Taking the Homophobia Out of Hip-Hop: A Progress Report

On a down note, like a spoiler waiting in the wings, rapper 50 Cent quickly dissed Kanye West over the interview. Revealing himself as a guy who “just doesn't get it”, 50 Cent (whose past raps have included anti-gay slurs) spewed forth some pretty nasty dish. On New York's Hot 97 morning show he told host Miss Jones:

“They like Kanye West 'cause he's a safe ni**a. It's better for your kid to wanna dress weird and just have a whole other vibe. He said something in an interview one time that made me think about it. He said 'cause he was raised by his mother, he has feminine ways. That right there is who Kanye West is to me. That statement is stuck in my head. He said it like he meant it.”

Eradicating homophobia in hip-hop culture did suffer its share of setbacks this past year.

As reported by The New York Post (and many other tabloids) on March 29, 2006, U.S. rap star BUSTA Rhymes went off on a homophobic rant over a young gay fan whose only crime was tapping Rhymes on the shoulder at a diner in Miami.

Eyewitness Thomas Barker recalls what made Busta lose his temper,

“The restaurant (located near a gay bar) was packed with transvestites, gay men and drag queens, which obviously made Busta a little edgy. This became evident when a young gay guy came up behind Busta and tapped him on the shoulder to congratulate the rapper on his recent comeback. Before the guy could even mutter a word, Busta turned around and repeatedly screamed, 'Why the f*** you touchin' me, man? Get the f*** away from me' . . . his two huge bodyguards then caused an even larger scene by pushing the kid away . . . Busta quietly whispered to his bodyguards, 'I hate f***ing faggots, man.”

This incident happens to follow the release of Busta's "Touch It" remix – which also features DMX, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliot, and others. The track includes a line in which rapper DMX says, "F*** you, faggot, I shot at you!"

There have also been recent disappointments abroad.

In January of 2006 reggae star Buju Banton was acquitted of a gay-bashing attack in his trial in Kingston, Jamaica.

Mr. Banton became notorious in the early 1990s for advocating the murder of gay people in some of his song lyrics. His “Boom Bye Bye” single encourages people to shoot gay men in the head, pour acid over them and burn them alive.

As stated by Time magazine writer Tim Padgett in an April 2006 issue, “Gay-rights activists attribute the scourge of homophobia in Jamaica largely to the country's increasingly thuggish reggae music scene. Few epitomize the melding of reggae and gangsta cultures more than Banton, who is one of the nation's most popular dance-hall singers”.

The prosecution in the case alleged that Banton was one of a group of men who forced their way into a house in Kingston, Jamaica on June 24, 2004 and beat six men who they accused of being gay.

As stated in a January 2006 Outrage press release, “Some Jamaicans fear that Mr. Banton's celebrity and the strongly homophobic attitudes that exist in Jamaica will deny justice to the victims of what was a horrific homophobic assault. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have accused the Jamaican police of colluding with homophobic violence and failing to properly investigate anti-gay attacks”.

Jamaica, where homosexuality is illegal, is considered by many human rights groups to be one of the most homophobic places on earth. In the past two years, two of the island's most prominent gay activists, Brian Williamson and Steve Harvey, have been murdered. (Williamson's murderer was recently sentenced to life in prison.)

Sadly, Banton continues to perform “Boom Bye Bye”, albums containing the track are still on sale and Mr. Banton continues to earn royalties from its anti-gay incitements.

Although Banton refused to be interviewed, his manager, Donovan Germain, told Time magazine in April 2006 - "Buju's lyrics are part of a metaphorical tradition. They're not a literal call to kill gay men."

Jamaica has the world's highest murder rate.