Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

How hip-hop learned to call out homophobia

06/06/2023

How hip-hop learned to call out homophobiaIn the ever-evolving landscape of hip-hop, a significant shift is taking place as the genre confronts its history of homophobia.

by The Conversation

06-06-2023 10:41

in Music

Rapper Offset apologized over a homophobic slur. Image: The Conversation.

In the 2018 song Boss Life, the rapper Offset, part of the multiplatinum-selling rap group Migos, rhymed: I do not vibe with queers.

--

Such casual use of a perceived anti-gay slur is not uncommon in the history of hip-hop. But the discussion that Offset's lyrics provoked gave an insight to how the genre is evolving.

ALSO READ: Volkswagen radio ad banned by Advertising Board over everyday homophobia'

Addressing claims of homophobia, the rapper wrote on Instagram: I didn't write the line about gay people. I got love for all people. He continued: To me [by] queer' I don't mean someone who's gay. I mean lame people who film you, post it and stalk you. Lingo that means strange or odd.

--

I have no reason to question Offset's sincerity, although other artists have criticized him for the slur.

But as a scholar of hip-hop and social consciousness, what interests me more is that Offset felt the need to reply at all; many of his rap predecessors have not felt the need after similar incidents.

As rap music approaches its 50th anniversary in August, I believe it is increasingly embracing challenges to - and debates about - homophobia. That is, hip-hop has evolved to the point where anti-gay rhetoric invites condemnation from members of the culture. It is still present in some rap lyrics - as indeed is true of all genres, from pop to country - but hip-hop is changing because of more progressive cultural views and greater LGBTQ representation.

--

The history of homophobia in rap music Hip-hop has always been a socially conscious genre - but whereas it has historically challenged racial discrimination, it has slowly evolved on issues related to gender and sexuality.

Arguably one of the most poignant social commentaries on institutional racism at the time, The Message, released in 1982 by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, included the anti-gay slur f** in a disparaging context.

Indeed, throughout the 1980s and 1990s, high-profile rap groups such as N.W.A and artists like DMX similarly used pejorative language against members of the gay and lesbian community.

Perhaps the most famous rapper using homophobic lyrics is Eminem. On The Marshall Mathers LP, he rhymed, Hate f**s?/The answer's yes. In the aftermath of this controversy, Eminem performed with famous gay singer Elton John at the 2001 Grammys. Nevertheless, on follow-up albums he continued to use the slur. Throughout this controversy, there was only a muted response from the rap community itself.

Eminem and Sir Elton John perform at the 43rd annual Grammy Awards in 2001 in Los Angeles. Dave Hogan/Getty Images ALSO READ: What's driving homophobia in Uganda

Advocacy groups such as the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation have long campaigned against the use of such language, lambasting Eminem's hateful rhetoric and lyrics alluding to violence against members of the LGBTQ community.

And such lyrics have real-world impacts. Indeed, researchers who studied the link between rap music and resistance among young men of color to coming out found that it influenced some gay men's decision to conduct any same-sex practices on the down low to avoid revealing their sexuality.

The start of change in rap community In the latter 2000s, attitudes began to change. For example, in 2005 Kanye West apologized for his past homophobia and even urged fellow artists to cease using lyrics that degrade the LGBTQ community. I wanna just come on TV and just tell my rappers, just tell my friends, yo, stop it, he said in reference to derogatory anti-gay slurs. In 2012, Jay-Z decried discrimination against gay people and promoted gay marriage.

These individual actions did not end anti-gay expression in rap, but it does, I believe, show progress among those in the hip-hop community. And others, from Nicki Minaj to Fat Joe, later followed suit as the 2010s progressed.

Furthermore, hip-hop artists and fans have increasingly welcomed what could be described as a queer aesthetic once frowned upon. Some cisgender male lyricists have appropriated parts of queer culture as part of their act.

For instance, popular Atlanta rapper Young Thug often cross-dresses, wearing women's clothing. In a 2016 MTV interview regarding his wardrobe choice he stated, In my world, you can be gangsta with a dress, or you can be gangsta with baggy pants.

This contrasts with earlier rap. Such attire would be unthinkable in the 1990s when the belief was that real men don't wear tight clothes, in the words of New York rappers Thug Slaughter Force. This idea was rooted in the belief that hypermasculine and macho straight guys wore loose-fitting clothing.

However, many present-day male rappers wear tight-fitting clothes - a fashion choice once considered gay and therefore demeaned in the rap world. Moreover, such outfits are created by gay fashion designers, a point that Offset acknowledged while defending himself against claims of homophobia.

ALSO READ: 3 stages of homophobia and why most queer people hate themselves

Out of the closet and onto the mics homophobia Being comfortable with a gay aesthetic is one positive development. Even more telling, I believe, is the growing number of mainstream LGBTQ rappers. For many years there were no high-profile gay hip-hop artists. In fact, as late as 2014 Larry King was asking interviewees if they thought there would ever be gay rap artists. There were, of course, but major record labels at that time rejected signing them.

Over the past decade
LINK: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/culture/music/how-hip-hop-learned-to-c...
See more stories from thesouthafrican

Most recent headlines

04/08/2024

Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....

03/06/2024

Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...

06/05/2024

Gathering Is a Call to Action: A Letter From Ilyse McKimmie

By Ilyse McKimmie Now, more than ever That's a phrase so often used in the last few years that I've come to dread seeing it in notes like this one. A...

06/05/2024

From Petabytes To Exabytes: The Future Of Shared Storage

alt= class=wp-image-12099 data-lazy-src=/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Blog-Exabyte-Storage-Demand-960x540-1.jpg/> Demand for storage solutions has reached unprece...

06/05/2024

Spotify Uplifts Bold, Emerging Artists in Honor of Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Around the world, Asian and Pacific Islander (API) artists continue to impact mu...

06/05/2024

Never Miss a New Release With Countdown Pages for Audiobooks

Spotify is making it easier for booklovers to count down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until a new audiobook releases. With Countdown Pages for audioboo...

06/05/2024

Get Ready to join Dan Hong as he hits the streets in his ultimate culinary journey

Get Ready to join Dan Hong as he hits the streets in his ultimate culinary journ...

06/05/2024

Lighting a Day-Interior Caf With LEE Filters

In this video, cinematographer Simon Rowling welcomes viewers behind the scenes as he lights a daytime-interior scene inside a coffee shop. Shooting on Panavisi...

06/05/2024

Technology for the Next Generation of Special Forces

L3Harris is well positioned to support the complex and multifaceted nature of special operations forces in all domains through our agile and responsive technolo...

06/05/2024

Canada Plans May 8 Public Alert System Test

OAKVILLE, Ontario As part of Emergency Preparedness Week, Alert Ready, Canadas national public alerting system, will be distributing a test alert to Canadians i...

06/05/2024

Survey: Pay TV Penetration Falls to 40% in U.S. Hispanic Homes

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. Horowitz Research has released a new study on the viewing and media habits of U.S. Hispanic/Latine audiences that shows a dramatic decline in...

06/05/2024

RE:Vision Effects Autograph 2024.4 released! 50% Off Through May 9th

RE:Vision Effects Autograph 2024.4 released! 50% Off Through May 9th Brie Clayton May 6, 2024 0 Comments New game-changing motion graphics & VFX featu...

06/05/2024

NBC Orders More Night Court'

NBC has renewed Night Court for a third season. The courtroom comedy was on the network from 1984 to 1992, and NBC rebooted it in early 2023....

06/05/2024

ABC Shares Summer Premiere Dates

ABC has revealed its summer schedule. The Bachelorette gets going Monday, July 8, with Jenn Tran the star in season 21. Celebrity Family Feud starts up Tuesday,...

06/05/2024

Holly Springs Salamanders Home Opener Less Than Three Weeks Away, Tickets on Sale Now

It's almost go-time for the Holly Springs Salamanders! The season opener is ...

06/05/2024

The Pros and Cons of Cloud, Hybrid, or On-Premises Radio Operations

For years, radio stations have used on-premises servers to broadcast content and manage automation, traffic, and billing systems. As technology continues to adv...

06/05/2024

AI and Big Data Take the Centre Stage in Central Asia at Beetech 2024 Hosted by Beeline Kazakhstan and QazCode

06 May 2024 AI and Big Data Take the Centre Stage in Central Asia at Beetech 20...

06/05/2024

NBC Sports and Churchill Downs Extend Historic Partnership, Kentucky Derby to Be Presented on NBC and Peacock Through 2032

NBC Sports and Churchill Downs Extend Historic Partnership, Kentucky Derby to Be...

06/05/2024

Beverly Hills Aerials, LIV Golf Make Australian-Broadcast History by Flying Live Drones Over People in Adelaide

Beverly Hills Aerials, LIV Golf Make Australian-Broadcast History by Flying Live...

06/05/2024

Watch the Trailer for 'A Part of You' - Felicia Maxime, Edvin Ryding and Zara Larsson in Leading Roles

Back to All News Watch the Trailer for A Part of You - Felicia Maxime, Edvin Ry...

06/05/2024

FOR-A to focus on Ultra HD at Broadcast Asia

Leadership in 12G-SDI for low impact migration to 4k production...

06/05/2024

STATEMENT CONCERNING EUTELSAT GROUP'S GROUND NETWORK

Press release - 6 May 2024 07:31 STATEMENT CONCERNING EUTELSAT GROUP'S GROUND NETWORK Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Download as PDF Paris, 06 May 2024 ...

06/05/2024

Explore Broadcast Pix's Latest Innovations at InfoComm 2024

Tyngsboro, Mass. - May 6, 2024 - Join us at InfoComm 2024 to experience the latest advancements in live production technology. From June 12-14, 2024, at the Las...

06/05/2024

2024-05-06

To champion global movements to protect and advance equality for LGBTQ+ communities, Apple is introducing a new Apple Watch Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop, ava...

