Outing Hip-Hop

That allegiance extends all the way to the paparazzi, who in many cases won't break the code in an effort to ensure future access. If they do break it, many magazines editors won't buy the photos anyhow, for fear of lawsuits or professional backlash. (In 1998, when Hot 97 shock jock Wendy Williams hinted that a major New York rapper was gay, she was booted from the station.) "You have to understand that once you print a story like that, particularly against a hip-hop artist, you have to be prepared for a full-on kamikaze attack," says Mwangaguhunga. "The artist, the label, and everybody who endorsed that artist will launch a huge lawsuit against you." Mwangaguhunga says his agency gets tips on this type of thing three or four times a week—sometimes in the form of a phone call, photo, or video. But because of the time and money needed to confirm the accusations, a lot of those tips don't make it into print. Says a corporate lawyer turned gossip writer for AllHipHop.com, who would only give his pen name, illseed, "There are people in the tabloid media dying to confirm something of this sort. But at the very end of the day, it's not what you know, its what you can prove—or, these days, what you can print."

As Dean points out, the irony about gay rappers is that hip-hop was founded on the notion of speaking truth; it was the voice of an urban underclass largely hidden from the mainstream. The more adversity an artist faced, the more street credibility he developed. "It was about being real," says Los Angeles rapper Deadlee (real name Joseph Lee), who is openly gay—do-rag, tattoos, hardcore lyrics and all. Money has changed all that, as hip-hop has transformed from the word of the street to the word of the elite: clothes, cars, bitches and bling have overtaken social consciousness. But Deadlee is part of a growing movement of gay rappers who make up the world of "homohop," a genre he hopes will eventually cross over to the mainstream. With more than 50 recognized homohop artists on the Web site Outhiphop.com, many are touring at home and abroad. "There's likely a gay counterpart to every 'brand' of hip-hop in the mainstream," says Tim'm West, who is the founder of the Oakland-based gay rap group, Deep Dickollective. (He also released his second solo album, "Blakkboy Blue(s)," last year.)

Mainstream acceptance of a gay rapper would definitely require a paradigm shift, says West. But perhaps a failing industry could foster that. After 30 years of growing popularity, rap is now struggling with an alarming sales decline and growing criticism; its sales dropped 21 percent from 2005 to 2006. A recent study by the Black Youth Project showed that a majority of youth rap is too violent; even Nas declared in the title of his 2006 album, "Hip-hop Is Dead." "I wonder what would happen if a rapper came out and tapped into this market," says Mwangaguhunga. "Hip-hop is about telling stories of struggle and life, and I think there's a real story to tell of urban, gay youth." That won't happen tomorrow, but if Dean can come out of "hiding," maybe the industry can too.

© 2008