Pushing the boundaries of gender and sexuality in fashion is important in the first place, but it is especially meaningful when done by high-profile musicians and celebrities. The industry and culture of hip-hop often force hypermasculinity and magnify heteronormativity. For example, when ILoveMakonnen recently came out on Twitter, Quavo of Migos responded in an interview by saying “that’s wack, bro.” He said that Makonnen’s sexuality conflicted with his artistry, as ILoveMakonnen originally made music about “trapping and selling molly, doing all that.” Migos have since clarified and apologized for these comments.
Homophobia is a prevalent theme in many rappers’ music, and it is important for others in the industry to speak up and lead by example to induce change in attitudes like this. Artists like Young Thug and Kid Cudi have used fashion to redefine expectations of how rappers should look and act, and more importantly, the identity of black masculinity as a whole.
Young Thug
The artist who has done the most in this area recently is arguably Young Thug. In a campaign with Calvin Klein, the rapper modeled women’s clothes unapologetically. Within the campaign, he described his views on gender, saying “In my world, you can be a gangsta with a dress or you can be a gangsta with baggy pants. I feel like there’s no such thing as gender.” Coming from a black, straight rapper, this statement of individuality represents a progressive culture within hip hop.
Kid Cudi
At Coachella back in 2014, Kid Cudi appeared rocking an orange crop top and a pair of jorts. He instantly received feedback on the outfit, both positive and negative. Some called the ensemble “gay,” and the hashtag #NoHomo floated around Twitter in response to his look, but this has turned into one of his most iconic appearances. Kid Cudi’s carefree attitude about fashion on such a large stage and his comments following the Pulse nightclub shooting in the summer of 2016 – “The Hip Hop community is the least outspoken about gay rights and Ima go out my way to change that” – demonstrate an awareness of and commitment to issues of gender and sexuality.
Other artists such as A$AP Rocky have been spotted donning longline, feminine silhouettes, and Kanye West’s recent walk of Yeezy Season 5 sported many unisex pieces. Overall, the culture is changing in a positive direction. While comments like Migos’ demonstrate that the industry is still not perfect, it is also important to focus on positive influences within hip hop.
Sources:
http://www.thefader.com/2017/02/08/migos-ilovemakonnen-rolling-stone
http://www.complex.com/style/2016/07/young-thug-says-there-is-no-such-thing-as-gender
https://twitter.com/KidCudi/status/742103011091054593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw