Best Posts in Forum: Music and Podcasts

Okay.I'll just got down the list.These are the traits I saw everyone sharing with their counterparts

@ockydub /Ice Cube -hard-edged but still funny as hell at the same time
@Nick Delmacy /Kanye - both believe in themselves,have vision,
@SB3 /Tupac- get SB3 started on a speech or a serious topic and these two become indistinguishable
@ControlledXaos /Joe Budden - I was reading Budden's tweets and found out they share a condition :both suffer from a deficiency of sense
@cypher21 /Childish Gambino- Young nerds who are going places
@African King /Will Smith- both emanate good will (no pun intended) and share their strongest and best trait, Enthusiasm
@JNH412 /Shock G - brilliant but silly as hell
@KritiKal Analysis /Jay Z- laid back,cool,deep thinkers
@OhSheit /Tyler the Creator -sharp and fearless sense of humor

@Cyrus-Brooks /Chuck D- both have a militant vibe and are cool as fck.very rooted in their stances and can't be swayed
@acessential /J Cole -young dudes who have interesting things to say and never bore you with it
@bpaisle / Bobby Ray- good energy,shakes things up<----like with that pic thread that broke Cypher Ave.That's some B.o.B. eggplant friday sh*t right there
@Artistic Arsonist /Lupe Fiasco- animated
@alton / Andre 3000 -colourful personalities

Up next,everyone gets a diva.

 

When we started this website 8 years ago (then under a different name), one of my main motivations was to highlight the Gay and Bisexual Black male creatives that didn’t seem to be getting any press coverage elsewhere. Especially those that leaned on the more masculine side of the spectrum. Never did I think we would make it this far so quickly.

Yes, I said the dreaded “M” word: Masculine. Believe it or not, there was a time (8 years ago) when there were hardly any narratives from the masculine gay man’s perspective. We were told to “live in our truths,” which at that time meant to be more effeminate or to just be quiet and embrace flamboyant gay culture.

Obviously there is nothing wrong with those perspectives, we just didn't relate to them. They didn't speak to our personal daily struggles, thoughts, interests and perspectives as Black gay men who grew up adopting (admittedly) straight, hyper-masculine culture. We were a weird hybrid of gay man.

At that time, “The DL Chronicles” was only form of entertainment that I saw elements of myself and others like me.

For those reasons, these masculine gay men sharing their reality through art were basically ignored or were called “boring” for not being more flamboyant by the predominant voices in the “community.”

“They need to live in their truth and stop trying to be straight,” is a paraphrased comment we saw shared by self-described “Snap Queens.”

We pushed back on that. Even when we didn’t necessarily love the content that they made, we went out of our way (and spent many unpaid hours) writing reviews and conducting interviews with Black Gay Filmmakers, Writers, Stand-Up Comedians, Actors, Artists and even the highly sought after “Gay Rappers.”

The first openly gay rapper that I “discovered” was an artist named Bry’Nt, a young, handsome rap artist with a quintessential New York “Latino Fan Club” vibe (for better or worse) and a heavy mix of Lil Kim influence.



While the notion that a ‘gay rapper’ already existed intrigued me (despite Angie Martinez and Wendy Williams still searching for one hiding in the mainstream), at the time, Bry’Nt didn’t appeal to me musically. What he did do for me was to introduce me to an entire community of talented openly gay rap artists already active and eager to make it big in the music industry.

The first rap artist that we devoted an entire blog post to was a nonchalant, mild mannered (for better or worse), impressively talented wordsmith from St. Louis who went by the name of of Last Offence (aka Lasto).



Published on November 17th, 2011, my reviews of Lasto’s debut mixtapes “Run A Lap” and “Not for Non Profit” demonstrated that, unlike most other gay bloggers only interested in their sexual positions, we were more interested in the lives of the artists and the art itself.

In subsequent years, we had conversations and interviews with other Out rappers such as the aforementioned Bry’Nt (who we then crowned the King of Gay Battle Rap), Kaoz, Earthtone, Fly Young Red and many others were featured or highlighted on the site in one way or another.

[TL;DR: We have supported our community in our own small way and have the receipts to prove it.]

Although these musicians varied in their overall appeal and skills, the one constant with them all was just how difficult it was being openly gay in Hip Hop, a genre of music with hyper-masculinity and homophobia so firmly embedded into its DNA.

Even to this day, vile YouTube content creator DJ Vlad is still throwing hyper-masculine hotep rappers in front of cameras and asking them about homosexuality and trans people.

Joe Budden hosts one of the most popular Hip Hop Podcasts in the history of podcasts, yet the words “suspect” and “no homo” are still uttered by him and his co-hosts on a frequent basis.

And even this month we’ve seen ‘religious homophobia’ rearing its ugly head on social media during the discussions on musician Tank’s recent comments on sexuality:



Despite all of that, this happened:

Lil Nas X adds another milestone to a long line of them.


On Oct. 22, the RIAA announced that Nas X’s “Old Town Road” had been certified 10-times platinum after selling 10 million units. The single, which has seen remixes featuring Young Thug, Billy Ray Cyrus and more, has gone diamond.


As we alluded to up top, this is just the latest Lil Nas X accomplishment. Earlier this year, the rapper broke the record for the longest-streak of No. 1 placements on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Using a memorable hook, comedic southern drawl and Nas X’s keen understanding of social media, his breakout single surpassed internet phenomenon status a few times over.

– XXL
​

Given our 8-year journey on Cypher Avenue following the accomplishments of Gay and Bisexual men of color, I’m immensely proud of Lil Nas X. And I’m happy to say that we featured Lil Nas X on this site even before he came out publicly as gay.

Many long time readers may have noticed that in recent years, our coverage of LGBT entertainers and content creators has diminished. This is partially due to time constraints, but more so it is amazing to see just how ‘common’ mainstream content featuring Gay and Bisexual men of color has become.

From famous Lil Nas X to infamous Jussie Smollett (formally) of Empire, from Frank Ocean to Moonlight, From Dear White People to the dozens of web series and Soundcloud musicians out there, gay men of color are no longer relegated to sassy queen hair dresser stereotypes.

And it only took 8 years.

Just as Lil Nas X owes a small part of his success to the gay rappers that paved the way before him, Cypher Avenue deserves a little credit as well. And by ‘small part’ I do mean very small. Clearly, 20-year-old Montero Lamar Hill’s success is of his own making. However, we have no idea if the creative work and visibility of Bry’Nt, Lasto, Kaoz and others had some indirect influence on Lil Nas X, an artist who clearly grew up on the Internet, YouTube, Social Media and blogs like Cypher Avenue.

I’d like to believe that he did. Hell, even we did…and we continue to do so to this day. We researched tons of bloggers like Rod McCullom, DJ Baker and others before starting our own site. We even supported the young bucks that came after us (#RIP to Mused Magazine).

Creatives, we’re all low key watching each other. We all occasionally see someone doing something online (or in public) that we want to do as well. Some of us get so motivated that we just dive into the deep end and join the pool, while others sit back lurking, supporting us from afar.

Without knowing a thing about blogging, Ocky Williams and I dived in and started what would eventually become one of the most visited Black gay websites on the planet. This is not an overstatement, we had a crazy, unexpected (and controversial) run for a minute. Even to this day, there are still no other LGBT websites that speaks to and for our niche audience (for better or worse). Many of the long time readers have since connected in meet-ups and have become friends IRL.

So what’s the point of this blog post? To pat ourselves on the back and take credit for Lil Nas X’s achievements? Nah, that was all him. And homophobia still exists. Transphobia still exists. Stereotypes still exist. One may ask, has anything really changed at all?

My answer is “Yes.” Baby steps.

I think the point of this essay is to just revel in and be proud of this moment in history. A moment in history that we are a part of, even if in a very small way. History may not write about the contributions of those pioneering gay rappers, but we did, in the moment.

I have accomplished a lot in my short life, but one of my greatest contributions to society as a whole has been sharing my “truth” through this website and sharing the work of other underrepresented gay & bisexual men like me as well.

We didn't start this site to become gay famous or to get dates or to get into gay clubs for free. It was to fill a void in the stories and conversations on being Gay Men of Color.

I have a sense of pride and purpose when I get emails from men saying how much this website has helped them. When the members here tell us that they have made best friends through initially connecting on this website, I feel that the unpaid work and sacrifices to keep this site going have been worth it.

Even if only 100 people saw an interview or web series review, those 100 people may have NEEDED to see that to help make them feel more accepted, or to inspire them to make something as well, or to expose a non-LGBT person to a way of life that turns out to be not too different than their own.

I can only imagine how someone like Lil Nas X, a person who has reached millions more people than us, must feel. The pride, the sense of responsibility, the pressure to succeed and make mistakes in public. I don’t envy him but I appreciate everything he’s done to live in his own truth as an artist and hopefully inspire others as well.

I’m excited to see what the future holds for us.

Here’s to the next 8 years…and beyond.

 

I have been feeling this group for a while now and just thought I would share.

 

So true. I think people forget the rappers who make all catchy trap music we like so much are just Hood folk who were blessed to get a come up in life. There's always been a double standard because when they say "gay" they really mean gay men not women. Lesbian and bisexual women are loved, adored and fantasized by black rappers.

Dont let these pc statements written by their publicist fool yall. There hood rappers not sociology professors. They dont have love for us be will gladly take your check.

 

John Legend, Aloe Blacc, Luke James, Urban Mystic, Anthony Hamilton, Calvin Richardson, Tyrese Gibson, Mali Music, Anthony David are current rnb singers with deep voices. Unfortunately not many are really that main stream. This also speaks to the current state of mainstream rnb.

 

@Cyrus-Brooks



@acessential



@bpaisle



@Artistic Arsonist



@alton
'

 

While Black American R&B singers are whispering over tracks...

 

"The color black has become increasingly important to me. It hurts my heart to watch the television special 'Black in White America,' when the Black girl picked the white doll over the Black. That's why I decided the color scheme for Rhythm Nation - the costumes, the cover art, the overall feeling - would be positively, uncompromisingly Black." - Janet Jackson

 

so this is what Smollett had to say
“I am a gay man with an extremely open heart,” he says, easy and assured until he’s asked to elaborate on what that means to him. “God, I’ve never had to talk about this, so I’m trying to find the words. If I had to label myself, I would label myself as a gay man.

With that said, I believe that love is the only thing that matters, and I would hope that anybody would leave themselves open — not to gender, but to love. I would hope that people would not close themselves off from what could be if, lo and behold, you meet somebody that just sweeps you off your feet, and you just can’t do anything about it.



If we truly believe that we are born this way, then why do we try to stifle the way we were born? If I fall in love down the road with a woman, I’m going to love that woman.”

“I’m sure that those words will be misconstrued,” he says, because if there’s one thing he’s learned this year, it’s how easily that can happen. “But this is a conversation that deserves to be had, because we don’t all understand each other. You’re not going to tell me that loving someone is wrong. That does not mean that heterosexuality is not very real. It does not mean that bisexuality is not very real. It does not mean that homosexuality is not very real. They are all very real. But what I’m saying is, I am a gay man. I am a gay man. I am a gay man. I don’t know how many times I have to say that.”

so what are your thoughts? i always like dudes attitude he comes off as a humble and cool person.
EXCLUSIVE: Jussie Smollett on How a Black Gay Man Can Save the World

 

Cut the bullshit. We don't hear straight people, saying (especially men) "If I fall in love with a man, I will love that man...".

As a gay man, I LOVE women, especially my mother, sisters, nieces, and especially the woman who will be the future mother of my child. And I will always LOVE women. I'm not sexually attracted to them, which makes me gay and cancels out bisexual. Even if I was to fuck a woman, I would still be gay. LOVE doesn't have to involve sex.
Gay people (not the bisexual men and women who identify as gay only because of the 60/40 rule: 60 pertaining to the same gender) should not be saying things like that , especially when people who are on the DL, in the closet, and are involved in sexual repairing methods and therapies are reading and listening. The whole "I'm gay, but...if...however" BS is destructive and doesn't help dissolve the heteronormative. As a gay or bisexual man, if you are out and vocal about sexuality, be blunt with no BS reservations and innuendos.

Sexuality isn't black and white. However, sexuality is what it is. Spaghetti isn't chicken, it's spaghetti.

 

Trolling yes....but for me, the joy I feel for Tyler getting that music festival money and notoriety and being able to take his white male sex pieces on lavish trips.

 

Bruno Mars is starting 2018 off live with his ‘Finesse’ remix featuring hip hop darling Cardi B.

Paying homage to the ground breaking 90’s sketch comedy show In Living Color; the music video mirrors the show’s intro and set to a T. Bruno and dancers also sport Cross Color- esque attire completing the effect. ‘Finesse’ is a smooth throw back to the new jack swing of that era.

Check out the video and its 90s vibe below.








Read the whole post here.

 

We’re reaching back in time remembering music, cartoons, video games and pop culture to make you say “OH Snap…That Was My Shit!”



The Gap Band – You Dropped A Bomb On Me


Love Come Down – Evelyn “Champagne” King


MC Lyte – Paper Thin


Silverhawks


Contra (NES, 1988)


Thundarr the Barbarian



“Zack of All Trades” PSA with Luther Vandross


Pac-Man Cereal


My Buddy – Kid Sister


The Uncanny X-Men: July 1980








Read the whole post here.

 

I have seen all of these Artists I saw in concert:

Ying Yang Twins
Beyonce
Jay Z
Rihanna
R. Kelly
Erykah Badu
Jill Scott
Christina Aguleria
Brittany Spears
Pussy Cat Dolls
Johnny Lang
Joe Bonamassa
50 Cent
Eminem
G-Unit
Snoop Dogg
Gavin DeGraw
Carrie Underwood
Areosmith
Madonna
Josh Groban
Chris Brown
Tamar Braxton
Brandy
Bone Thug N Harmony
Nsync
Outkast
Phil Collins
Elton John
Sting
Rascal Flatts

This is not including: New York Philharmonic, Boston Pops, LA Philharmonic, Florida Orchestra and various operas and musical theater artist I have seen.

 

Bussy is no different than str8s thinking its ok to call all gay men 'girl', because their gay hairstylist friend loves it. No thanks. These blanket statements and terms that they think are ok for the whole lgbtqhdzrp umbrella are the devil.

Reminds me of being out for dinner w @Infinite_loop and @itsumoconfused and while waiting in the bathroom line, I said 'hey, how are you' to a lady in front of me who's table was near ours. She goes, 'how YOU doin?' in that Wendy Williams voice, like she was 'in on the joke and in the loop' now and had 'discovered our secret', because of whatever topic she'd overheard us discussing. Because of course, closeted DL thugs like us have convos at normal volume about gay shit, in public, all the time. No thanks.

 

He should've sung these songs naked.

 

Yall hos muthafukin tried it, BIIIIITCH!!!

Last time I checked, I thought I was a well spoken and received guest on the podcastS!! Yes, with an S! Plural ho!!! But aight...yall can just dub over my parts w a new song...

Nah, for real tho, I type in a very conversational way on here, because I think of it that way. I'm not in class, or at work in my cubicle, and with how socially awkward sooo many gay men are (particularly those who feel kinda 'out of the loop' of what IG suggests they should be) I think of CA as an environment where guys should feel comfortable, laid back, and off the clock, and not in need of sending their representative. Idk if you guys realize just how many members for whom CA IS their main, non sexual, interaction w other gay men. As the member who has most likely met the most members, I can attest to this. Point is, I spent sooo many years w others looking at and thinking of me a certain way because of the way I looked, all while I was naive and insecure as fuk because I was gay and so worried abt being outed, that now that Im comfortable and happy with the guy I am, I stopped carrying around any extra fuks for what others think, or feel inclined to judge me on. That said, don't sleep, cus in addition to being an english major for abt a semester and a half/being an english tutor for both my junior and senior years of college as my work study job, AND in the 25 damn years that I been on this damn site, everyone got my damn points, both written and vervalized. Not that yall implied all that, lol, that's just a general dislaimer for anyone who got it twisted...ho!

It's aight tho, yall can just have ' @hannibal / @ControlledXaos day' every day! They fux w me at mused.

@Nick Delmacy if u don't stop playin and ask your damn nephew!!! You know what it's like to wrestle with that shyt, so why don't you think he'd want that support if he IS gay? Hell, even if he's not ready to say it, he can just lie and keep on fakin it like the rest of us did. At least that way he'll know he has an ally. Wouldve made a world of difference to me if I had that, instead of only having a bunch of uncles and older str8 cuzzins who each had 10 kids w 12 baby mamas. Yes, my numbers are intentional and accurate!

Again, for the millionth time, while knowing it's irrelevant, I still think yall should do this more often, and on a larger platform. Ppl in general, take exposure (or lack thereof) and it's impact, for granted. These are the kinds of conversations that ppl could really learn from.

When I start my youtube series, don't come tryin to join forces w me and split a piece of my check!

Sincerely,

SbBrendaJohnsonMuthafukn3

Yall done fukd up my high...

And Im tagging @OckyDub to make sure that ho reads this! Eventho I don't fuk w u no more, and you dont understand nuthin I say, in a world where many single gays like to trivialize the value of relationships based on their own stuggles and difficulties in finding or maintaining them, it's nice to hear you speaking of your relationship in a way that makes it seem like something valuable, and not just something that happens to exist...or whatever..

 

Cause as soon as he walks away.


"lllllaaawwwwwwwwdddd! I feel so sorray for Cora and Luther. You know Cora want some gran babies so bad. Imma pray for huh and him "

"Uhmmm humm. Well I always knew sum wa wrong widdim. Imma keep my eyes own him and make sure he ain't round dem chirren by himseff."

 

I have like a long list of albums I enjoyed this year. Don't judge my nerdness.
The Weeknd - Starboy
Maxwell - blackSUMMER'Snight
Gallant - Ology
Anderson Paak - Malibu
BJ The Chicago Kid - In My Mind
Corinne Bailey Rae - The Heart Speaks In Whispers
KING - We Are KING
Frank Ocean - blonde
James Blake - The Colour In Anything
Nao - For All We Know
Solange - A Seat at the Table
A Tribe Called Quest - Thank You 4 Your Service
Vince Staples - Prima Donna
Kamaiyah - A Good Night in the Ghetto
ScHoolboy Q - Blank Face
Noname Gypsy - Telefone
The Avanlanches - Wildflower
KAYTRANADA - 99.9%
Mitski - Puberty 2
The 1975 - I like it when you sleep
Chance The Rapper - Coloring Book

 

The KKGay already twerking at pride events to this track like...

 

Plenty of gay people think they're really loved UNTIL they find out they're really not.

 

I take it as he is open to love. That he has a clear identity but he isn't closed off to love coming from channels he wouldn't expect. As he said he's a very gay man but if he met a woman that he connected with in that way he would love that woman. People have to realize sexuality has never been and will never be black and white. Sure most of us go to our selected corners of identification but unless we have ran into every kind of man or woman there is is it really possible to say that we are unequivocally what we have self identified as? I don't think it's possible but I do understand the need for self identifiers.

 

I've never liked music to be playing while having sex. I always found it to be a distraction or annoying to the point that it bounces me outta the moment.

 

A new way to use his mouth and...probably make less money.Diversify your holes folks.

 

What is a gay agenda? No one can't make you suck a dick if you don't want to. Is there a straight agenda?....You know when every time a man and woman are in a movie...they have to have some romantic subplot or some other borrowed Adam and Eve concept?

 

Are you trying to tell me Black Hip-Hop rappers and ''rappers'' hate Gay people!?!

 

Who? and Why?

I'm so tired of Vlad sitting idiots like him and Lord Jamar down to give their "expertise" on things....ughhhh YouTube keeps trying it. Nothing he said is a surprise. People like him truly want to say bullshit like this as if the founder/founders of Starbucks created this new Gay coffee or a new disease called Gay is going around. Absolute stupidity. But he probably had a threesome with two chicks after the interview tho...smh

VLADTV: "Boosie, do you have a career?"

Boosie: "No"

VLADTV: "We have to end the interview"

 

No. Nor, anywhere else. Besides Gay Prides.

It's being confused with fragile heterosexuality.

 

PURE DOPENESS

 

As a music nerd, I'm all about broadening my musical horizons. I’d thought I share some interesting LGBTQ artists that have been making waves in 2018 from across a few genres that aren't necessarily your traditional R&B and Rap. These artists had a good 2019 with critic or commercial success, and considered to be flipping whatever their respective genre on its head. Some you're already familiar with.

I posted just snippets of their their musical sound below, don't be scared to click play and add on.

The Internet (Syd – Lesbian, Steve Lacy – Bisexual)
Genre: R&B, Neo-Soul



Janelle Monae (Lesbian)
Genre: R&B, Alternative R&B, Retro-Soul



Yves Tumor (Queer)
Genre: Trip-Hop, Electronic, Experimental



Serpentwithfeet (Gay)
Genre: Alternative R&B, Art-Pop



Blood Orange (Queer)
Genre: Alternative R&B, Funk


Shea Diamond (Transgender Woman)
Genre: Country


Brockhampton (Kevin Abstract – Gay, other 62 members, 2 others rumored to be bi the interwebs say)
Genre: Hip-Hop, Experimental Rap



Rina Sawayama (Pansexual)
Genre: Pop, R&B


I can post some non-POCs too.

 

Despite being born in the 90s, and a millennial, and I of course like popular music from now, I love slow soul music from the 60s and 70s for some reason. It's so lovely.

 

“Can’t tell my family I’m bi/Can’t tell my mother I’m gay/The hardest part of my day/Is wishing I was fucking straight.”

You would think those lyrics would be from one of Frank Ocean’s two new albums. As transparent and revealing as FO is on Tumblr, you would think he would be just as revealing in his music. Not only are those lyrics not sung by our Black Gay Superhero, nothing as specific and direct about homosexuality as that appears on Blonde or Endless at all.

Those four lines of introspection are actually from “Papercut” featured on 20-year-old rapper Kevin Abstract’s sophomore album, “American Boyfriend.” An album full of welcomed abrasive transparency and emo realness for all LGBT boys and girls to identify with.



Admittedly, Abstract’s style of music will not be everyone’s cup of spilled tea (pun intended), but for me his transparency and frankness (pun intended again) on sexuality drew me in. If I had to be reductive and compare his music to others, I would say his sound is a gumbo pot of Childish Gambino, Kanye West, Frank Ocean and Odd Future.

EMPTY



And I’ll be
Right outside your front door on my 12 speed
I got your emotions tattooed on my sleeve
I think about you all the time
I’ve waited for you all my life
I need you right here by my side

SEVENTEEN



He was everything I dreamed of
Used to ride around in his two seater
Being friends didn’t make it much easier,
Friday night lights stay away from the bleachers,
Showed me obscure bands he was into,
His mom in the dining room, we’re in his bedroom, his girl too,
Had to pretend like I didn’t mind that bitch
Just so I could see his face

MISERABLE AMERICA



My boyfriend saved me
My mother’s homophobic
I’m stuck in the closet
Also claustrophobic
I just want help if
My best friend’s racist
My mother’s homophobic
I’m stuck in the closet
Also claustrophobic
I just wanna know shit
Why we all love Young Thug?

ECHO



Started smoking cigarettes
I even picked up pot again
Coke ain’t touch my nose yet
I’m afraid I’ll be just like my friend
I’m afraid I ain’t gon’ have no friends
Oh my god, when do my story end?
Tell me God, when do my story end?
I’m locked outside of the DeLorean

 

Very early this morning, Makonnen Sheran—better known as the rapper iLoveMakonnen—announced on Twitter that he is gay.





Makonnen refers to the revelation as “old news,” and indeed in a New York Times profile published in April 2015, Makonnen seemed to allude to that he was queer:

“The rap world thinks I’m gay,” he said. “A lot of people out there do. They think I’m a homosexual, which is not a problem. I don’t want to say I’m gay, I’m straight, I’m bisexual or any of that, because that’s just. …” he said, trailing off. “Who cares? All that’s doing is dividing us.”
​

Well anyway, now we know. Makonnen’s most recent mixtape, a collaboration with the producer Danny Wolf titled Red Trap Dragon, was released last August.

​

Source: Spin Magazine