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Question:
1. What name can I use for you in the article for you?
Answer: Tim'm T. West, also known as 25percenter of D/DC
2.
What title? As in the work you are doing, and what group you may be down
with or represent. Do you want me to mention Web sites, collectives, etc.
that you are affiliated with?
Sure. Not so incidentally, I'm a hip hop scholar who did Ph.D. work at
Stanford's Program in Modern Thought and Literature. My work as an emcee
began in 90-91 with the underground ramblings of the Duke U .based D.E.N.
I "came out" as gay in 91-92 and developed an antagonistic relationship
to hip hop as an emcee, preferring to enter the ciphers of breakers and
freestyle dancers. Poetry, more specifically, Spoken Word became the repository
for what would have otherwise been considered hip hop lyricism. In 1998,
having developed a name for myself in Spoken Word circles in North Carolina,
New York City, and The Bay, I met Juba Kalamka and later Phillip Atiba
Goff: the founding brothas of D/DC or DeepDickollective. Both had similar
histories of having been "straight," then "closeted,"
then "out;" and out in the sense that we all wanted for our
sexual politics to inform our lyricism, our freestlyes, all of that.
More about our story and my personal bio can be found at http://www.deepdickollective.com
music is best found at: http://sugartruck.tripod.com
where you can find all sorts of respectable homiesexual collectables.
3.
What are your reactions to the following, if you have read or are knowledgeable
of them:
a. "A Question of Identity," by Malcom Venable, VIBE, July 2001
b. "Strictly for the Ladies," by Samiya A. Bashir, XXL, July 2001
c. "Homo Thugz Blow Up the Spot," by Guy Trebay, The Village Voice,February 2-8 2000
I cannot say that I'm familiar with all of the above, but based on my
familiarity with "Homo Thugz Blow Up the Spot" I find the overplayed
fascination with the closeted, self-hating homiesexual to be journalistically
lazy. I've been interested in seeing a publication take it to the next
level. There is a lot happening in the world of*gay* hip hop on the production
end. B-boys and girls, graffiti artists, emcees, djs, etc...have been
mobilizing for a few years now. Many of us have long histories with hip
hop and the younger catz know nothing else but hip hop. My sense is that
heterosexuals are very comfortable with the idea of gay boys parodying
hip hop, and a lot less comfortable with us doing it. And particularly
if we do it well.
4.
Recently a book hit the shelves entitled, The Greatest Taboo: Homosexuality
in Black Communities, edited by Delroy Constantine-Simms. The editor is
heterosexual. Do you feel that a heterosexual man is best qualified to
edit such an anthology? If you have heard of the book, or read it, what
are your reactions to the essays contained therein?
I'm contributing an essay to the forthcoming second Volume of "The
Greatest Taboo". My sense is that heterosexuals add a unique vantage
point to the discussion of gay and lesbian issues-- particularly in the
black community. I'm glad the book was done and support Delroy in his
efforts. Unfortunately, due to the rampant homophobia in the black community,
it has often been easier for our straight allies in the community to address
homophobia (without the threat nor backlash for being considered a virtual
traitor to the race).
It's important, however, that black gays and lesbians be a lot more self-determined.
That's what D/DC is trying to do. We are very cognizant of the political,
social, and historical weight of our intervention. Some kid will hear
D/DC and have the same reaction that I did when I first saw Tongues Untied
by Marlon Riggs. And they'll integrate that into whatever Renaissance
is sweeping the planet at that moment. Hip Hop is our current Renaissance.
It's not all that I love, but it's a crucial and viable medium to challenge
homophobia, AIDSphobia, sexism, imperialism, etc...
Timm performing with DDC at ATB/LA - 2001
5. In the above mentioned book, there are two articles which speak about hip-hop and homosexuality. One written by Toure, which I believe appeared in some rag in the 90s. It is called, "Hip Hop's Closet: A Fanzine Article Touches A Nerve;" If you do not remember this article, perhaps you remember Wendy Williams witch hunt to find the gay rapper. Why do you think there is so much fascination in the hip-hop and/or black community to out folx, and name names? How do you feel about this?
