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LGBTQ representation in hip-hop music has existed since the birth of the genre even while enduring blatant discrimination. Due to its adjacency to
disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
, the earliest days of
hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
had a close relation to
LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...
subcultures, and multiple LGBTQ DJs have played a role in popularizing hip-hop. 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. Despite this early involvement, hip-hop has long been portrayed as one of the least LGBTQ-friendly genres of music, with a significant body of the genre containing
homophobic Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...
views and
anti-gay Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or antipathy, m ...
lyrics, with mainstream artists such as
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
and
Tyler, the Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...
(whose own sexuality has been repeatedly questioned throughout his career) having used casual homophobia in their lyrics, including usages of the word ''
faggot ''Faggot'', often shortened to ''fag'', is a Pejorative, slur in the English language that was used to refer to gay men but its meaning has expanded to other members of the queer community. In American youth culture around the turn of the 21s ...
''. Attitudes towards homosexuality in
hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
culture have historically been negative, with slang that uses homosexuality as a punchline such as "sus", "
no homo "No homo" is a slang phrase used at the end of a sentence to assert the statement or action by the speaker had no intentional Homosexuality, homosexual implications. The phrase is also "added to a statement in order to rid neselfof a possible h ...
", and "pause" being heard in hip-hop lyrics from some of the industry's biggest artists. 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. Rather, the terms are defined by a direct engagement with
LGBTQ culture LGBTQ culture is a culture shared by lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexuality, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals (LGBTQ people). It is sometimes referred to as queer culture (indicating people who are queer), LGBT culture, and LGBTQIA cult ...
in elements such as the lyrical themes or the artist's visual identity and presentation."Homo Hop". ''
Studio 360 ''Studio 360'' was an American weekly public radio program about the arts and culture hosted by novelist Kurt Andersen and produced by Public Radio Exchange (PRX) and ''Slate (magazine), Slate'' in New York City. The program's stated goal was t ...
'', June 26, 2009.
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 trivializing 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 Frank Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. He has been credited by several music journalism, music critics as a pioneer of the alternative R&B genre. Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a B ...
, who penned an open letter addressing his sexuality in 2012. There has also been an increased presence of LGBTQ supporters in the mainstream hip-hop community, including Eminem,
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
,
Murs Murs may refer to: People * Marc Athanase Parfait Œillet des Murs (1804-1878), French ornithologist * Olly Murs (born 1984), English singer-songwriter * Murs (rapper) (born 1978), American rapper Places * Murs, Indre, France * Murs, Vaucluse, Fr ...
,
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
,
XXXTentacion Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy (January 23, 1998 – June 18, 2018), known professionally as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Though a controversial figure due to his widely publicized legal troubles, XXXTentacion gai ...
,
Jack Harlow Jackman Thomas Harlow (born March 13, 1998) is an American rapper and singer. He began his recording career in 2015, and released several EPs and mixtapes until signing with Don Cannon and DJ Drama's record label Generation Now, an imprint of A ...
,
Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...
,
Macklemore Benjamin Hammond Haggerty (born June 19, 1983), better known by his stage name Macklemore ( ; formerly Professor Macklemore), is an American rapper. A native of Seattle, Washington, he started his career in 2000 as an independent artist rele ...
, and
Ryan Lewis Ryan Scott Lewis (born March 25, 1988) is an American musician and record producer based in Seattle, Washington. Along with producing his own album, ''Instrumentals'', Lewis produced the albums ''The VS. EP'' (2009), '' The Heist'' (2012), and ...
.


History


Origins (1970s)

Hip-hop was developed in the late 1970s following the popularity of disco. 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 "Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 rap song that serves as the debut single of American hip-hop trio the Sugarhill Gang, produced by Sylvia Robinson. Although it was shortly preceded by the Fatback Band's " King Tim III (Personality Jock)", "Rapper ...
", the first hip-hop record to become a top 40 hit, referred to fictional character
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
as a "
fairy A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...
" for wearing a
skin-tight garment A skin-tight garment is a garment that is held to the skin usually by elasticity (solid mechanics), elastic tension using some type of stretch fabric. Commercial stretch fabrics ('elastomerics') such as spandex or elastane (widely branded as 'Ly ...
. Soon after the rise of hip-hop in New York, the LA-based openly gay rap group Age of Consent would perform their song “Fight Back”, an anthem against gay-bashing, at a live rap event in 1981; referring to themselves as “faggot rap” and encouraging other members of the queer community to “fight back” when faced with queer bashing.


1980s–1990s

In 1986, the hip-hop trio
Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...
originally wanted to name their debut album ''Don't Be A Faggot'', but their record label
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
refused to release it under that title, so it changed the title to ''
Licensed to Ill ''Licensed to Ill'' is the debut studio album by the American hip hop group Beastie Boys, released on November 15, 1986, by Def Jam and Columbia Records. The album became the first rap LP to top the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, and was the second ra ...
''. Years later, the Beastie Boys formally apologized to the
LGBTQ community The LGBTQ community (also known as the LGBT, LGBT+, LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA, LGBTQIA+, or queer community) comprises LGBTQ individuals united by a common culture and social movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individu ...
for the "shitty and ignorant" things they said on their first record. 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 Meshell Ndegeocello ( ; born Michelle Lynn Johnson on August 29, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on some of her mid-career work. ...
whose 1993 album ''
Plantation Lullabies ''Plantation Lullabies'' is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter and bassist Me'shell NdegéOcello. It was released by Maverick Records in October 1993 to widespread critical acclaim and has since been viewed as a landmark neo soul ...
'' 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." 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. 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.


2000s–present

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
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. Further advancements in acceptance of LGBTQ in hip-hop have begun to take place through the mid-2010s and the 2020s. In 2012 the Filipino rapper
Gloc-9 Aristotle Condenuevo Pollisco (born October 18, 1977), known professionally as Gloc-9, is a Filipino Rapping, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as one of the best Filipino rappers of all time, his fast-flowing Chopper (rap), chopper v ...
released the song " Sirena", whose lyrics are a first-person story of a gay man ("
bakla In the Philippines, a baklâ ( Tagalog and Cebuano) (), bayot (Cebuano) or agî ( Hiligaynon) is a person who was assigned male at birth and has adopted a gender expression that is feminine. They are often considered a third gender. Many bakla ...
") who was initially
abused Abuse is the act of improper usage or treatment of a person or thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, ...
and ostracised by his father for his effeminacy but eventually reconciled with each other when his father suffered from cancer. Gloc-9 later revealed in a 2024 interview that he dedicated the song to his son who came out as gay in 2022. In 2014, rap duo
Macklemore Benjamin Hammond Haggerty (born June 19, 1983), better known by his stage name Macklemore ( ; formerly Professor Macklemore), is an American rapper. A native of Seattle, Washington, he started his career in 2000 as an independent artist rele ...
and
Ryan Lewis Ryan Scott Lewis (born March 25, 1988) is an American musician and record producer based in Seattle, Washington. Along with producing his own album, ''Instrumentals'', Lewis produced the albums ''The VS. EP'' (2009), '' The Heist'' (2012), and ...
joined the
United Nations Free & Equal United Nations Free & Equal is a global public information campaign led by the United Nations Human Rights Office. The campaign advances equal rights and fair treatment for lesbian, gay, bi, trans, and intersex (LGBTI) individuals around the world ...
campaign, which aims to advantage equal rights for LGBTQ people around the world. In 2017, rapper
XXXTentacion Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy (January 23, 1998 – June 18, 2018), known professionally as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Though a controversial figure due to his widely publicized legal troubles, XXXTentacion gai ...
spoke out during his concert tour against discrimination towards gay people by
hate groups A hate group is a social group that advocates and practices hatred, hostility, or violence towards members of a race, ethnicity, nation, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other designated sector of society. Acco ...
, and was praised as a supporter of
transgender rights The legal status of transgender people varies greatly around the world. Some countries have enacted laws protecting the rights of transgender individuals, but others have criminalized their gender identity or expression. In many cases, transg ...
by multiple
transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...
artists. In 2018, rapper
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
made headlines when he apologized for the first time in his career for previously using
homophobic Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...
slurs, saying that he now realized " ewas hurting a lot of other people by saying it." Specifically, Eminem said he regretted calling rapper
Tyler, the Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...
a "
faggot ''Faggot'', often shortened to ''fag'', is a Pejorative, slur in the English language that was used to refer to gay men but its meaning has expanded to other members of the queer community. In American youth culture around the turn of the 21s ...
" in his
diss track A diss track, diss record or diss song (an abbreviation of ''disrespect'' or ''disparage'') is a song whose primary purpose is to verbally attack someone else, usually another artist. Diss tracks are often the result of an existing, escalating feu ...
, "
Fall Autumn, also known as fall (especially in US & Canada), is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southern Hemispher ...
". In 2022, rapper
Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...
received mixed reactions after he released his song "
Auntie Diaries "Auntie Diaries" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar from his sixth studio album '' Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers'' (2022). The fifteenth track on ''Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers'' and the sixth track on the album's second half, "Auntie Di ...
", with some praising the track for being pro-LGBTQ. However, others criticized Lamar's delivery within the song, as he at some points deadnames his relatives' pronouns and uses the word "faggot". Lamar recalls at the end of the song a previous performance in which he brought out a white female fan to perform his song with him but disapproved of her usage of the word "nigga" because she was not black, to critique himself as a hypocrite for using the word "faggot" when he is not gay. He says, "Faggot, faggot, faggot, we can say it together / But only if you let a white girl say nigga".


