Hip hop; the epitome of hyper masculinity frequently characterised with pictures of violence, degradation of women, and hostility in the direction of gays/lesbians. Typically embraced by way of younger urbanites, hip-hop music has actually received a degree of mainstream popularity with fans spanning the demographic charts in every course.

Now a various offshoot of hip hop often known as “homo hop” or “gay hip hop” is status on the door of mainstream popularity and loudly knocking. Openly homosexual hip hop artists ought to confront and conquer overt homophobia inside the music industry all even  rap music mixtapes as going for walks the threat of being entirely characterised with the aid of their sexual orientation versus the maximum essential factor of all, their talent.

The Who, What, When, Where and How of Homo/Gay Hip Hop

“I coined the term “homo hop” as a funny story, striking out with some homiesexuals in Oakland lower back in 1999″ states musical artist Tim’m West. In his mirrored image of the evolution of the time period he introduced that as more brazenly LGBT artists endured to perform, that a “unique identifier to rally and mobilize the network” changed into used, as a result the contemporary day use of the time period “homo hip hop” or just “gay hip hop.”

West provides that “Unfortunately, reporters get a maintain of your “joke” and run with it. All of a surprising people are referencing homo hop as if it is a whole new genre of music, when if truth, it is similar to different hip hop, however simply done, produced, etc… By LGBT/SGL people who are out of the closet as gay, lesbian, bi, queer, trans, SGL.”

According to Phat Family, an global agency of artists, writers and lovers inquisitive about exploring problems related to hip-hop track, way of life, and LGBT identification, describe it a little in a different way. “Homo Hop isn’t always about infiltrating or integrating hip-hop, however in carrying out hip-hop’s factors with our full selves.

Homo Hop is hip-hop boiled right down to its essence: blunt expression, man or woman and collective identification and sexuality. Homo Hop is simply another generation of b-boys and b-women who preserve it actual and say fuck you to folks that could censor or manage our expression” the organisation states.

In reality mainstream hip hop artists had been notorious for his or her inflammatory lyrics which at one time had become the predicted trendy from a few artists along with DMX, 50 Cent, and Snoop Dogg to name some.

With such hateful lyrics of violence and denegation, it makes one marvel why the LGBT network could embrace the hip hop tune genre in any respect? Could it truly be a cry for mainstream popularity, just like how the Black Gay community has a tendency to embrace homophobic gospel artists and ant-gay church congregations?

Are LGBT fans of hip hop honestly drawn to the want for mainstream acceptance more so than the tune itself? Well the solution actually can also lie in a 2000 article written through Guy Trebay which become posted through the Village Voice titled “Homo Thuz Blow Up The Spot.”

Trebay interviewed Mark Tuggle an outreach coordinator who said that “I’m no longer necessarily seasoned the lyric. Hip-hop universal supersedes the lyrics. You must recall in which human beings are coming from. How can we expect hip-hop artists to embody a sexuality they haven’t been taught? We’ve all been miseducated as a society about sexuality. At least hip-hop is based on male-to-male love–the group, the posse–and that appeals to our experience of artwork, poetry, and masculinity.”

Thus the allure of hip hop has a tendency to be the commonality of network, city angst, a shared degree of masculinity, and an emotional bond of brotherhood that draws in homosexual and straight fanatics alike. Listeners can relate to this average subject matter, rhythmic beat, and messaging of the tune which both speaks to their personal private revel in or an revel in in which they deeply empathize with. And because the imagery and the terminology of the word “gay” is often viewed as weak or effeminate, it’s miles immediately taken into consideration opposite of the masculine and rugged photograph of hip hop and as a consequence without delay rejected.

Hence, there may be a love-hate courting with hip hop tune as it pertains to its LGBT fanatics, accordingly the birth and increase of homo/homosexual hip hop. Over the direction of a decade dozens of openly gay hip hop artists have dared to go where others inside the tune industry have most effective dreamed up going; out of the closet. Tim’m West, Torri Fix, Cashaun, El-Don, Exodus, Miss Money, Aaron-Carl, Deep Dickollective, Punk of Da South, and dozens others in each America and Europe have stepped to the plate, positioned down their own cash down, and self-produced and advertised a whole lot of their own works.

In each manner it seems, LGBT artists and the genre of gay hip hop are status precisely in which mainstream hip hop artists and the style as soon as resided. So the questions is what is the subsequent step and while does it show up?

Gay Hip Hop Radio Bring Mainstream Attention

He dishes the unabashed reality peppered with foul, four letter words of truth intersected with slamming rhythms of gritty hip hop shoved for your face. He has the wit of Wendy Williams, the city approachability of Tom Joyner tinged with the flavor of impolite willpower oozing via his pores.

His name is DJ Baker, the host of the web “Da Doo-Dirty Show” radio broadcast. For hours, five days per week, we listen the modern in information in the Black LGBT network. From the modern-day Black LGBT issues to music, style and relationships; everything may be heard on this new groundbreaking display. In fact DJ Baker even stocks intimate details of his own lifestyles from his past drug addiction to his HIV fame mixed with the americaand downs of his personal relationship existence.

“I feel I have to share my personal life with the listeners cause I need the listeners to take into account that they’re now not on my own. We all have similar revel in, so allow’s proportion. I am usually complaining that I don’t have the self assurance to talk to dudes, however with this display I wish to enhance on my self belief with my listeners. I need a relationship with my listeners. Not going to the front… Going to be as honest as possible. You have be sincere to get honesty in go back” Baker explains.

