By Justine Lopez |Staff Writer|
Music is a form of art, and no one should ever be told which direction they can take their art. But rappers are known for their ‘tough guy’ image and of course, their love for women.
But what happens when a rapper expresses his love for another man? He gets the black sheep treatment.
Even though it’s 2015 where being gay is becoming less of a taboo, not everyone has warmed up to the idea yet.
Recently on the reality TV show, “Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood,” viewers got an inside look into lives of up and coming gay rap artists Miles and Malan.
During the time of filming, neither of them came out and both expressed their fear of coming out because they had an image to uphold, and if they came out about their sexuality they felt they wouldn’t be taken seriously.
In an interview with, Huffington Post, rapper Snoop Dogg, who is not against the gay community, spoke on the coming out of R&B artist Frank Ocean saying, “he’s a singer; it’s acceptable in the singing world, but in the rap world I don’t know if it will ever be acceptable because rap [is seen as] masculine.”
CSUSB Student, Jonathan Aquino believes that rap has nothing against the gay community but because “rap is still dominated by males and most of their rap songs are about dominance or being macho, a song with a ‘gay’ theme wouldn’t do well.”
Rapper, Ice-T, weighed in on the topic explaining that if a hardcore rapper such as himself or Ice Cube came out about being gay their fans would not understand it and question who they were as rappers.
CSUSB Student, Felipe Montana, believes that rap and being gay are two different worlds and mainstream is generalizing the two, which is why the two worlds can’t collide.
Being gay is “problematic in the rap world since their lyrics are about getting a bunch of women and a guy is not gonna rap about a bunch of dudes,” continued Montana.
This genre of music has been known for gang banging, guns, partying with promiscuous women, etc; you never hear soft lyrics speaking of love or ones sexuality, because that is not the image rappers want to portray.
If the topic of being gay ever does come up in the lyrics, it’s not praising it, it’s bashing the idea of men liking other men or giving it a negative connotation.
For example, in Ice Cube’s diss track, “No Vaseline,” the message of the song was to portray crew members of N.W.A as homosexuals and added that Eazy-E was a “f–got.”
Eminem is another rapper who has poked fun at the gay community, with hateful lyrics he has shown the world that he is openly homophobic.
Because of this influence people have begun to judge rapper Young Thug because of his choice of feminine-esque clothing, including tight pants and dresses, along with his choice of wearing nail polish.
50 Cent has also been rumored to liking other males after an interview released with “Watch What Happens: Live” of his ex-girlfriend Vivica A. Fox claimed 50 Cent’s homophobic remarks on the show “Empire” was “like the pot calling the kettle black,” as if to suggest he was gay.
Calling a rapper gay seems to be one of the biggest insults, and from the judgment they receive from their fellow artists it is no wonder why a gay male rapper wouldn’t feel confident coming out.
CSUSB student Kimberly Mesen shared her thoughts saying, “People are barley becoming comfortable with the fact [that people are] gay and coming out to the world,” which is why she believes no well known rapper has announced they are gay, yet.
But it is time the industry gets shaken up a bit and has some serious changes.
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