Truth be told, it’s only recently that less macho artists like Drake and Kanye West have been accepted into hip hop’s testosterone ruled dope boy club that until the last five years was led by street-brooding types with mugshots and rap sheets in their background as opposed to middle class childhood memories and college degrees.
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However this season on “Love and Hip Hop: Hollywood”, up-and-comers Milan Christopher and Miles Brock emerged as the shows sole gay rappers; a couple struggling to survive in an industry known for homophobia and closeted talent. I don’t expect to hear Milan on hip hop radio in the next year, but if Drake is a gauge on the probability of change, I would say there’s a good chance that a gay rapper could take the top spot.
National Black Justice Coalition’s Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks will also be in attendance for the hour-long special.
ABC News’ T.J. Holmes moderates a roundtable discussion with “Queen of Bounce” Big Freedia, comedian Buttahman, Cakes Da Killa and Fly Young Red, as well as LGBT activists, religious leaders and hip-hop icon DMC.
For a genre that has been defined by machismo and chauvinistic lyrics amidst theatrical bravado, it’s no surprise that hip hop has been reluctant to relinquish its stereotypical restraints to allow anyone less than heterosexual into its ranks. I don’t doubt Miles’ love for Amber. “And we’re happy to play a role in that”. I am Hip Hop too.
Milan wrote via Instagram: “No1 cares I’m gay, no 1 cares that your closed minded and you think I’m going to h*ll for being true to myself, no1 cares if you think I can’t break up with my man and be back together with him whenever I feel like it”. But in hip-hop, we disrespect the hell out of women. “You could be the gay stylist, the gay camera person”. By the end of the conversation, it’s clear that there is still a lot to discuss regarding LGBT issues, the black community and hip-hop. Many of these rappers are gay, but a few identify as bisexual, asexual and pansexual as well. Since that time, others have joined the ranks and come out publicly while many others would rather keep their sexual preference private.
Although LHH: Out in Hip Hop has undoubtedly opened the door for more discussions to follow, it is unlikely that one night of candid conversation will change the attitudes of many representatives in hip hop community.
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Elsewhere on “Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood”, things get really awkward between Nikki Mudarris and Nas. Although anti-gay attitudes have begun to recede in the black community, significant resistance remains. Maybe not in totality, but many are hopeful that continued dialogue will serve as a bridge to close the gap.