From having listened to “Da Doo-Dirty Show” for at least weeks now, it could certainly grow to be quite addictive, listening day by day in an nearly actual time fashion. You can always get the latest traits of the day which Baker discusses in a blunt, remember of fact detail. The end result is a fairly polished program that can compete with some of the most a success syndicated radio packages in urban markets across the us of a.

The song of the show is of direction pushed with the aid of each LGBT and mainstream hip hop artists alike. It’s clean, its underground, and its also mainstream, however most significantly it reaches to listeners on the very core of who and what they’re.

“The aim of the show is to offer a platform and medium for homosexual artist to return to promote their tasks whether it is artwork, song, literature, films, or dance. This might be now not best the house for gay hip hop, however hip hop in wellknown. The integration of hip hop on all stages, from underground, famous, and yeah homosexual hip hop. The most effective expectation I may additionally have in this display is for it to achieve success inside the equality through song and communicate” Baker affirms.

You might suppose he might have a totally prepared studio body of workers at his disposal but in actuality DJ Baker meticulously assembles each factor of radio show by means of himself.

“I document the display Mon – Fri from 1pm to 4pm. That consists of all of the edits, drops, and voiceovers. The actual time it takes to file the show and then upload it, it is approximately 4hrs. The extra I do suggests the less difficult it receives, cause I actually have a technique now.”

As Baker’s radio show keeps to develop, so will the eye to LGBT hip hop. These are indeed interesting and groundbreaking instances for the LGBT community because it witnesses a transformation of notion, sound and track.

Music Festivals and Documentary Shine The Light of Awareness

It is a gathering of “circle of relatives” and those who support the LGBT hip hop motion. Oakland, New York City, and the United Kingdom every have an annual amassing of lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, transgender and queer hip hop artists, activists, enthusiasts and supporters if you want to celebrate their presence in hip hop. Each of the occasions features stay track, DJs, spoken word, dance and art.

The unique PeaceOUT World Homo Hop Festival was held in Oakland, California in August 2001 and has come to be an annual lifestyle organized by Juba Kalamka of Sugartruck Recordings. The PeaceOut East in New York is organized by Shante Paradigm.

PeaceOUT UK is Europe’s first homosexual hip-hop competition. Organized by way of Pac-Man and gayhiphop.Com The occasion will awareness on supplying live performances by way of rappers, singers and scratch DJ ‘s from the gay hip-hop scene plus consist of the other elements of hip-hop culture including beatboxin breakin and graffiti.

In addition to live performance festivals, now the large display is beginning to see sparkling new imagery of homosexual hip hop artists. A formidable new documentary titled PICK UP THE MIC is actually sweeping across movie gala’s telling the as soon as untold stories of homo hop artists.

It changed into filmed over a three yr duration taking its group to massive and mid-cities from New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, to Houston, Minneapolis, and Madison, Wisconsin shooting LGBT artist issues coping with rehearsing, acting, and suffering with the maximum intimate emotions handling homophobia, gender identification, and suicide

According to promotional fabric, “PICK UP THE MIC capabilities extra than a dozen modern hip-hop artists, representing a hanging range of sexual and ethnic variety. Shot over a three-12 months period, the film strains their intertwining relationships from San Francisco’s underground tune scene of the early ’90s thru performances as recent as 2005.”

Additional data at http://www.Pickupthemic.Com, states that the documentary “well-knownshows artists and producers as they try to specific their lives thru hip-hop song – a medium from which they’ve frequently felt alienated due to it is sizable misogyny and anti-gay rhetoric. But their stories resonate some distance past the song enterprise and queer groups, reminding us all of the sudden resiliency of the human spirit.”

So could tune gala’s and a documentary approximately homosexual hip hop sincerely be the keys to breaking down limitations, stereotypes and offering the pathway to tolerance and diversity? Well the simple fact that gay hip hop records is being documented and recorded and that the motion is being celebrated round the world in venues large and small shows that there is continued increase to come. The genre has room to develop and what we can be witnessing is the genesis versus the apex of the homo hop movement.

Will A LGBT Hip Hop Artist Ever Cross Over?

Everyone’s watching and waiting. Can or will an brazenly homosexual hip hop artist ever efficaciously cross over into the mainstream? And why could immediately audiences embody a homosexual artist?

“Eventually a person will cross over. It’s inevitable; just as white, or lady emcees have entered the sport with relative success in a style ruled by means of black (perceived) instantly males. As for why immediately people might pay attention to a gay hip hop artist? Because the music is good and the artist is lyrically proficient. For instance, I even have greater immediately hip hop fanatics than gay ones” explains Tim’m West.

DJ Baker enthusiastically concurs, “Hell yeah, however who I don’t know. Have we forgotten of the RuPaul’s and the Boy George’s of the arena. Just a special time and distinct style. In my eyes, they might have to be someone who ought to be able to benefit appreciate from the overall hip hop network. The greater exposure those artists get hold of the extra you get into the track, and you’re now not preoccupied with who he or she is slumbering with or loving.

I can’t are expecting in which or who, however the method is the same for Homo Hop because it changed into for Reggeaton. Can we all consider a time whilst the radio and TV did no longer play any hip hop? It’s a war and if you asked me for artists to watch Punk Of Da South, Tori Fixx, Deadlee, and Godess. We’ll see, and Da Doo-Dirty Show might be there the entire way.”