Thug and Makonnen are in their own ways altering how rappers are supposed to look. But their lasting legacies might be their ongoing queering of how popular rap sounds. Makonnen, nodding off into in his own bloops and bleeps, could slide perfectly onto a Le1f album track; Young Thug, constantly bending his voice into new and unrecognizable shapes, would have sounded at home on any of trans rapper Mykki Blanco's albums.
It's possible that mainstream rap's first openly queer artist will be a gay man whose music is nonetheless conservative and easily digestible. Maybe that person will look and sound as straight as J. Cole while also admitting in interviews that he sucks dick in the bedroom. But if we go by how gay rappers sound now—arty and uncompromising—it's more likely that mainstream rap will have to accept the queer underground's freaks and weirdos.
Young Thug and Makonnen, each in their own way, are making that future a reality right now. They may or may not be the first openly queer mainstream rappers, but I'm willing to bet that whoever is will look and sound a hell of a lot like them.
http://gawker.com/mainstream-raps-gay-future-is-upon-us-1696089665
It's possible that mainstream rap's first openly queer artist will be a gay man whose music is nonetheless conservative and easily digestible. Maybe that person will look and sound as straight as J. Cole while also admitting in interviews that he sucks dick in the bedroom. But if we go by how gay rappers sound now—arty and uncompromising—it's more likely that mainstream rap will have to accept the queer underground's freaks and weirdos.
Young Thug and Makonnen, each in their own way, are making that future a reality right now. They may or may not be the first openly queer mainstream rappers, but I'm willing to bet that whoever is will look and sound a hell of a lot like them.
http://gawker.com/mainstream-raps-gay-future-is-upon-us-1696089665
