Homosexuality and Hip-Hop : The Gay Rapper Thread

http://soundcloud.com/le1f/gomorrah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d1OVYM2Ec0

Not explicitly gay but not the straightest thing either. Video is banned from Korean TV supposedly because the song title is a slang phrase. Diplo did the beat.

i don't know if a lot got lost in translation or if that was intended to come off as completely bizarre as it did. i'm guessing somewhere in between.

It's a very literal translation, so it reads weirder than it is. But the song is also very weird because it is a brag rap song but the stuff they are bragging about is weird! Like TOP's "my eyelashes are natural not the result of disgusting heavy makeup" thing, which if you think about it means he is comparing himself either to makeup-wearing guys or to (hot?) girls. Or GD's stuff about stage presence and charisma followed up by BUT AT NIGHT, I'M SO LONELY.

Also, the fact that it's not super straight but overcompensates with tons of playboy bunny girls, lol.

In context it's slightly less weird, because all the stuff they are bragging about is actually stuff that really did make them super duper famous in Korea, as part of the mainstream idol group BigBang (whose touchstones are "being crazy", a confidence/insecurity divide, depression/bipolar disorder, and gay/transgender subtext). But it's still really weird to see that stuff in a hip hop song, and the styling is also, pretty bizarre.

that big freedia performance is awesome

pretty dope on kimmel's ppl's part

it's really easy to hear that "knock out" chorus as "i just broke a guy off"

beat reminds me of "sportscenter" off 'dedication 2'

i love this

ha, didn't realize this was a year old :-(

i like how they have to add "gum" to the end of "this ain't double bubble"

double bubble totally a rip of PERCOLATOR

well I guess it's a sample. first I've heard of a gay subtext to big bang! but I guess I wouldn't be expected to pick up on it.

It's a very literal translation, so it reads weirder than it is. But the song is also very weird because it is a brag rap song but the stuff they are bragging about is weird! Like TOP's "my eyelashes are natural not the result of disgusting heavy makeup" thing, which if you think about it means he is comparing himself either to makeup-wearing guys or to (hot?) girls. Or GD's stuff about stage presence and charisma followed up by BUT AT NIGHT, I'M SO LONELY.

fwiw it's not uncommon and probably pretty accepted for guys to wear makeup in e. asia - prob. the equiv of adam lambert and emo kids over hear putting on eyeliner

beat reminds me of "sportscenter" off 'dedication 2'

i love this

― J0rdan S., Monday, January 30, 2012 1:04 AM (6 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

lol oh jordan

it's a good thing that this was pointed out before j0rd made an effusive blog post

Ima Read is fucking incredible, esp. the B. Ames/MikeQ Remix.

But the b-side, "Hey Ladies" is also really great.

Yes, their famous gay subtext video is "Haru Haru" where the plot is about G-Dragon's girlfriend leaving him for TOP (with a K-drama twist at the end), but the video is shot so it looks like the argument is really between the two rappers. Also they've done a number of fanservice-y Kdrama parody videos where one of the members crossdresses and makes out with TOP (always cast in the lead romantic role). Well, of course 'fanservice' and 'humorous crossdressing' are pretty well known concepts in the Asian idol music world, but some of this stuff is above and beyond the call the duty, you might say. It's a source of artistic inspiration, at any rate - so much more satisfying to listen to a single about a relationship gone wrong when you get both perspectives (see also their latest, 'Tonight').

I didn't know that about eyeliner, though! That explains some things. Still think there are some gender issues in this group, though they are frequently eclipsed by the manic depression issues. But it would take too long to get into it.

yeah - I had no idea about the subtext between top and gd, but notions of masculinity in east asia are assuredly not the same as those in the west, and from a western point of view, those notions might be interpreted as being 'feminine' or having 'feminine characteristics'

katz mention in nme

http://www.nme.com/reviews/various-artists/12669

so i just had "read" explained to me and now appreciate that song 1000x more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsnq1IzJD9I

^^essential viewing

Have I really not posted Mykki Blanco here?

http://b.vimeocdn.com/ts/174/886/174886556_640.jpg

http://soundcloud.com/mykkiblanco/betty-rubble-i-got-the-midas
http://soundcloud.com/mykkiblanco/join-my-militia-produced-by

Raw as fuck.

http://citypaper.com/music/now-i-8217-m-here-1.1271727

Anyone have thoughts? I'm checking out the new mixtape now. Soderberg likes him, at least.

Yeah, I posted about him earlier. <3 that dude.

He's p entertaining on twitter, too.

yeah i need to check out the new music. it speaks to my lack of gaydar though that the first time i had a conversation w/ dude like 5 years ago (when he asked me to write a press bio) i had no idea about his orientation and really didn't at all until the rumors started circulating.

Sorry for missing that, Rev!

I need to do a better job at listening to EVERYTHING...

Also, I was spinning the So So Rev mix and remembered that OMG Michelle are amazing. Did they ever put out anything besides those two Kingdom-produced tracks?

Not that I know of, but I only know "You Don't Know Michelle", what's the other one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba00hW4xUJU

It's called 'Got Me Open' - it's on their myspace. Found it on Tumblr too, and ripped it from there thanks to Firefox extensions. Check yr gmail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5K8rcsez9I

cool, thx xp

Or well, check yr gmail in like... 5ish minutes.

Was wandering through the archives of www.patentleatherdaddy.com - blog curated by Kingdom, Fatima al-Qadiri, couple of other people - and stumbled on this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzWYVV-GaFg

He choreographed Single Ladies and Freakum Dress, also, I think?

yeah

https://twitter.com/jessicasuarez/status/170945957867958272

haha

also watch any interview w/ rocky and he says "no homo" like 20 times

that big freedia performance is awesome

haha this was pretty terrible tbh

maybe I shouldn't talk shit about sissy bounce on the homosexuality and hip-hop thread tho

omg the full text of that asap rocky thing

http://vimeo.com/37148523

never really got into blanco, had seen her around parties in persona and it's a turn off for me (tired of homo events inherently having to revolve around drag) so i haven't really paid much attention to the rap, dig that clip a lot though. mostly just because i love/hate that she managed to reference dren from splice and the doom generation in one take.

yeah, i totally share your wariness about drag as cultural cornerstone (but not as an artform), but i don't see what that has to do with her music. i had, for a while been under the impression she was fulltime trans, but i guess not.

in other news (and i'm not going to link to that garbage), apparently at least one half of yo majesty really hates jews.

lol i've been following max and rizzla on this but don't care to jump in

this song is OLD AS DUST (was on my best of 2008 list iirc lol) but they just made a video for it for some reason:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYOlYKkvRII

also, MISS PRADA >>>>>>>> :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHqUGfQpmcs

katz in the guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/shortcuts/2012/mar/07/rap-urban

sort of lame article "with fashion and music closer than ever" but anyway

Finally listening to the Ddm Winter and the Tinman's Heart mixtape and 'Fake Girls' interpolates MakeUp by Vanity 6 and it's <3 <3 <3

Yeah, that's def my favorite song on the tape

http://soundcloud.com/le1f/mindbody

Hmmm, looks like Dark York is finally coming out in April.

i don't know who Dark York is but that certainly doesn't sound like the name of a straight rapper

Dark York is Le1f's album.