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SPITTIN' FLAMES
Will the emergence of the gay rapper threaten hip-hop's masculine image?
Some rap artists hate to admit it, but their sexuality has probably come under question at one time or another. Whether it was a rumor about a certain multiplatinum artist being romantically involved with his staff member (who happened to be of the same sex), or gossip about your favorite MC swinging both ways, the thought of a "gay rapper" made hip-hop nervous.

So it's no surprise that when 23-year-old Bed-Stuy-raised Caushun The Gay Rapper, stepped onto the scene, he wasn't taken seriously. But when his song "Ohh, Who Dat Be?" made its way onto NYC's Hot 97 radio station, listeners took notice. "I'm not trying to be a gay novelty," says Caushun of his decision to come out of the closet early on. "When I go to regular hip-hop parties, I might be a little more flamboyant than the other thugs in the room, but I'm not coming out with rose petals."

Though attaching the tag "The Gay Rapper" (which he officially patented) to his name seems like a gimmick, Caushun argues otherwise. "I've always been into hip-hop. Me and my friends would cipha with whoever's on the step or in the house, dissing and rhyming. I didn't think I couldn't do this because I'm gay."

But instead of using just mic skills on his upcoming debut album, PROCEED WITH CAUSHUN, Caushun attempts to stir up controversy on a song called "Gay Rapper's D-Lite," where he clearly mentions Jay-Z, Snoop Dog, Nelly and others as objects of his attraction.

"A lot of people think I'm just trying to make a dollar," Caushun defends. "But, from the door, you know that I'm gay and I am, in fact, keeping it real. I'm just being me and I think from the response that I'm getting that people are interested in something new in hip-hop."

Another group prominent in the queer rap community that's just trying to spit bars is the Rainbow Flava, "San Francisco's Original L/G/B/T Hip Hop Crew," who also explicitly use their sexual orientation as material for their music and image. Their five-song debut album addresses the day-to-day lifestyle of a homosexual in the hip-hop community. "I think that what is going to make me credible is my beat and my flow, not my sexuality," Caushun assures. But until he really starts to blow up other rappers' spots, we'll just have to trust him. --Giselle Wasfie

COPYRIGHT THE SOURCE, November 2001