Hip Hop has long been questionable with its interactions with the GLBTQ community. From expose pictures of men kissing on the mouths, to boycotted albums to numerous accusations of both men and women, there has yet to be a successful rapper or producer in the mainstream that has been openly gay or bisexual.
Terrence Dean, former MTV executive, has published his memoir Hiding in Hip Hop: On The Down Low In The Entertainment Industry– From Music To Hollywood. Published by Simon & Schuster, the work uses fictional names to reportedly speak about real people in the entertainment industry, and by the character depictions, several rappers are included.
The primary rap character is “Gus,” a television sitcom gangster, who in actuality was a homosexual. Film actors, singers and others are mentioned in the memoir, none by their actual name.
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In an interview with The Observer, Dean, a Detroit native, says that gangster rap is slowing down coming out within Hip Hop. Of overall homosexuality in Hip Hop, Dean surmised, “Everyone knows. It is not a secret in that sense. It is just that
people do not talk about what goes on in private and who is sleeping
with who. Now I hope a mainstream artist will have the courage to soon
come out.”