Homo hop

The homo hop movement first emerged in the 1990s as an underground movement spearheaded by the hip-hop group Rainbow Flava, particularly in
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, in part as a reaction to the widespread acceptance of homophobia in the lyrics of mainstream hip-hop performers such as
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
. Lyrics in songs such as "Criminal" on ''
The Marshall Mathers LP ''The Marshall Mathers LP'' is the third studio album by American rapper Eminem, released on May 23, 2000, by Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. Production on the album was handled by Dr. Dre, Mel-Man, F.B.T., Eminem, and The 45 ...
'' demonstrate this homophobia. Initially coined by
Tim'm T. West Timothy Terrell West (born July 6, 1972), 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.Wilson, D. Mark. "Post-pomo hip-hop homos ...
of
Deep Dickollective Deep Dickollective (D/DC) was an LGBT hip hop group based in Oakland, California that were active in the homo hop scene of openly queer/LGBT artists during the 2000s. They were regular performers at the PeaceOUT World Homo Hop Festival curate ...
, the term "homo hop" was not meant to signify a distinct genre of music, but simply to serve as a
community building Community building is a field of practices directed toward the creation or enhancement of community among individuals within a regional area (such as a neighborhood) or with a common need or interest. It is often encompassed under the fields o ...
tool and promotional hook for LGBTQ artists. According to West: West's bandmate Juba Kalamka offered a similar assessment: In a 2001 interview with '' SFGate.com'', West elaborated on the movement's goals: The genre received a mainstream publicity boost in 2002 and 2003 when
Caushun Caushun (born Jason Herndon, 1977) is an American rapper, often erroneously referred to as the first openly gay hip-hop artist to be signed to a major record label in the United States. It was reported that he was to be signed to Kimora Lee Simmo ...
was widely reported as the first openly LGBTQ rapper to be signed to a major label, although Caushun was later revealed to have been a publicity stunt engineered by heterosexual musician
Ivan Matias Ivan Matias is an American singer, songwriter, producer, arranger, hip hop ghostwriter, and entrepreneur. He is primarily known for writing and producing hit songs for artists like En Vogue ("Don't Let Go (Love)"), Angie Stone ("Wish I Didn't M ...
. Notable events in the 2000s included the
PeaceOUT World Homo Hop Festival The PeaceOUT (World) Homo Hop Festival was an annual festival of hip hop music and culture created by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) people from 2001 to 2007. The main festival took place in Oakland, California, although sibling fe ...
, which was founded in 2001 and mounted annually until 2008, and the 2006 documentary film ''
Pick Up the Mic ''Pick Up the Mic'' is a documentary film, released in 2006, which profiles the underground homo hop scene, which is a subgenre of hip hop that includes gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender artists. The film was directed by Alex Hinton. The d ...
''. However, some music critics in this era dismissed the genre as too often sacrificing musical quality in favour of a "didactic" political agenda. The most commercially successful LGBTQ rapper in the 2000s was
Cazwell Luke Eugene Caswell, known mononymously as Cazwell, is an American rapper, record producer, and songwriter. He has released the three studio albums '' Get into It'' in 2006, '' Watch My Mouth'' in 2009 and ''Hard 2 B Fresh'' in 2014, along with vi ...
, who emerged as a popular artist in gay dance clubs, and has scored at least six top 40 hits on ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
s
Hot Dance Club Songs The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set list ...
chart, with a hybrid pop-rap style which he has described as "if
Biggie Smalls Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in the New York rap scene and gangsta rap tradi ...
ate
Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...
for breakfast". 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. One of the first mainstream artists to speak out publicly against anti-gay discrimination in hip-hop was
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
in a 2004 interview with
Sway Calloway Jonathan Ahmad Calloway (born July 3, 1971), known as Sway, is an American radio personality, journalist and former rapper known for hosting music, news, and culture programming. He was an on-air reporter and host for MTV News and occasional non- ...
on
MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...
. 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'".


Criticism

Some artists have criticized the queer hip-hop genre as an arbitrary label that can potentially limit an artist's audience and may not actually correspond to their artistic goals or career aspirations. In 2013,
Brooke Candy Brooke Dyan Candy (born July 20, 1989) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and tattoo artist. Raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, she rose to prominence after starring in Grimes' music video for " Genesis" (2012). Following its success ...
told ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'': 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". 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". Shorey insists 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. Other artists, on the other hand, don't mind these classifications. 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." Nicky Da B told ''Austinist'' that "Basically, I perform for an 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."


Commercialization

Another criticism arises from the perceived commercialization of LGBTQ representation by hip-hop artists.
Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...
and her approach often presents queerness in her music videos and lyrics. This approach has been analyzed by critics of Nicki as "strategic queerness". Andre Benjamin, primarily known as
André 3000 André Lauren Benjamin (born May 27, 1975), known professionally as André 3000, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he was one half of the hip-hop duo Outkast along with rapper Big Boi, which the two formed in 1992. Benj ...
in hip-hop duo
OutKast Outkast (sometimes written as OutKast) was an American hip-hop duo formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1992, consisting of Big Boi (Antwan Patton) and André 3000 (André Benjamin, formerly known as Dré). Widely regarded as one of the greatest an ...
, has also been noted to wear clothing considered "androgynous" or "gender-bending" while performing as he would be seen in bright, colorful pieces traditionally seen worn by women. His presence in the traditionally masculine genre was seen as one of the few exceptions within the culture, but not without speculations circulating around the music industry about whether or not he was actually straight. In 2008, Andre was quoted at the debut of his men's wear fashion line addressing the opinions of his clothing choices told b
Observer
People feel like, just because you like to dress well … that don’t mean you’re gay! I don’t know where that came from!
While Andre 3000 has shown his growth of support to the LGBTQ community over the years, his presence in the hip-hop community has served as a reminder that queerness is used as an aesthetic while queer-identifying people in the hip-hop community are degraded or forced to stay behind-the-scenes. As for openly queer artists part of the hip-hop genre,
Lil Nas X Montero Lamar Hill (born April 9, 1999), better known by his stage name Lil Nas X ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his 2018 country rap single "Old Town Road," the longest-running nu ...
faced backlash in 2021 for the music video made for his song "
Montero (Call Me by Your Name) "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" is a song by the American rapper and singer Lil Nas X. First previewed in a Super Bowl LV commercial in February 2021, the song was released on March 26, 2021, through Columbia Records, as the lead single and ti ...
" with most of the controversy coming from parents along with religious organizations claiming the video was "inappropriate" and "harmful" considering he has built a fanbase of younger children since his release of the song "
Old Town Road "Old Town Road" is the debut mainstream single by the American rapper and singer Lil Nas X, first released independently in December 2018. After gaining popularity, the single was re-released by Columbia Records in March 2019. He also recorded ...
". Lil Nas X has publicly shared the purpose of the music video is to openly embrace his sexuality while making the effort to bring awareness to the oppressive culture towards the LGBTQ community. The artist took to twitter to further address the controversy while also sharing a letter to his 14-year old self describing his coming-out journey:
Dear 14 year old Montero, I wrote a song with our name in it. It's about a guy I met last summer. I know we promised to never come out publicly, I know we promised to never be "that" type of gay person, I know we promised to die with the secret, but this will open doors for many other queer people to simply exist. You see this is very scary for me, people will be angry, they will say I'm pushing an agenda. But the truth is, I am. The agenda to make people stay the fuck out of other peoples lives and stop dictating who they should be. sending you love from the future.
Other notable artists, such as Fly Young Red,
Azealia Banks Azealia Amanda Banks ( ; born May 31, 1991) is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Raised in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, she began releasing music through Myspace in 2008 before being signed to XL Recordings at age 18. S ...
,
Angel Haze Raykeea Raeen-Roes Wilson (born July 10, 1991), known professionally as ROES (formerly known as Angel Haze), is an American rapper and singer. In 2012, Wilson released the mixtape '' Reservation'' and later signed a record deal with Universal Rep ...
, and
Young M.A. Katorah Kasanova Marrero (born April 3, 1992), better known by her stage name Young M.A (acronym for Young Me. Always), is an American rapper. She is best known for her 2016 single "Ooouuu", which peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, '' ...
have openly discussed their sexuality in their lyrics and expression of style further opening the narrative for LGBTQ representation in popular music.


Negative representation of women and homosexuality

Gender and sexual diversity among hip-hop artists have existed since the genre's earliest days, yet it has historically and predominantly been perceived as the epitomized expression of Black straight male masculinity and culture, which are usually externalized as the degradation of women and homosexuality within the music and personified as a lifestyle outside the music. In his 2006 documentary '' Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes'',
Byron Hurt Byron Patrick Hurt (born December 31, 1969) is an American activist, lecturer, writer, and award-winning documentary filmmaker. In 2010, he hosted the Emmy-nominated television show, ''Reel Works with Byron Hurt''. His documentary '' Hip-Hop: Be ...
explores the nuanced relationships between hip-hop, masculinity, misogyny, and homophobia. 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. After conducting dozens of interviews, Hurt sees a continued pattern of homophobia, the objectification of women, and the domination of other men, all linked as the means through which one asserts their masculinity over another. Lauron J. Kehrer writes extensively on the prevalence and issues of misogyny/
misogynoir ''Misogynoir'' is a term referring to the combined force of anti-black racism and misogyny directed towards black women. The term was coined by black feminist writer Moya Bailey in 2008 to address misogyny directed toward black Trans woman, transg ...
and homophobia/
lesbophobia Discrimination against lesbians, sometimes called lesbophobia, comprises various forms of prejudice and negativity towards lesbians as individuals, as couples, as a social group, or lesbianism in general. Based on the categories of sex, sexu ...
faced by queer women hip-hop artists in ''Queer Voices in Hip Hop: Cultures, Communities, and Contemporary Performance.'' The construction of this specific masculinity in hip-hop has made it difficult for artists who don't fit the stereotypical image of a hyper-masculine straight male to succeed. Some scholars have attempted to categorize different types of female hip-hop artists as a means of increasing their representation within the genre, such as Cheryl L. Keyes' formulation of the "Queen Mother", "Fly Girl", "Sista with Attitude" and "Lesbian" rapper archetypes in ''Empowering Self, Making Choices, Creating Spaces: Black Female Identity via Rap Music Performance.'' Some successful female artists, such as
Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...
, have attempted to make space within the male-dominated genre by aligning themselves with stereotypical black, hypermasculine hip-hop traits in their music and performance. Another female artist,
Jean Grae Tsidi Ibrahim (born November 26, 1976), known professionally as Jean Grae, is a multidisciplinary artist and writer. She emerged in New York City's underground hip-hop scene and developed an international following. Throughout her music career, ...
, subverts the Black straight hypermasculine male status quo by utilizing the language and lyrical presentation of male artists in the industry, as Shante Paradigm Smalls discusses in ''The Rain Comes Down: Jean Grae and Hip Hop Heteronormativity.'' In ''Getting Freak with Missy: Missy Elliot, Queer Hip Hop, and the Musical Aesthetics of Impropriety,'' Elliott H. Powell discusses in detail the approach some female artists, such as
Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her musical career as a member of the Contemporary R&B, R&B girl group 4 All the Sistas Arou ...
, take in hypersexualizing themselves and engaging in 'impropriety' to make space in the genre by centering herself and her sexuality over that of the male subject. However, Kehrer points out that all of the above examples "challenge but onot necessarily disrupt the status quo" of the black, hypermasculine straight male within hip-hop, unlike black queer ''masculine'' female artists. The specific brand of female masculinity which these female artists embody is neither temporarily clad for performance nor is it undermined by heterosexuality or a traditional femininity. The categorization of female artists along the lines of Keyes' conceptualization, and the fact that black queer masculine female artists disrupt the status quo in hip-hop in the way Kehrer describes, both contribute to the hypervisibility/invisibility paradox that such artists face in the genre. In his book ''Female Masculinity'',
Jack Halberstam Jack Halberstam (; born December 15, 1961) is an American academic and author, best known for his book ''Female Masculinity'' (1998). His work focuses largely on feminism and queer and transgender identities in popular culture. Since 2017, Halbe ...
writes that "widespread indifference to female masculinity...has clearly ideological motivations and has sustained the complex social structures that wed masculinity to maleness and to power and domination."
Young M.A. Katorah Kasanova Marrero (born April 3, 1992), better known by her stage name Young M.A (acronym for Young Me. Always), is an American rapper. She is best known for her 2016 single "Ooouuu", which peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, '' ...
is a prominent queer masculine rapper who exemplifies this dichotomy. As someone who embodies a natural female masculinity within the genre, her masculinity fits directly with the style of hip-hop such that she does not need to fit herself onto it like feminine or heterosexual female artists must. Because this female masculinity threatens the predominant black straight male hypermasculinity prevalent in hip-hop, M.A. is often the target of harassment and abuse by male artists who attempt to undermine her legitimacy as a hip-hop artist by sexualizing and objectifying her in the traditional ways feminine and heterosexual women often are. To combat this dismissal of her sexuality (i.e., an attempt to make her queer identity invisible), as well as the paradoxical but simultaneous hypervisibility she receives as a queer masculine woman rapper that elicits this abuse in the first place, she distances herself from the labels "lesbian rapper" and "woman rapper." She thereby carves out a space within the industry for her to exist and succeed as a queer masculine woman rapper without succumbing to expectations that she performs within the restrictive category of homo hop, nor is she compelled to perform in the same way her feminine and heterosexual counterparts are expected to in order to be taken seriously as authentic hip-hop artists. As Kehrer writes: "The very delicate balance she achieves allows her queer identity to be seen while making it difficult for anyone to demand that she performs queerness on anyone else's terms but her own." Syd, another queer masculine hip-hop artist, has received significant backlash from the LGBTQ community for her refusal to identify with the term "lesbian". In an interview for ''The Guardian'', she explains, "I don't feel like a part of the gay community. Like, I don't consider myself a lesbian." She has also been criticized for her music video, "Cocaine," which is a cautionary commentary on the dangers of drug use, but which has been accused of depicting an abusive same-sex relationship between two women. Some scholars argue that the criticisms Syd has experienced is a result of the unique tension between the cultural significance of the genre in Black culture and the homophobia which pervades the genre. This tension is exemplified by an example in Hurt's documentary, in which rapper
Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...
walks out of his interview when he is asked a question about homophobia in the rap community, saying, "What I represent culturally doesn't condone omosexualitywhatsoever." Florida-born rapper
Doechii Jaylah Ji'mya Hickmon (born August 14, 1998), known professionally as Doechii ( ), is an American rapper and singer. Her songs became viral videos on TikTok in 2021 and she signed recording contracts with Top Dawg Entertainment and Capitol Recor ...
, who identifies as bisexual, has spoken out about the misogyny and homophobia she has faced. In a 2022 interview with
GQ Magazine ''GQ'' (short for ''Gentlemen's Quarterly'' and previously known as ''Apparel Arts'') is an international monthly men's magazine based in New York City and founded in 1931. The publication focuses on fashion, style, and culture for men, though ...
, she stated that "I always knew that I was queer, and I was bisexual. But I didn't really feel comfortable talking about it, because nobody around me was gay." However, she declares that she aims to use her platform to challenge those attitudes. Doechii's music often reflects her queer identity,
feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
, and experiences growing up as a Black girl in Tampa.


