#queer rap

so i heard this dope song and i saw her name was black bunnie. i’ve known many a black bun in life - phyllis being the most recent (pictured!)… and they’re considered lucky so that eeemed like a good sign.

when i heard more of black bunnie’s songs and learned more about her — all the allyship and lgbtqia pride, the love and acceptance for neurodivergent and “othered” people… like how the fuck can a person not love this artist? you don’t even have to hold black bunnies as a mystical totem to appreciate that xd.

also, check out my major award XD

https://open.spotify.com/track/7eurbxwemh1msg6v4hpbbf?si=m3ry24x9r_w1gk4vlsyupg

49 Groszy by Aljas is a Butch Lesbian!

Hello Tumblr I've decided to post something since of the pride month. And because of that, I wanna show you a cool artist, because who would I be if I didn't promote underground Polish artists to non-Polish ppl on my socials???

Anyways, this is Aljas, a very cool Polish queer rapper who has only about 6k listeners on Spotify rn, if you're Polish you might know them from their tiktok cuz they post a lot of memes there

They make a lot of nice music and mix different rap genres (I think so, I'm not really into rap music besides them). A lot of their songs are about their girlfriend and being a lesbian, which is a great alternative for the sapphics who dont really like indie pop that much, and one of their songs, "Scarchest" also talks about being trans. They only make music in Polish and ik stuff like that is mainly interesting for queer Poles, since we don't have much representation in media, especially in rap (and music in general), but I'd love it if you gave their music a chance even if you don't speak our language. Oh and did I mention they're also a tattoo artist??

I'm writing about this stuff mainly because Aljas is a queer hero to me and my favourite Polish rapper of all time, they need a bigger community fr +they will be releasing a new EP on 5th June, which is like tomorrow and playing a concert in Warsaw on 7th June, so come on, show them some love <3

And for now thats it I'm going back to studying and leaving their socials here +a shitty meme in Polish I made bye y'all

The year was 2011. Barack Obama prepared to run for his second term as President of the United States. The burnt-orange spray tans popularized by Jersey Shore were still en vogue. Twitter was the “hip” social media platform of choice. The world of pop punk slowed to a shuttering halt, as kohl eyeliner and tripp pants were exchanged for the revival of ‘80s nostalgia, signifying a new(ish) cultural era.

It was during this time that Tyler Okonma – more commonly known as Tyler, The Creator—emerged as an angry shock-jockey whose violent and homophobic lyrics drew equal parts criticism, and cult following. From the lines of his opening track “Goblin” in which he argues with a fictional psychiatrist over the use of the slur f****t, an expectation could be made that like many male rappers, 10 years later would he would continue on this path.

But that didn’t happen. In fact, Tyler went on to prove himself not only as a talented producer and creative powerhouse but as being capable of unadulterated growth. With his most recent release CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, he takes listeners back through his entire discography, addressing some of these controversies head on while revealing a version of himself no one ever would’ve foreseen in 2011; a man who can just as easily say “Men or women it don’t matter/If I seen ‘em I had ‘em” . Tyler’s evolution as an artist is a definitive example of the complexity of queer culture, how it intersects with race, and the ways in which we both identify and grow.

When Goblin dropped in 2011, it was in a time before the rabid aggression of “Cancel Culture”. Controversy certainly existed, but without the winding feedback loop of social media being as prevalent as it is today, indiscretions simply did not gain as much exposure. At its roots, Goblin is difficult to swallow. At the time, it was a calling card for any moody moshing teen who praised emo/goth culture and defied the inevitable transition to “adulting” that was loathed by the Millennial generation. The album featured many performers from the former supergroup Odd Future, introducing to us the likes of Frank Ocean, Syd, Earl Sweatshirt, and Matt Martians. A group based on nihilistic chaos, they eschewed both the chillwave identity of California and its alternate gangster rap subculture. Instead, they settled into a niche of rap for counterculture kids that probably would have made it onto a Dylan Klebold mixtape—even with his white supremacist ideology.