06/05/2024

Actress Matseliso Mohale has joined Muvhango'

Actress Matseliso Mohale has joined Muvhango'Talented actress Matseliso Mohale has joined SABC2's soapie Muvhango' as Vhangani's lover and a c...

06/05/2024

Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Leroy refuses to give up fighting to bury Mthetho

Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Leroy refuses to give up fighting to bury MthethoDon't miss Monday, 6 May's riveting episode of South African soapie Smoke...

06/05/2024

NVIDIA and Alphabet's Intrinsic Put Next-Gen Robotics Within Grasp

Intrinsic, a software and AI robotics company at Alphabet, has integrated NVIDIA AI and Isaac platform technologies to advance the complex field of autonomous r...

06/05/2024

A Mighty Meeting: Generative AI, Cybersecurity Connect at RSA

Cybersecurity experts at the RSA Conference this week will be on the hunt for ways to secure their operations in the era of generative AI. They'll find man...

06/05/2024

SES to acquire Intelsat: Investor Relations Frequently Asked Questions

1) What is the rationale of the transaction? What is the benefit for SES shareholders? This combination creates a stronger and more competitive multi-orbit ope...

05/05/2024

Singer Becky G To Close Out TelevisaUnivision's Upfront

A special evening performance by multiplatinum singer Becky G will provide a memorable conclusion to TeievisaUnivision's Casa Cultura upfront event on May 1...

05/05/2024

Publicis Won't Use Nielsen's Big Data as Currency in This Upfront

Giant media buyer Publicis is telling network sales executives that it does not think Nielsen's new panel-plus-big-data currency is ready for this upfront....

05/05/2024

Glenn Kirschner, NBC News Legal Analyst, Rips Media Coverage of Trump Trial

WASHINGTON Glenn Kirschner, legal analyst at NBC News, blasted the media for referring to the New York trial of former President Donald Trump as a hush-money ...

05/05/2024

Catchy Comedy Marathons The Beverly Hillbillies' May 4-5

Catchy Comedy's weekend marathon sees The Beverly Hillbillies on the weekend of May 4-5. The event kicks off Saturday, May 4 at 11 a.m. ET, and runs through...

05/05/2024

How NBC Sports Plans to Cover Kentucky Derby

NBC Sports has the 150th Kentucky Derby Saturday, May 4. The coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock and the feature race at Churchill Downs in Louis...

05/05/2024

Netflix Announces New Comedy Series 'Roosters', Starring Jeroen Spitzenberger, Waldemar Torenstra, Andr Dongelmans and Benja Bruijning

Back to All News Netflix Announces New Comedy Series Roosters, Starring Jeroen ...

05/05/2024

Showdown Alert: Baki Hanma VS Kengan Ashura' Drops Electrifying Trailer for June 6 Debut

Back to All News Showdown Alert: Baki Hanma VS Kengan Ashura' Drops Electr...

04/05/2024

Nielsen: Asian American Audiences Spend as Much Time on Mobile as TV

NEW YORK As the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month kicks off in May, Nielsen has released an extensive new report diving into their media habits with data sh...

04/05/2024

Comcast Makes $1M Commitment to Military-Serving Nonprofits

PHILADELPHIA As National Military Appreciation Month gets underway, Comcast has announced several new initiatives to help veterans, service members, and their f...

04/05/2024

FCC Unveils Agenda for May Open Meeting

WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a tentative agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled...

04/05/2024

Enhancements Made to Key 5G Convergence Standards

The Broadband Forum has announced major enhancements to key 5G convergence standards that the group said will help advance next-generation applications, improve...

04/05/2024

Spotify Wrapped Campaign Spot Graded With DaVinci Resolve Studio

Spotify Wrapped Campaign Spot Graded With DaVinci Resolve Studio Brie Clayton May 3, 2024 0 Comments Blackmagic Design today announced that Colorist M...

04/05/2024

Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards

Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions. ...

04/05/2024

New faces and new storylines': What to expect on Izingane ZeS'thembu' S2

New faces and new storylines': What to expect on Izingane ZeS'thembu...

03/05/2024

Sudan: New WhatsApp Course Equips Journalists to Report on Conflict Related Sexual Violence

An innovative learning tool to help media and civil society better understand ho...

03/05/2024

Slow Explores an Unusual Relationship With Sincere Romance

PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 21: (L-R) Actors K stutis Cic nas and Greta Grinevi i t , Director Marija Kavtaradze and Producer Marija Razgute attend the 2023 Sunda...

03/05/2024

Be Honest With Your Art': Danny Ocean Reflects on Sudden Stardom and His Deeply Personal New Album

If you aren't familiar with Danny Ocean's music, it's only a matter ...

03/05/2024

Spotify and ELLE Collaborate in Celebration of Emerging Women in Music

Spotify has an unwavering commitment to supporting emerging artists across all genres, to helping them launch and thrive in their careers, and to connecting the...

03/05/2024

La Msica Mexicana no es solamente un fenmeno en Mxico y Estados Unidos, tambin en toda Amrica Latina

Como uno de los sonidos de mayor expansi n en el mundo, la M sica Mexicana va m ...