Indeed. We can fetishize A gay rapper. We can speculate who HE is. But
the idea of whole crews of homiesexuals and homo-boys on corner ciphers
and beat making really terrifies folk. Therefore you have a certain level
of comfort with the ambiguity of THE gay rapper... all the while ignoring
and rendering invisible the many out gay emcees in the underground who've
been doing it for a while. Sadly, our own black gay community has bought
right into the phantasm of homothuggism. You see it in the clubs now.
It's not cool to love yourself as a black gay man. It's cool to be on
the down low. It's really tragic. Hopefully with groups like D/DC making
waves and winning audiences over--because we are skilled and witty and
politicized--it'll also be cool to like being both black and gay. I dare
say to love being a black gay. Hell, I do.
6.
Another article that appears in The Greatest Taboo: Homosexuality in Black
Communities, is "A Feisty Female Rapper Breaks A Hip-Hop Taboo,";
by Laura Jamison. It appeared in the January 18, 1998 edition of The New
York Times. It discusses Queen Pen and her lyrics, specifically in the
song & "Girlfriend,"; and it appears in this article that
the reporter was trying to get Pen to out herself. Any thoughts on this?
Do you think that hip-hop artists, and artists in general, who have made
it and are gay should come out?
I think that gay and lesbian artists in hip hop who are major label artists
will not come out. It's been said to those of us who've been approached
by labels at some point or another, that being "out" will cost
you a deal... and so I'm sure that the threat of alienation and ostracization
from the art one loves is taken quite seriously. I'm glad to see lesbian
and gay rappers launch their careers as "out" emcees. At some
point the industry will be forced to respond. There's far too much talent
and far more toleration in society in general for them not to.
7. When did you start performing as an artist and what kind of performances are you engaged in? Did you come out as a gay artist from the start? How long have you been performing or involved in the hip-hop culture? What has been the reception to your sexual identity and your work? Do you only have gay audiences? Have you been commercially successful in anyway? How so?
I've responded somewhat to the first questions. But to the question to
reaction: People are often in denial that a brotha like myself, with my
baritone and my hard lyrical edge could be gay. If I was replicating Blaine
and Antwon bafoonary, peeps would just laugh it off and discount it as
something outside of hip hop. But in D/DC you have guys who've been "straight"
emcees, so we don't look very different than many underground bohemian
hip hop crews. And if people come to accept that we're gay or bi, then
they can nor longer so easily rest in the illusion that is "them"
and "us'"..the lines become more blurred. Anyone could be a
gay emcee. And gay doesn't mean wack anymore. What do you say in a cipher
if "gay" or "punk'" or "sissy" doesn't offend.
We're challenging emcees to take it to another level lyrically. Gaybashing
is played. And at the same time, there are real ramifications for being
out in the black community. Personally, I've never been challenged. I
pass as straight unless I indicate otherwise...which I do often. Just
because it's important for catz to know that gay boys look and sound like
me too. Which is, ultimately, like a lot of them. And the idea of not
being way different than a gay emcee isn't comfortable for most brothas
in hip hop. They have to question their own sexuality and their stereotypes
about gays.
8. What are your perceptions about the differences, if there are any, of hip-hop culture and gay identity on the east coast as compared to the west coast?
I can only speak about the Bay area-- which has historically been known
as a haven for people pushing the envelope with regard to race and sexuality.
New York was such a consumerist culture. I hardly found gay and lesbian
people doing hip hop trying to mobilize as artists. It's happening now.
And that's good. When you consider that a lot of young black artists move
tothe Bay because of its perceived levels of tolerance, or because of
Oakland's reputation as a black strong hold on the West Coast, it becomes
a place where a lot of magic begins to happen among black hip hop artists
who are gay, bisexual, lesbian, or just plain curious. D/DC has a lot
of straight supporters who dig our artistry, and I don't know how well
such a politicized group would resonate with people in other parts of
the country. It's no surprise to me that the Bay is the birthplace of
openly queer hip hop people in the current movement. When you consider
San Fran's reputation as a gay mecca, and you add Oakland's reputation
as birthplace of several black radical political movements (Black Panthers,
etc..) it just makes sense that at some point, people at the intersection
of black and queer identities would start to create rumblings. "Thagenda"is
a collective of black queer hip hop people who meet regularly and support
one another's events. It consists, loosely, of people like D/DC, Hanifah
Walidah, KayaTrip, Doug E., ENS, Exodus, and up and coming youth involved
with Oakland's SMAAC Youth Center.
