Singer/ Songwriters Burning Down the Closet

DEADLEE - "GOOD SOLDIER II"

Deadlee is at the forefront of what’s being called “Homohop,” and has made headlines for being openly critical of other hip hop and rap artists such as Eminem and 50 Cent for their homophobic lyrics. In “Good Soldier II,” he tells the story of a gay boy rejected by his family, with tragic consequences.

Dead…dead...corpse 2213
I once had a name
I once had a family
Forever young
Forever your Joey
But you played the judge
You played the jury
Tried, convicted
Sentenced me to death
All because you didn’t understand
I didn’t make sense

It’s a story that’s heard all too often, but rarely in this musical genre, and puts a fascinating spin on an important subject.

Rating: Quality - 4, Outness - 5, Groundbreaking - 5

Final Score: 4.6

JAY BRANNAN - "BODY’S A TEMPLE"

Rapidly gaining a cult following, singer/songwriter (and Shortbus actor) Jay Brannan sings a deceptively simple song about the guy he’s in love with. The title of the song belies how deep it goes, as Jay questions his man’s intentions.

They say your body’s a temple
Well, boy, were they right
This feels so simple
I could kiss you all night
And I could spend forever
In the palm of your hand
But when the clock strikes twelve
You’ll go home to another man

Jay’s sweet voice (which you can almost cuddle) makes this ode to two-timing all the more poignant and sad.

Rating: Quality - 4, Outness - 4, Groundbreaking - 3

Final Score: 3.6