Jay-Z supports President Obama on gay marriage

August 25, 2024

Jay-Z's endorsement of gay marriage did a lot more for me than anything President Obama could have said.

Two reasons: Jay-Z has absolutely zero vested interest at this point in delving into political matters. He has no reason to speak on the issue, other than to do what he feels is the right thing.

He wasn’t cleaning up a mess Kanye West made, or pandering to potential voters. All he did was go on TV and speak his mind. Bravo.

Secondly, it cannot be overlooked that hip-hop currently stands as the world’s most braggadocious form of popular music and quite frankly, one the most backwards cultures out there when it comes to inclusion.

It is still considered the utmost insult to insinuate or accuse someone of being a homosexual on a record, a mindset that’s been so perverted that term ‘no homo’ has become regular parlance for all ages.

In short, complimenting or appreciating the artistry, clothing or anything remotely emotional about a person of the same sex has become so taboo, that all potential classifications have to be qualified with ‘no homo.’ It’s a stupid, small-minded and divisive term that I hope goes away with Shawn Carter’s recent comments.

If arguably the best rapper of his generation can go on television and support marriage equality, surely John and Jane Q. Hip-hop can tell a friend they like their hair without being worried about getting labeled as gay.

While the rest of pop culture has moved out of the dark ages on homophobia, the hip-hop world has been fostering a culture of hate and exclusion for generations. It’s time to get real.

For all the jail time that many rappers brag about, it would be absurd to think that your favorite artist might not have ever had a sexual encounter with a person of the same sex. Open your eyes.

Personally, I still think I’ll be dead before a major hip-hop artist comes to prominence as a homosexual. Not to say that I don’t think I’ll live to see one come out of the closet.

But this mindset that hip-hop and homosexuality are diametrically opposed is a dumb one.

Hopefully, Jay-Z’s words can lead generations of music fans out of the fog when it comes to being an open-minded and accepting citizen of the world.