LGBTQI+ & visibility in hip hop

Hip hop has often been seen as a subculture that is typically heteronormative with an emphasis of heterosexual relationships in lyrics. However, Santana (2019) argues that is the mainstream who have used hip hop as a scapegoat for homophobia and obscured the role that white liberalism has played in anti-queerness in this subculture (Santana, M.L., 2019). This is also supported by Taylor (2013) who said that the Black queer and transgender community has been erased from their important input into music and dance culture through Harlem drag balls and that ‘racial minority subcultures are at increased risk of erasure than their white heterosexual counterparts (Taylor 2013, p.5).’

There has been a rise of non-binary, queer, gender neutral and transgender artists claiming space in the hip hop subculture which includes Mykii Blanco, whose lyrics are presented above, in these lyrics they speak freely of their sexuality and rebellion against heteronormative ideals. Mykii is transgender and identifies as they or she and Harris (2017) describes them as gender-nonconforming persona can be viewed as an individual satirizing the very tenements of Hip-hop culture. With the rise of artists expressing their sexuality in the hip hop subculture there will be many doors opened for young people who identify with hip hop to feel accepted and free to express themselves in an often heteronormative subculture.