Controversy over homophobic lyrics

Ice-T Tracy Lauren Marrow (born February 16, 1958), known professionally as Ice-T (or Ice T), is an American rapper and actor. He is active in both hip hop music, hip hop and heavy metal music, heavy metal. Ice-T began his career as an underground r ...
stated on his autobiography that record-label executive
Seymour Stein Seymour Steinbigle (April 18, 1942 – April 2, 2023), known professionally as Seymour Stein, was an American entrepreneur and music executive. He co-founded Sire Records and was vice president of Warner Bros. Records. With Sire, Stein signed ba ...
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". Ice-T later became one of the first rappers to condemn homophobia on songs such as "Straight Up Nigga" and "The Tower" on his album '' O.G. Original Gangster'' (1991). Many songs by rapper
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
have been considered homophobic for his frequent use of anti-gay slurs, especially the song "Criminal" from his third album ''
The Marshall Mathers LP ''The Marshall Mathers LP'' is the third studio album by American rapper Eminem, released on May 23, 2000, by Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. Production on the album was handled by Dr. Dre, Mel-Man, F.B.T., Eminem, and The 45 ...
'' (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 Anderson Hays Cooper (born June 3, 1967) is an American broadcast journalist and political commentator who anchors the CNN news broadcast show ''Anderson Cooper 360°''. In addition to his duties at CNN, Cooper serves as a correspondent for ''6 ...
on ''
60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who distinguished it from other news programs by using a unique style o ...
'', Eminem denied being homophobic and explained the frequent use of the term "
faggot ''Faggot'', often shortened to ''fag'', is a Pejorative, slur in the English language that was used to refer to gay men but its meaning has expanded to other members of the queer community. In American youth culture around the turn of the 21s ...
" in his lyrics, that this word was "thrown around constantly" in
battle rap Battle rap (also known as rap battling)Edwards, Paul, 2009, p. 25. is a type of rapping performed between two or more performers that incorporates boasts, insults, wordplay and Diss (music), disses originating in the African Americans, African-Amer ...
, and that he does not use it to refer to gay people. ''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 Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
in response. Eminem experienced more backlash in 2018, after he released his surprise album ''
Kamikaze , officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...
.'' On December 11, 2017, rapper
Tyler, The Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...
tweeted "dear god this song is horrible sheesh how the fuck", which fans quickly realized 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 sacrilegious", although, the slur was notably edited in the song and video. 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. Before the album was released, however, the slur was censored. Eminem joined
Sway Calloway Jonathan Ahmad Calloway (born July 3, 1971), known as Sway, is an American radio personality, journalist and former rapper known for hosting music, news, and culture programming. He was an on-air reporter and host for MTV News and occasional non- ...
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 realized 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 Justin DeYarmond Edison Vernon (born April 30, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is best-known as the primary songwriter and Lead vocalist, frontman of indie folk band Bon Iver. He is also a member o ...
, 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...". In 2020, Eminem released his album ''
Music To Be Murdered By ''Music to Be Murdered By'' is the eleventh studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on January 17, 2020, through Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. Just like his previous studio album, ''Kamikaze'', i ...
'', in which he collaborated on a song with openly
queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
rapper
Young M.A Katorah Kasanova Marrero (born April 3, 1992), better known by her stage name Young M.A (acronym for Young Me. Always), is an American rapper. She is best known for her 2016 single "Ooouuu", which peaked at number 16 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 10 ...
. 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''" The early work of rapper
Tyler, The Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...
was heavily criticized for homophobic lyrics. ''
Goblin A goblin is a small, grotesque, monster, monstrous humanoid creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearan ...
'', in particular, was found by publication ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' to have used homophobic language a total of 213 times throughout the course of the album. One particular example was in the song "Tron Cat", where Tyler states: "Rashes on my dick from licks of shish-kebab sagets, in some Kanye West glasses screaming out, fuck faggots!" Tyler responded to these pieces in a later ''NME'' interview, stating: "I'm not homophobic. I just think 'faggot' hits and hurts people. It hits." Tegan Rain Quin of
Tegan and Sara Tegan and Sara () are a Canadian indie pop duo formed in 1998 in Calgary, Alberta. The band is led by identical twin sisters, Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin (born September 19, 1980). Both musicians are songwriters and multi-instrumentali ...
took particular issue with Tyler's lyrics on ''Goblin'': "If any of the bands whose records are held in similar esteem as ''Goblin'' had lyrics littered with rape fantasies and slurs, would they be labeled hate mongers? I realize I could ask that question of DOZENS of other artists, but is Tyler exempt because people are afraid of the backlash? The inevitable claim that detractors are being racist, or the brush-off that not “getting it” would indicate that you’re “old” (or a faggot)?" Tyler responded in a joking matter with the quote, "If Tegan and Sara need some hard dick, hit me up!" In 2020, rappers
Insane Clown Posse Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989, ICP's best-known lineup consists of rappers Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (originally 2 Dope; Joseph Utsler). Insan ...
denounced past use of homophobic slurs in their lyrics, saying 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." In the lyrics of one song on rapper
Trick Trick Christian Anthony Mathis (born June 28, 1973), better known by his stage name Trick Trick, is an American rapper and record producer from Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. sta ...
's 2008 album '' The Villain'', he refers to
Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American former comedian, actress, television host, writer, and producer. She began her career in stand-up comedy in the early 1980s, gaining national attention with a 1986 appearance on '' ...
and
Rosie O'Donnell Roseann O'Donnell (born March 21, 1962) is an American talk show host, comedian, and actress. She began her comedy career as a teenager and received her breakthrough on the television series ''Star Search'' in 1984. After a series of television ...
as " dyke bitches" and says that he will send a "
scud A Scud missile is one of a series of tactical ballistic missiles developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was exported widely to both Second and Third World countries. The term comes from the NATO reporting name attached to the m ...
missile right through their fucking
cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports of call, where passengers may go on Tourism, tours k ...
". Trick-Trick expressed his dislike towards homosexuals in an interview with music site
AllHipHop ''AllHipHop'' is a hip-hop news website founded by Greg Watkins and Chuck Creekmur in 1998. History The website was founded in 1998 by Greg Watkins and Chuck Creekmur. In 1997, Watkins registered the allhiphop.com domain to promote the artist ...
: "Faggots hate me and I don't give a fuck. I don't want your faggot money any goddam way." The phrase "
No homo "No homo" is a slang phrase used at the end of a sentence to assert the statement or action by the speaker had no intentional Homosexuality, homosexual implications. The phrase is also "added to a statement in order to rid neselfof a possible h ...
" 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 Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
song, "
Run This Town "Run This Town" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z featuring Bajan singer Rihanna and fellow American rapper Kanye West. Released on July 24, 2009, it was written by the artists alongside Athanasios Alatas, Jeff Bhasker, and No I.D., the latte ...
".
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
, one of the featured artists on the song, stated, "It's crazy how you can go from being
Joe Blow John Q. Public (and several similar names; see the Variations section below) is a generic name and placeholder name, especially in American English, to denote a hypothetical member of society, deemed a " common man", who is presumed to represent ...
/ to everybody on your dick...no homo."


