Lil B, the prolific, Internet-obsessed Bay Area rapper, announced at Coachella that he would call his next album I'm Gay – a provocation that extends past the comfort zones of many rap fans. Lil B is known for assuming alternate identities (previous releases include the songs "I'm Miley Cyrus" and "I'm Charlie Sheen"), but this was his most surprising move yet. GLAAD questioned his motives – was this a prank, or a stealth macho move akin to other rappers' use of the phrase "no homo?" Lil B's response – surprisingly serious and empathetic – was to express "major love for the gay and lesbian community," despite apparent death threats.
This isn't the first time gay culture and hip-hop have come into contact, but since Lil B is a rapper right on the fringe of the mainstream, and he's putting himself in the middle of the genre's long-term conflict over homosexuality, Ann Powers wrote to Tavia Nyong'o, professor of performance studies at NYU and blogger at Hear is Queer to talk about where his decision might take the debate.
Read more here
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment