Hip-hop is routinely and rightly dragged for its homophobia, and while old heads like DMX and Lord Jamar remain proudly steadfast in their lack of enlightenment, a few of the culture’s current wave of envelope-pushing, boundary crashing rappers seem determined to pull hip-hop toward a more enlightened stance. In the wake of the massacre in Orlando, Kid Cudi tweeted the following responses, including a dismissal of fans, pissed off that he was supporting the LGBTQ community:
Chicago’s own Vic Mensa (whose work has become increasingly more politically charged) has just gone a step further, releasing the track “Free Love” in support of LGBTQ rights. More crucially, he brought openly queer rapper Le1f onboard the project in a real show of solidarity. Also on the track are Halsey, Lil B, and spoken-word artist Malik Yusef. Check it out below:
