When I first started learning about gay hip hop music in 2009 there were only a handful of decent male rappers out there. They even had a (corny) name for Gay Rap Music: Homo Hop.
At the time, artists like Lasto, Bry’Nt, Kaoz and Bone Intell were the only MCs worth mentioning.
Five years later, new gay rappers are popping up everywhere. From the Freaky Boiz to EarthTone to Fly Young Red, seems like we’re hearing about talented gay rappers cropping up all the time.
Most importantly, they’re more than just gay gimmicks, opting to create their own identities rather than merely imitate Lil Kim, Foxy Brown or Nicki Minaj. Not only that, we’re finally starting to see Gay Rappers shown love from gay club promoters with opportunities to perform.
The latest artists to hit our radar is a trio of young bucks from Chicago (Tezzo, Aki and Lil Bit, pictured above) forming the rap group Raw Footage.
Thankfully these MCs are less interested in gratuitous raps about gay sex and more interested in spitting rapid fire verses about turning up, enjoying life and (in true hip hop fashion) why they’re better than the competition.
Brand new to the scene and they already have a full free mixtape available called Rawlife for downloading into your iTunes library.
Although for now their songs are primarily just remixes and interpolations of industry beats, Raw Footage still manages to establish a brand for themselves and their style.
This is demonstrated most effectively on their best track to date, “My Whole Life” (embedded below) featuring a huge chorus assist from TINK, a hot new female singer/rapper on the rise.
Fresh out of the gate, however, the members of the group are already dropping solo projects, even before a full album has been released. This is never a great indicator of group solidarity. The group is still collectively booking live shows so all may actually be copacetic in Chiraq for Raw Footage.
Either way, they still have a lot of room to grow but given their age and accomplishments so far, its clear that this is a very great start and quite possibly the beginning of a few long-term careers, whether or not they all go solo or remain united as a group.
“MY WHOLE LIFE” FT. TINK
“MY HOMIES STILL”
“POUR IT UP”
“YELLOW TAPE”
Nick Delmacy
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I love that you wrote about this group. I posted the mixtape and videos on the activity stream and wondered if it went unnoticed lol. Lil Bit and Tezzo- they are the best ones that rap. AKI- the weakest one in the group. Maybe he will grow. Time will tell.
They seem to be on the brink of being the pioneers to bring Hip-Hop back to what it used to be just about the music and having a good time. They have only room to improve and grow.
The one in the Nike cap is pretty nice.He has some explosive energy.I REALLY enjoyed Yellow Tape. Major kudos to them for not saturating their music with esoteric gay slang and references,and in other words,putting themselves in a box.
Not feelin it. Dude in the Nike cap was somewhat legit. Couldn’t get with the other two. Fem voices aside their flow was weak and bars was kinda whack imo.
With that said…check me out on YouTube below! I just do this for fun tho.
@ Cdotti – I guess the new criteria for art is being able to say: niggah, bitch, dick, ass, pussy, shit, fuck, goddamn, etc. I didn’t hear/see any dragons being slayed, any knockouts, or any talent being portrayed. I heard you spit a lotta shit – literally. And it sucked. Oh, you get -2 points (minus 2 points) for letting us all know you like sucking big dicks and you always on the creep cause everybody should “hide your man, hide your bitch…” So in other words you don’t have any morals or integrity or conscience? That shit was wack, and you don’t have no flow.
I thought they was decent and have potential. Im not gay and I still enjoyed the music hope they continue doing them. I don’t know how people would react not being able to say there lyrics especially guys.