Over an hour of rants and raves about infanticide, sexual assault, murder, and homophobic slurs is the makeup of Goblin. It is a clear attempt to both vent and provoke, shocking some listeners, drawing in others, and showcasing a distinct brand of unexpected creative intelligence on Tyler’s part. Throughout the album he flows in and out of a conversation with a deep voice we clearly understand to be a therapist, churning up his innermost thoughts and darkest fantasies while stumbling through an emotional rabbit hole. Even for the vile lyrics, there is a lot to be said about the general composition of the album, as well as the production—mastered by Tyler himself.

Wolf followed in 2013 in a similar vein, featuring appearances by the OF family and surprise appearance by Erykah Badu and Pharrell (often identified as an inspirational source of inspiration for Tyler). The album calmed down in tone somewhat, but still served to promote silly outbursts. There wasn’t much deep or important to say, and the controversy over Tyler’s evident homophobia continued.

An interesting note on that is around that time, many couldn’t help but question the context of his obsession with using homophobic slurs despite being in such close collaboration with members of the LGBTQIA+ community. In 2012 Frank Ocean publicly came out to drastic fanfare, and Syd had more or less been out of the closet for as long as we knew her to be a part of Odd Future. Neither seemed to hold any sort of vitriol against Tyler for it, leading to the idea that surely, there had to be something more to his behavior.

Whispers began to erupt with the release of Cherry Bomb as many questioned whether he was straight at all. Cherry Bomb was a clear attempt at a shift in direction that was met with mixed reviews by critics. It was the clear sign of a desire for growth and change, but full of missteps in execution. Tyler’s name continued to grow, as did the names of his former OF mates who went on to become successful in their own projects. Syd and Matt Martians went on to find success with the neo-soul band The Internet, Earl Sweatshirt went solo after being shipped off to a boarding school by his mother, and Frank Ocean further solidified his existence as Frank Ocean. Still, his fashion line was gaining steady traction, and the crew remained true to their antics on the Adult Swim show Loiter Squad, where they interacted with major forces in comedy ranging from Seth Rogan to Channing Tatum.

And then came Flower Boy, a definitive schism in Tyler’s discography and a clear indication of a new era. Alternately titled Scum Flower Fuck Boy, the lush albums’ theme of growth was bursting with insightful reflections, woozy chill-inducing synth, and the unexpected vocalists like Rex Orange County.

While community aggregate Ranker rates the album as his second best, there should be consideration to the fact that the album helped bring back fans he’d lost, introduce new ones, and effectively skyrocket him to the status of the elite. Without this album, he surely would not have made it to NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert, or a been recognized as a man who could clearly be defined as a creative genius.

The speculation about his sexuality once more peaked both owing to a line in the album many perceived to be a confirmation of same-sex attraction, and a joke made my Jaden Smith during an interview about their relationship. He never confirmed or denied exactly what he meant about “kissing white boys”, leaving many in a state of confusion that was not confirmed until the release of IGOR in 2019.

IGOR is undoubtedly Tyler’s most successful album to date, securing the rapper and producer Grammy Awards, contracted jobs for film soundtracks, and a nomination for the Best Album in the World from NME. His dark and disturbing penchant for violence appeared once more, though this time in the socially acceptable context of monogamous culture as he nonchalantly sings about the unrequited love of another man still in the closet.

There was no fanfare. No lengthy interviews or Pride Parade appearances. Tyler simply made the choice to live his life authentically with a type of visibility that’s complex in modern queer culture. While many sought to understand just why he never made this known sooner (ideally when Goblin came out), it is difficult for younger folks to remember that marriage equality has not even been in place in the U.S. for 10 years.

For black men this is even more complex, with many in the black community still maintaining active bigotry against gay, bisexual, and pansexual men. In 2019, BET reported the ongoing belief that black men who are not straight serve as an active "threat" to black woman, seen as dangerous harbingers of disease and abnormalities who do not participate within the frame of toxic masculinity as they “should”. The world of black queerdom is immensely loaded and layered, and in the world of hip-hop that appears to be tenfold.

My Time by Q