Evolution

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,"Zebra Katz, Mykki Blanco and the rise of queer rap"
. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', June 9, 2012.
the coming out of mainstream hip-hop stars such as
Azealia Banks Azealia Amanda Banks ( ; born May 31, 1991) is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Raised in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, she began releasing music through Myspace in 2008 before being signed to XL Recordings at age 18. S ...
and
Frank Ocean Frank Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. He has been credited by several music journalism, music critics as a pioneer of the alternative R&B genre. Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a B ...
,"Hip-Hop's Bustin' out the Closet"
. ''
David Atlanta ''David Atlanta'' magazine was an Atlanta-based weekly periodical for the gay community. It was owned by gay press publisher Window Media until Window Media closed operations, and ceased publication on November 16, 2009. On March 11, 2010, David ...
'', August 1, 2012.
and the release of LGBTQ-positive songs by heterosexual artists such as
Murs Murs may refer to: People * Marc Athanase Parfait Œillet des Murs (1804-1878), French ornithologist * Olly Murs (born 1984), English singer-songwriter * Murs (rapper) (born 1978), American rapper Places * Murs, Indre, France * Murs, Vaucluse, Fr ...
,
Macklemore Benjamin Hammond Haggerty (born June 19, 1983), better known by his stage name Macklemore ( ; formerly Professor Macklemore), is an American rapper. A native of Seattle, Washington, he started his career in 2000 as an independent artist rele ...
, and
Ryan Lewis Ryan Scott Lewis (born March 25, 1988) is an American musician and record producer based in Seattle, Washington. Along with producing his own album, ''Instrumentals'', Lewis produced the albums ''The VS. EP'' (2009), '' The Heist'' (2012), and ...
. Although inspired and empowered by the homo hop movement, this newer generation of artists garnered more mainstream media coverage and were able to make greater use of
social media Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...
tools to build their audience, and thus did not need to rely on the old homo hop model of community building. Many of these artists were also strongly influenced by the LGBTQ African American
ball culture The Ballroom scene (also known as the Ballroom community, Ballroom culture, or just Ballroom) is an African-American and Latino underground LGBTQ+ subculture. The scene traces its origins to the drag balls of the mid-19th century United State ...
, an influence not widely seen in the first wave of homo hop, and many began as
performance art Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...
projects and incorporated the use of
drag Drag or The Drag may refer to: Places * Drag, Norway, a village in Tysfjord municipality, Nordland, Norway * ''Drág'', the Hungarian name for Dragu Commune in Sălaj County, Romania * Drag (Austin, Texas), the portion of Guadalupe Street a ...
."We Invented Swag: NYC's Queer Rap"
.
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
, March 21, 2012.
Accordingly, many of the newer artists were identified in media coverage with the newer "queer hip-hop" label instead of "homo hop". In 2008,
Jipsta John Patrick Masterson (born October 13, 1974), known professionally as Jipsta, is an American rapper, songwriter, and music producer. Jipsta has released six studio albums: ''Bandoozle'' (2011), ''Turnt Up'' (2013), ''Ban2oozle'' (2017), "Swagge ...
released the single "Middle of the Dancefloor" which spent a total of 14 weeks (peaking at #6 for two consecutive weeks) on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''
Dance Club Play The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...
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. The following year, Jipsta released a cover of the
George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...
song "
I Want Your Sex "I Want Your Sex" is a song by English singer and songwriter George Michael. Released as a single on 18 May 1987 in the United States and on 1 June in the United Kingdom, it was the third hit from the soundtrack to ''Beverly Hills Cop II'' and t ...
", 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. In March 2012, Carrie Battan of
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
profiled
Mykki Blanco Mykki Blanco (born April 2, 1986) is an American rapper, performance artist, poet and activist. She has collaborated musically with artists including Kanye West, Teyana Taylor, and Blood Orange. Early life Blanco was born in Orange County, C ...
,
Le1f Khalif Libasse Diouf, known by the stage name Kalifa (born April 6, 1989), formerly known by the stage name Le1f (), is an American rapper and producer. Diouf also founded the record label Camp & Street, with Boody, DonChristian, and Chaz Requi ...
,
Zebra Katz Ojay Morgan (born 1987), better known as Zebra Katz, is a Berlin-based Jamaican-American rapper, producer and songwriter who has collaborated with artists including Busta Rhymes and Gorillaz. Fashion designer Rick Owens featured Zebra Katz's ...
and
House of Ladosha House of Ladosha is a New York City-based artistic collective and LGBT rap duo including Antonio Blair ("Dosha Devastation aka La Fem LaDosha") and Adam Radakovich ("Cunty Crawford"). Other members include Neon Christina Ladosha (Christopher Udem ...
in an article titled "We Invented Swag: NYC Queer Rap" about "a group of NYC artists hoare breaking down ideas of hip-hop identity". In October 2012, '' Details'' profiled several LGBTQ hip-hop artists "indelibly changing the face—and sound—of rap". In the article, it discusses
Frank Ocean Frank Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. He has been credited by several music journalism, music critics as a pioneer of the alternative R&B genre. Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a B ...
, then member of the
Odd Future Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, better known as Odd Future and often abbreviated as OF or OFWGKTA, was an American alternative hip-hop Musical collective, music collective formed in Los Angeles, California in 2007. The group consisted of rap ...
collective. The California-born singer-rapper made waves when he came out as bisexual through an offhand missive on his
Tumblr Tumblr (pronounced "tumbler") is a microblogging and Social networking service, social networking website founded by David Karp in 2007 and is owned by American company Automattic. The service allows users to post multimedia and other content ...
in July 2012. His revelation was seen as a significant moment for the LGBTQ community in hip-hop, and it helped pave the way for greater acceptance of queer artists in the industry. In March 2014, New York rapper
Le1f Khalif Libasse Diouf, known by the stage name Kalifa (born April 6, 1989), formerly known by the stage name Le1f (), is an American rapper and producer. Diouf also founded the record label Camp & Street, with Boody, DonChristian, and Chaz Requi ...
became the first openly-gay rapper to appear on
The Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production comp ...
. During the performance, Le1f rapped "Wut," a popular track from his EP ''
Hey Hey, HEY, or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the ...
'', while accompanied by a group of backup dancers, producer Moody, and
Blood Orange The blood orange is a variety of orange (fruit), orange with crimson, near blood-colored flesh. It is one of the sweet orange varieties (Citrus × sinensis, ''Citrus'' × ''sinensis''). It is also known as the raspberry orange. The dark flesh ...
. 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." 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. 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". In August 2018, openly gay member of Brockhampton,
Kevin Abstract Clifford Ian Simpson (born July 16, 1996), known by his stage name Kevin Abstract, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter known for his role as a founding member of Brockhampton. Releasing music since 2009, he released his debut album, '' ...
voiced his efforts to change hip-hop's issue with homophobia in an interview with the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
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". In June 2019,
Lil Nas X Montero Lamar Hill (born April 9, 1999), better known by his stage name Lil Nas X ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his 2018 country rap single "Old Town Road," the longest-running nu ...
, who performed the hit song "
Old Town Road "Old Town Road" is the debut mainstream single by the American rapper and singer Lil Nas X, first released independently in December 2018. After gaining popularity, the single was re-released by Columbia Records in March 2019. He also recorded ...
", took the opportunity to publicly come out during
Pride Month Pride Month, sometimes specified as LGBTQ Pride Month, is a List of month-long observances, month-long observance dedicated to the celebration of LGBTQ pride, commemorating the contributions of lesbian, gay, Bisexuality, bisexual, transgender a ...
, making him one of the most visible Black queer male singers to do so, especially in country or hip-hop genres, which emphasize
machismo Machismo (; ; ; ) is the sense of being " manly" and self-reliant, a concept associated with "a strong sense of masculine pride: an exaggerated masculinity". Machismo is a term originating in the early 1940s and 1950s and its use more wi ...
and "historically snubbed
queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...
artists". Black queer male artists in hip-hop gaining mainstream acceptance are relatively new—preceding Nas X by less than a decade—including
Frank Ocean Frank Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. He has been credited by several music journalism, music critics as a pioneer of the alternative R&B genre. Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a B ...
(with his 2012 album ''
Channel Orange ''Channel Orange'' (occasionally stylized as ''channel ORANGE'') is the debut studio album by the American R&B singer-songwriter Frank Ocean. It was released on July 10, 2012, by Def Jam Recordings. After releasing his mixtape '' Nostalgia, Ultr ...
''),
Tyler, the Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...
,
ILoveMakonnen Makonnen Kamali Sheran (born April 12, 1989), better known by his stage name iLoveMakonnen (often stylized as ILOVEMAKONNEN), is an American rapper and singer. He is best known for his 2014 single " Tuesday", which initially gained recognition ...
, Brockhampton frontman
Kevin Abstract Clifford Ian Simpson (born July 16, 1996), known by his stage name Kevin Abstract, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter known for his role as a founding member of Brockhampton. Releasing music since 2009, he released his debut album, '' ...
and
Steve Lacy Steve Thomas Lacy-Moya (born May 23, 1998) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. He gained recognition as the guitarist of the alternative R&B band the Internet, which he joined in 2015. His self-produced debut EP, '' ...
. Black queer female artists have been accepted more readily; while the underground queer hip-hop movement goes back to the 1990s. In 2021, Chicago rapper Kidd Kenn made history as the first openly queer rapper to be broadcast in the
BET Hip Hop Awards The BET Hip Hop Awards are an annual awards show, airing on BET, showcasing hip hop performers, producers and music video directors. The awards ceremony began in 2006; it was held on November 12, 2006 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta and was first ...
' yearly cypher. During his performance, his lyrics unapologetically discussed the realities of being a Black queer person within the music industry, rapping: "Kenn going up is the only way, Benjamin is my only bae, eat me up like I be on a plate, they hella mad, I’m hella gay''."'' In June 2022, ''
Teen Vogue ''Teen Vogue'' is an American progressive online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to '' Vogue'', targeted at teenage girls and young women. Like ''Vogue'', it included stories about fashion and ...
'' covered American rapper
Saucy Santana Rashad Jamiyl Spain (born October 8, 1993), known professionally as Saucy Santana, is an American rapper and songwriter who began his career as a makeup artist for the hip hop duo City Girls, and soon after embarked on a recording career in Feb ...
- who is both openly queer and feminine. In the interview, Santana discusses of his 2019 song "
Material Girl "Material Girl" is a song recorded by American pop singer Madonna for her second studio album, '' Like a Virgin'' (1984). It was released on January 23, 1985, by the Sire label as the second single from ''Like a Virgin''. It also appears sligh ...
", which ended up going viral on
TikTok TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...
in late 2021. He also talks about his experience as a Black queer rapper, stating: “Before, I didn't want to be labeled a gay rapper," he recalls, "Then, in the middle of my career, I started to embrace it because I just felt like it was helpful to my culture and to my people.”