9. Are you trying to change mainstream perceptions of what it means to be black and gay? How so? What about the mainstream perceptions of being down with hip-hop and being gay?
I'm just trying to be more visible. The fact of the matter is that wherever there has been a black cultural Renaissance, gays and lesbians have been a part of it. We just want to be able to deny the naysayers an opportunity to say, years down the line, that 25 or Doug E. weren't gay. That's why our mobilization is a monumental thing, historically speaking.
10.
I am aware of http://www.rainbowflava.com/ and
http:///www.gayhiphop.com,
do
you know of any other Web sites are artists who are openly gay?
11. MTV and VIBE have lifted up this boy Cashaun as the poster child of gay rap, how do you feel about this? Do you at all think it is possible that now he has been pushed to the fore that other gay hip-hop artists will now be able to have their "pay day?"
I think it just follows the public's need to single out a gay rapper to
quiet any paranoia that there are lots of us (which there are). It's funny,
because none of us who've been mobilizing around gay hip hop for years
had even heard of Caushun until the MTV show, in which he was given considerable
time. And of course, you have conspiracy theories about Caushun being
a tool of the heterosexual media machine, or that they are just exploiting
his talent. I'm supportive of the brother. I'm not familiar with his work.
But I think that it does say volumes about his own sense of community
that he could say that he's the "first" gay rapper to admit
being so. This is simply not true. We can never know who was a "first"
and I think that, unfortunately, many gay rappers in the movement have
been tricked into competing for prominence instead of collectively insisting
upon our visibility as a community. As far as "pay day" is concerned.
Most of the artists involved in the BayArea's "thagenda" do
hip hop because we love it. It is an extension of our most optimistic
hopes about social change and a reflection of our experience. Being in
the Bay, a place where underground artists are given a good deal of respect
for producing quality work, I can live with the possibility that D/DC
will never get offered a major label record deal. I"m more impressed
if a young hip hop head who is gay doesn't have to kill himself because
he thinks that there"s no one in the world like him because he heard
D/DC or Doug E. or ENS.
13. Can you describe the gay scene that you are familiar with in comparison to the picture that some of these articles have painted?
The gay scene I'm familiar with is the straight scene. We've always been there, in ciphers, performing, breaking, etc... Of course, there is the black gay scene in which hip hop music has become more popular than house music or is competing evenly with house music. You have a scene that involves consumers of hip hop music where you have gay boys dancing to homophobic lyrics and that concerns me. Then you have groups like "thagenda" who are about "product"; about ensuring that lesbian have hip hop that non-apologetically refers to their experience.
14. Are there any particular homophobic or misogynistic lyrics that perturb you, or homophobic hip-hop artists? Who? Why? Do you think what the white gay rapper who responded to Eminem did is the best way to go about combating the homophobia in hip-hop?
I'm not aware of the white gay rapper to whom you refer. I think that black emcees have been talking about killing fags for years and nobody made a stink about that. It almost seems as if there is a higher standard of behavior for white emcees. Or perhaps Eminem, as my boy Juba Kalamka (pointfivefag) suggests, becomes the scapegoat for white society's (gays included) angst about black youth culture. I don't get mad because an emcee hates a fag. It just inspires me to write more, to collaborate more. Freedom of speech means that I have every right to say that homophobes are wack.
15. Why do you think there is so much homophobia in the hip-hop community and in the black community at large?
I don't believe that black people are any more homophobic than other people.
I was born, bred, will live and die among black people. You have to take
a different approach with black people when it comes to sexuality. And
I presume that my good negro next door guise sometimes gives me entry
to impress and humor before folk even find out that I'm gay. I believe
that black folk
will have no choice but to get over our homophobia. Some major shit is gonna go down in which the support of black gays and lesbians will be integral, and many black leaders already recognize us as a social and political constituency.
Feel free to add anything that you wish.
Thanks for the opportunity to be candid and to add to the ongoing conversation. Some of the more innovative and cutting edge work in hip hop is being done by queer boys and queer girls (and in-betweens) and I think that this kind of innovation is born our of our experiences of alienation and oppression. But ultimately, it enriches the music. Hip Hop will be better because we have insisted upon our visibility.
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