON THE BILL.STEVE EICHNER/GETTY IMAGMISSY ELLT PERFORMS AT LILH FAIR AT JON BEACH, NEW YORK, NEW YORK, JULY 16, 1998. (PHOTO BY STEVE EICHNER/GETTY IMAG){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MISSY ELLT AT LILH FAIR AT JON BEACH, NEW YORK, ON JULY 16, {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT NO MATTER HOW GENRE-FYG OR GROUNDBREAKG MISSY ELLTT WAS, SHE ME OF AGE WHEN HIP HOP WAS STRINTLY HOMOPHOBIC, WHEN THE THOUGHT OF A RAPPER BEG OUT AND VOL ABOUT WAS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WRG ABOUT THE QUEERG OF HIP HOP THE GUARDIAN 2013, HATTIE COLLS RELLED THE FAMO "FX LEZFT AT THE 2003 MTV VMA AWARDS" WHICH MADONNA SMOOCHED BRNEY SPEARS AND CHRISTA AGUILERA. LT WE FET, MISSY WAS THERE, {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}COLLS REUNTED ASKG HER AT THE TIME WHY SHE DIDN'T JO "WH THE SNOGGG":{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}[MISSY] LOOKED AT ME AGHAST AND NEARLY CHOKED ON AN M&M. "NO, NO, NO," SHE GASPED, "HIP-HOP WOULD NEVER DO THAT. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER A LN YEARS."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ONLY RECENTLY HAVE QUEER RAPPERS BEEN ABLE TO BE OPEN AND SUCCSFUL. THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE: LIL NAS X, WHO ME OUT AT THE TAIL END OF PRI MONTH THIS SUMMER. HIS H SONG "OLD TOWN ROAD" IS SPENDG S 15TH WEEK AS THE NO. 1 SONG THE UNTRY. MEANWHILE, ACTS SUCH AS YOUNG M.A, MYKKI BLAN, BROCKHAMPTON'S KEV ABSTRACT, AND ANGEL HAZE HAVE MANAGED TO RVE OUT THEIR OWN KD OF {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}FOR HER PART, ELLTT HAS NEVER SHIED AWAY OM SEXUALY HER MIC—SHE'S JT ALWAYS PRENTED HERSELF AS A PURVEYOR OF HETEROSEXUAL SIRE. HOW CLOSE THIS PUBLIC PERSONA HEWS TO HER PRIVATE SELF IS UP FOR BATE, BUT FOR ALL THE THGS THAT MAKE MISSY ELLTT QUEER, HER SEXUALY IS THE LEAST OF THEM. IT'S HER OTHERNS THAT OPENED THE DOOR SO THAT THE NEXT GENERATN OF RAPPERS N WALK ON {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MISSY, MORE THAN ANY OTHER HIP-HOP ARTIST RECENT MEMORY, MA OKAY TO BE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

I unrstand people beg sick of beg labelled as 'gay rappers', but stand strong. "Brooke and Haze aren't the only openly gay/bisexual/pansexual femal rap: Odd Future's Syd Tha Kid is loud and proud, Azealia Banks has talked about beg relatnships wh both men and women, while Birmgham MC RoxXxan has been gog out wh Stooshe's Karis Anrson for over a year. "I want to be perceived as 'RoxXxan' but if people label me as 'gay rapper RoxXxan' I'm not offend, " she says.

"Beg gay today isn't what was 10 years ago; people are so much more relaxed.

That said, I'm glad that I'm a girl rapper who's gay than a boy rapper who's gay.

IS MISSY ELLT GAY? IS SHE MARRIED?

All you ever hear the hood is, 'Shut up, you're gay'. "Now that 's 'ol' to be gay, there's a lot of people pretendg, " she pots out. You n't jt 'stop' beg gay when you bee famo.

Photograph: Miikka Piren"The more that high-profile hip-hop artists like Jay-Z and 50 Cent acknowledge that 's OK to be gay, the more chang we will see wh hip-hop, " says 1Xtra prenter Ale Roberts, who recently produced a rad show on her own experienc of g out. "I'm a woman, I'm whe, I'm fuckg gay hip-hop; 's fuckg hard, " she adms.

EVA MARCILLE ON HOW MISSY ELLTT RPOND TO GAY RELATNSHIP RUMORS

"I pletely polarise myself an dtry that is homophobic and agast women. Whether 's me or someone else, someone gay is gog to break to the mastream hip-hop world.

His work n also be found many journals and eded volume, such as GLQ: A Journal of Lbian and Gay Studi, The Routledge History of Amerin Sexualy, Jazz Rearch Journal, and The Black Scholar. Snorton poss that such celebratn often reli on, shor up, stabiliz, and naturaliz assumed proper tegori of dissint genr and sexualy like LGBT—paperg over those whose sexuali and genr inti fall outsi such tegori, as well as sexual practic and genr exprsns that aren’t necsarily legible unr mastream logics of sexualy and genr—and ploys a logic that lks visibily and posive reprentatn ways that “read alongsi (and posn agast) perceptns of hip hop as a se of black misogyny and homophobia. Importantly, the mil athetics of impropriety do not simply seek to negate and all around ignore a visible and proper subject that is solely tethered to the assumed stable tegori of lbian, gay, bisexual, or transgenr; rather, the mil athetics of impropriety is an tersectnal practice and project of queerns.

INQUIRG MDS STILL WANT TO KNOW ‘IS MISSY ELLTT GAY?’

My aim is to stead make room for racialized peopl who, and cultural practic that, s outsi the heterosexual and homosexual norms anizg rpectable and proper sexual behavrs. ”9 I advance the mil athetics of impropriety as a queerly viant rejectn of the polics of pri and a disptn of heterosexual and homosexual rpectabily and posive reprentatn. The kds of viance that Missy Elltt’s eratn of the mil athetics of impropriety exprs volve engagements wh erotic non-normative sexual sir, pleasur, and practic that are rooted a Black femist, queer of lor, and queer diasporic crique: a versn of what hip hop femist scholar Joan Man lls “pleasure polics, ” which trouble the racial, natnal, class, genr, and sexual polics of rpectabily erng heteronormativy, homonormativy, and Black womanhood.

43 Marlon Bailey extends Snorton’s work to pos that such “surveillance and pathologizatn” of Black queer male sexuali creat a “hegemony of safe sex that erc Black gay men to nce pleasurable and satisfyg sex, if they ed fd risky sex pleasurable and satisfyg. ”44 For Bailey, the disproportnate stigmatizatn of raw sex among Black MSMs ni them “ep timacy, a closens and ‘a beg sired and wanted’ a world which Black gay men are rarely sired and wanted, ” and offers normativy, via ndom e, as the sole se of sexual propriety and rpectabily.

It should be noted that Snorton’s crique is about scholarship that treats and celebrat outns as a panacea for hip hop’s assumed herent homophobia and transphobia; the crique is not about the prence of out black queer rappers.