Post #6 – Gay Rappers: Accepted or Not?

http://www.cinemablend.com/pop/Snoop-Says-Gay-Rapper-Wouldn-t-Accepted-Do-You-Agree-54412.html

Recently, rapper Snoop Dogg (or Snoop Lion, depending on how avid of a Snoop follower you are) was quoted saying that a gay rapper could not be accepted: "...,but in the rap world I don't know if it will ever be acceptable because rap is so masculine." Snoop went on to say that he has no personal issues with gay people, and said he even has a few friends who are openly gay. He does not think that a gay rapper would be culturally accepted, though.

This sort of statement seems somewhat offensive in today's world, especially in modern-day America where homophobia has significantly decreased. Even the Supreme Court has currently been deciding on whether banning gay marriage is constitutional. But, as discussed in class, the rap world is still really homophobic; not only such, but also sexist. Modern rappers have been notorious for lyrics about their tumultuous amounts of wealth and women.

So, with the current rap world, would a gay rapper be widely accepted? A poll on CinemaBlend.com asked the question to its users. 34% answered "yes"; 66% answered "no." Even the consensus agrees: the rap world is not ready for a gay rapper. But will it ever be?

The future of rap music could experience the biggest evolution the genre has ever seen. Softer genres of rap have begun appearing, more rapidly today than ever before. These softer genres – often influenced by or discussing drug use but rarely containing lyrics about sexual acts or money – have introduced semi-successful rappers such as Kid Cudi, Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller, and more recently Kendrick Lamar. These types of rappers have an eager following that is promising a "softer" future for rap music. This could possibly allow for a gay rapper to be reputable and accepted. Rapper Macklemore (along with producer Ryan Lewis) has also touched on the issue with gay rights and stereotyping in his song titled "Same Love." The song was critically accepted, and the music video has received 30 million views to date, despite the main theme of the song being about homosexuality.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis touched on homosexuality in the song "Same Love."

Despite there being no present acceptance of a gay rapper, all of these recent events in the rap industry could open up more doors for gay rappers in the near future.