Notable artists

*
070 Shake Danielle Balbuena (born June 13, 1997), known professionally as 070 Shake (pronounced "oh seven oh shake"), is an American rapper and singer. She is best known for her guest appearance on English singer Raye's 2022 single "Escapism (Raye song), ...
*
Abdu Ali Abdu Ali is an American multidisciplinary musician, community activist, poet and artist based in Baltimore. In 2019, Baltimore City Major Jack Young (politician), Jack Young's Office and the LGBTQ Commission honored Ali with the Artist of the ...
*
Angel Haze Raykeea Raeen-Roes Wilson (born July 10, 1991), known professionally as ROES (formerly known as Angel Haze), is an American rapper and singer. In 2012, Wilson released the mixtape '' Reservation'' and later signed a record deal with Universal Rep ...
"12 Must-Know LGBTQ Hip Hop Acts"
. ''
Fuse Fuse or FUSE may refer to: Devices * Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current ** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles * Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protec ...
'', May 29, 2014.
*
Anye Elite Anye Elite (born August 31, 1987) is an American singer, rapper and LGBT activist. He is best known for his contributions to Atlanta's gay community. Early life Elite was born to an African-American mother, Robin Monique Ellis, and an Afro- D ...
*
Backxwash Ashanti Mutinta, known professionally as Backxwash, is a Zambian-Canadians, Canadian rapper and record producer based in Montreal, Quebec. She is most noted for her 2020 album ''God Has Nothing to Do with This Leave Him Out of It'', which won the ...
*
Azealia Banks Azealia Amanda Banks ( ; born May 31, 1991) is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Raised in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, she began releasing music through Myspace in 2008 before being signed to XL Recordings at age 18. S ...
*
Bali Baby Kaitlin Fletcher (born June 15, 1997), known under the name Bali Baby, is an American rapper based out of Atlanta, Georgia. In 2018, ''i-D magazine'' described Bali Baby as "one of very few openly gay female rappers with any skin in the game." In ...
* BbyMutha *
Big Dipper The Big Dipper (American English, US, Canadian English, Canada) or the Plough (British English, UK, Hiberno-English, Ireland) is an asterism (astronomy), asterism consisting of seven bright stars of the constellation Ursa Major; six of them ar ...
*
Big Freedia Freddie Ross Jr. (born January 28, 1978), better known by her stage name Big Freedia ( ), is an American rapper, singer and performer known for her work in the New Orleans genre of hip hop called bounce music. Freedia has been credited with helpi ...
* Big Momma *
Brooke Candy Brooke Dyan Candy (born July 20, 1989) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and tattoo artist. Raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, she rose to prominence after starring in Grimes' music video for " Genesis" (2012). Following its success ...
*
Cakes da Killa 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 amon ...
*
Cardi B Belcalis Marlenis Cephus (; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper. Noted for her unfiltered public image and lyrics, Cardi B is one of the most successful female rappers. From 2015 to early 2017, she ga ...
*
Cazwell Luke Eugene Caswell, known mononymously as Cazwell, is an American rapper, record producer, and songwriter. He has released the three studio albums '' Get into It'' in 2006, '' Watch My Mouth'' in 2009 and ''Hard 2 B Fresh'' in 2014, along with vi ...
* Mike E. Clark * D. Smith *
Da Brat Shawntae Harris-Dupart (née Harris; born April 14, 1974), better known by her stage name Da Brat, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, she began her career in 1992 and signed with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings two years l ...
*
Deadlee Joseph Thomas Lee, better known by his stage name Deadlee, is an American rapper and songwriter. He is based in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, California, is of Mexican American and African American descent, and launched his career in 2000. ...
*
Deep Dickollective Deep Dickollective (D/DC) was an LGBT hip hop group based in Oakland, California that were active in the homo hop scene of openly queer/LGBT artists during the 2000s. They were regular performers at the PeaceOUT World Homo Hop Festival curate ...
*
Delli Boe Delli () may refer to: * Delli-ye Cheman * Delli-ye Mohsaleh Aqa * Delli-ye Solmavand *Karima Delli (born 1979), French politician See also * Delhi * Dili Dili (Portuguese language, Portuguese and Tetum language, Tetum: ''Díli'') is the ...
*
D'Lo D'LO is a transgender Sri Lankan-American performer, writer, and community activist, who performs in America, Canada, the UK, Germany, Sri Lanka, and India. He starred in a golf commercial held for Connor Smiths luxury hotel The Shlanger. He is ...
*
Doechii Jaylah Ji'mya Hickmon (born August 14, 1998), known professionally as Doechii ( ), is an American rapper and singer. Her songs became viral videos on TikTok in 2021 and she signed recording contracts with Top Dawg Entertainment and Capitol Recor ...
*
Doja Cat Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (born October 21, 1995), known professionally as Doja Cat (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began making and releasing music on SoundCl ...
* Drebae * Drew Mason * Fly Young Red *
Frank Ocean Frank Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. He has been credited by several music journalism, music critics as a pioneer of the alternative R&B genre. Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a B ...
*
God-Des and She God-Des and She are an American hip-hop/pop/soul duo from the Midwest, composed of Alicia Smith (God-des) and Tina Gassen (She). Since they appeared on the Showtime hit series The L Word in 2006, they have sold more than 30,000 albums and toured ...
*
House of Ladosha House of Ladosha is a New York City-based artistic collective and LGBT rap duo including Antonio Blair ("Dosha Devastation aka La Fem LaDosha") and Adam Radakovich ("Cunty Crawford"). Other members include Neon Christina Ladosha (Christopher Udem ...
*
Ice Spice Isis Naija Gaston (born January1, 2000), known professionally as Ice Spice, is an American rapper and songwriter. Born and raised in the Bronx, New York City, she began her musical career during college in 2020, after meeting record producer ...
*
ILoveMakonnen Makonnen Kamali Sheran (born April 12, 1989), better known by his stage name iLoveMakonnen (often stylized as ILOVEMAKONNEN), is an American rapper and singer. He is best known for his 2014 single " Tuesday", which initially gained recognition ...
*
Isaiah Rashad Isaiah Rashad Joel McClain (born May 16, 1991) is an American rapper. He first gained recognition following his performances on the 2012 Smoker's Club Tour alongside rappers Juicy J, Joey Badass and Smoke DZA. He is a founding member of the Chat ...
* Jai'Rouge * Jay Dillinger (aka Marlon Williams)"The Dark Knight Rises." The Challenge: Rivals II. MTV. July 24, 2013. Television. *
Jesse Dangerously Jesse Alexander McDonald, better known by their stage name Jesse Dangerously or The Halifax Rap Legend, is an alternative hip hop artist from Halifax (former city), Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia and operating out of Ottawa, Ontario. Dangerous ...
*
Jipsta John Patrick Masterson (born October 13, 1974), known professionally as Jipsta, is an American rapper, songwriter, and music producer. Jipsta has released six studio albums: ''Bandoozle'' (2011), ''Turnt Up'' (2013), ''Ban2oozle'' (2017), "Swagge ...
*
Jonny Makeup Jonny Makeup is an American socialite, musician and Internet personality. He got his start in the early 2000s as a nightlife performer and musician. This led to forays into the fashion industry, and appearances on E! Entertainment and Logo TV re ...
*
Jonny McGovern Jonny McGovern (born July 12, 1976) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, musician, songwriter, and podcaster. He has written the lyrics for many of his own songs, and recorded three comedy/dance-pop albums (including some under his alter-e ...
* Juba Kalamka * Katastrophe *
Kae Tempest Kae Tempest (formerly Kate Tempest) is an English spoken word performer, poet, recording artist, novelist and playwright. At the age of 16, Tempest was accepted into the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. In 2013, he w ...
*
Katey Red Katey Red (born May 17, 1983) is a Bounce music, bounce artist and Master of ceremonies, M.C. from New Orleans. Red is most known for being one of the first transgender rappers in bounce music and is credited with creating the sissy bounce genr ...
*
Kaytranada Louis Kevin Celestin (born August 25, 1992), known professionally as Kaytranada (stylized as KAYTRANADA, shortened as KAYTRA), is a Haitian-Canadian music producer, rapper, singer and DJ. Celestin rose to prominence after releasing a series of m ...
*
Kehlani Kehlani Ashley Parrish ( ; born April 24, 1995) is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. She is originally from Oakland, California, and achieved initial fame as a member of the teen pop group PopLyfe in 2011. Kehlani's debut mixtape, '' ...
*
Kevin Abstract Clifford Ian Simpson (born July 16, 1996), known by his stage name Kevin Abstract, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter known for his role as a founding member of Brockhampton. Releasing music since 2009, he released his debut album, '' ...
* Kidd Kenn *
K.Flay Kristine Meredith Flaherty (born June 30, 1985), better known as K.Flay, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and rapper. She has released five studio albums: '' Life as a Dog'' (2014), '' Every Where Is Some Where'' (2017), ''Solutions' ...
*
Pierre Kwenders Pierre Kwenders is the stage name of José Louis Modabi
. ''
*
Lady Sovereign Louise Amanda Harman (born 1985), better known by the stage name Lady Sovereign, is a British rapper, best known for the songs "9 to 5" and " Love Me or Hate Me". She was signed to Def Jam in 2005 by Jay-Z. Early life and family Harman grew ...
*
Le1f Khalif Libasse Diouf, known by the stage name Kalifa (born April 6, 1989), formerly known by the stage name Le1f (), is an American rapper and producer. Diouf also founded the record label Camp & Street, with Boody, DonChristian, and Chaz Requi ...
* Lil Darkie *
Lil Nas X Montero Lamar Hill (born April 9, 1999), better known by his stage name Lil Nas X ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his 2018 country rap single "Old Town Road," the longest-running nu ...
*
Lil Peep Gustav Elijah Åhr (; November 1, 1996 – November 15, 2017), known professionally as Lil Peep, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He was a member of the hip-hop collective GothBoiClique, and is credited as being a leading figure of ...
* Lil Phag *
Lil Uzi Vert Symere Bysil Woods ( ; born July 31, 1995), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they gained initial recognition following the release of the commer ...
* Lucas Charlie Rose *
Megan Thee Stallion Megan Jovon Ruth Pete (born February 15, 1995), known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion, is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Megan initially gained recognition when videos of her freestyling began to circulate widely on social me ...
*
Melange Lavonne Melange, from the French, meaning "mixture" or "medley", may refer to: * Melange (''Dune''), or spice, a fictional psychoactive substance in Frank Herbert's ''Dune'' universe *Wiener Melange ("Viennese blend"), a specialty coffee originating in Vi ...
*
Mista Strange Mista may refer to People * Mista (footballer) (born 1978), Spanish footballer *Aleksander Miśta (born 1983), Polish chess player * Guido Mista, a side protagonist from ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind'' Other uses * Mista (band), an Americ ...
*
Mykki Blanco Mykki Blanco (born April 2, 1986) is an American rapper, performance artist, poet and activist. She has collaborated musically with artists including Kanye West, Teyana Taylor, and Blood Orange. Early life Blanco was born in Orange County, C ...
* Nicky da B * Oliver Twixt *
ppcocaine Lilliane Catherine Diomi (born June 1, 2001), known professionally as ppcocaine (previously known as trapbunniebubbles), is an American social media personality and rapper. She is perhaps best known for her song "3 Musketeers" that gained popul ...
*
Princess Nokia Destiny Nicole Frasqueri (born June 14, 1992), known professionally as Princess Nokia, is an American rapper and songwriter. She released her debut studio album, ''Metallic Butterfly'', in 2014, followed by the 2015 mixtape ''Honeysuckle''. As P ...
*
QBoy QBoy (born Marcos Jose Brito on 10 October 1978) is a UK-based rapper, producer, DJ, writer and presenter. He is one of the original few out rappers in hip hop circa 2001 that became pioneers of the new subgenre colloquially known as "homo hop". ...
*
Queen Pen Lynise Walters (born September 24, 1972), known professionally as Queen Pen, is an American rapper. Born in Brooklyn, New York City, she was discovered by producer Teddy Riley at an IHOP restaurant in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Riley later invite ...
* Rainbow Flava * Rainbow Noise * RoxXxan *
Samantha Ronson Samantha Judith Ronson (born 7 August 1977) is an English DJ, singer, and songwriter. Early life Ronson was born in Camden, London, England, as the daughter of writer and socialite Ann Dexter-Jones, and one-time music executive and real estat ...
*
Saucy Santana Rashad Jamiyl Spain (born October 8, 1993), known professionally as Saucy Santana, is an American rapper and songwriter who began his career as a makeup artist for the hip hop duo City Girls, and soon after embarked on a recording career in Feb ...
*
Saul Williams Saul Stacey Williams (born February 29, 1972) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, musician, poet, writer, and actor. He is known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop, and for his lead roles in the 1998 independent film ''Slam ( ...
*
Sissy Nobby Terrelle Gallo (known by his stage name, Sissy Nobby) is an American bounce artist from New Orleans, known for his hit songs, "Consequences" and "Gitty Up". Gallo is credited as one of the main pioneers of bounce music Bounce music is a g ...
* Sasha Sathya * Shorty Roc *
Snow Tha Product Claudia Alexandra Madriz Meza (born June 24, 1987), known professionally as Snow tha Product, is a Mexican American rapper and singer from San Jose, California. Her debut studio album, '' Unorthodox'' (2011) was met with positive critical recep ...
*
Soce, the elemental wizard Andrew Singer, also known as Soce, the elemental wizard, is an American rapper and producer and one of the rap scene’s openly gay MCs. Personal life In addition to rapping onstage, Soce plays the violin, piano, guitar and bass. During hi ...
*
Solomon Solomon (), also called Jedidiah, was the fourth monarch of the Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy), Kingdom of Israel and Judah, according to the Hebrew Bible. The successor of his father David, he is described as having been the penultimate ...
*
Steve Lacy Steve Thomas Lacy-Moya (born May 23, 1998) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. He gained recognition as the guitarist of the alternative R&B band the Internet, which he joined in 2015. His self-produced debut EP, '' ...
* Syd tha Kid * Taylor Bennett *
Tim'm T. West Timothy Terrell West (born July 6, 1972), 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.Wilson, D. Mark. "Post-pomo hip-hop homos ...
*
Titica Titica is an Angolan kuduro musician and dancer. She was named "the new face" of kuduro by the BBC. Career Titica was born in Luanda. Her stage name is Portuguese for "worthless" or "useless"; she chose the name to reclaim the hateful words tha ...
*
Tori Fixx Tori Fixx is one of the first openly gay hip hop artists. He also produces music for other noted queer performers. He is based in Minneapolis. Career In the mid-90s, he DJed at parties for Prince at Paisley Park Studios in Minnesota. After mov ...
Tori Fixx interview, Queer Music Heritage radio show, April 2007
, produced by JD Doyle
* TT the Artist *
Tyler, the Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...
*
Willow Smith Willow Smith (born October 31, 2000), also known mononymously as Willow, is an American singer, actress and dancer. The daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, she has received various accolades, including a Young Artist Award, an NAAC ...
*
Will Sheridan Will Sheridan Jr. (born January 12, 1985) is a former college basketball player who played for the Villanova Wildcats Men's Basketball program from 2003 to 2007. After graduation, he played as an international basketball player in Italy. He is n ...
*
Yo Majesty Yo! Majesty is an American hip hop group consisting of singer and rappers Shunda K and Shon B, produced by UK-based electro group HardfeelingsUK. Yo! Majesty was mentioned as one of the 'Top 11 new bands of 2008' by ''NME'' magazine as well as ...
*
Young M.A. Katorah Kasanova Marrero (born April 3, 1992), better known by her stage name Young M.A (acronym for Young Me. Always), is an American rapper. She is best known for her 2016 single "Ooouuu", which peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, '' ...
*
Zebra Katz Ojay Morgan (born 1987), better known as Zebra Katz, is a Berlin-based Jamaican-American rapper, producer and songwriter who has collaborated with artists including Busta Rhymes and Gorillaz. Fashion designer Rick Owens featured Zebra Katz's ...


See also

*
African-American culture and sexual orientation Laws governing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) rights are complex and diverse in the Americas, and acceptance of LGBTQ persons varies widely. Same-sex marriages are currently legal in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colo ...
*
Homophobia in ethnic minority communities 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), kno ...
*
LGBTQ representation in country music There has been a longtime but relatively unknown history of LGBTQ representation in country music. LGBTQ visibility in the genre has increased since the 2010s. Modern LGBTQ country musicians include Brandi Carlile, Brandy Clark, Lil Nas X, Maren Mo ...
*
LGBTQ representation in jazz There has been a longtime but relatively unknown history of LGBTQ representation in jazz. History Since the Jazz Age, the genre has been popular with LGBTQ audiences. In Chicago, the Bronzeville and Woodlawn neighborhoods were home to several ...
*
Misogyny in rap music Misogyny in rap music is defined as lyrics, videos, or other components of rap music that encourage, glorify, justify, or legitimize the objectification, exploitation, or victimization of all women. It is an ideology that depicts women as object ...
*
Stop Murder Music Stop Murder Music is a campaign to oppose Caribbean artists who produce music with lyrics alleged to glorify murder of homosexual men.


References

{{African-American LGBTQ culture LGBTQ hip-hop Criticism of hip-hop LGBTQ-related controversies in music