how does the hip-hop culture influence homophobia?

Hyper masculinity is a way for rappers to ensure their heterosexuality to people around them. One rapper name Busta Rhymes, is considered the most hyper masculine rappers that we know today in the hip hop culture.   In the documentary "Beyond Beats and Rhymes", Busta Rhymes wouldn't speak on the subject of homophobia in the hip hop culture. Rhymes reason for his apathy towards the subject was the fact that his culture (hip hop) does not condone homosexuality in any way. This is one of the reason why Busta Rhymes is probably very hyper-masculine. Busta Rhymes went to a restaurant that was next to a gay club. In the restaurant there was a large population of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community in it. One of Busta Rhymes fans tapped him on the shoulder, before the fan can get a word out word out Rhymes asked why was he touching him. The fan was pushed by Rhymes, and then pushed away by his security guards. When Rhymes sit back down he then whispers to one of his guards that he hated fucking faggots. Behaviors like this show the public that it's okay for rappers to believe that homosexuals are inferior to them. As long as hyper- masculinity exist, homophobia will coexist with it. As long as rappers consider homosexuals inferior to them, the hip hop society will also think so too. Homophobia isn’t only promoted by hyper masculinity but also Misogyny.

Misogyny is another way for rappers to promote homophobia in hip hop culture itself. Misogyny is where men  objectify, and exploit women and try to normalize it as much as possible(Wikipedia). In “Beyond Beats and Rhymes”, there was a chapter called give me your bone marrow. In this chapter of the documentary, rapper Nelly went to Spellman on all women college to collect bone marrow for his chariot event. When the rapper Nelly got there, he was not greeted by friendly people. The women at Spellman College were upset at a video that Nelly decided to do. The video objectified, and portrayed women in the worst way yet. The name of the video that upset these women was called “Tip Drill”. In this video it showed Nelly and his friends surrounded by whole bunch of women. These women in the video had very little or no clothes at all. At the end of the video Nelly took his credit card and swiped it down her back side. This event at Spellman College creates a controversy that would not easily be forgotten.

This shows us that misogyny is also a problem in the hip hop culture today. Misogyny gives a image that if you don’t have a lot of women, then you would be considered sweet or gay. In this music video, they show us that rapper is supposed to have multiple women to himself. This image is being brain washed into our children brains. Monogamy is no longer the importance in today’s society. Now that men are worried about is how many women can he juggle around. As long as society keeps thinking like this, homophobia will always exist. Misogyny is a way for society to assume what the male role model is. If you can’t fill those shoes, then you are not a heterosexual due to the fact that hyper masculinity also promotes misogyny. These two factors is what keeps people in hip-hop from being open minded. As long as the hip hop society remain closed minded, these two issues in hip hop will never be solved.

The last issue is some of the homophobic phrases that rappers use. IN hip hop today, artist use phrases such as “No Homo” or “Pause”. In the song “Run This Town” by Jay Z, he says “It’s crazy how you can go from being Joe Blow/ To everybody on your dick, no homo” (lyricsreg). Lil Wayne song, “Back on My Grizzy” says, “Listen ma, I don’t know karate, but after the brain, I kick you out/ You niggas suck like Tony Romo, no homo”(lyricsmode). The phrase, “No Homo” is used when a rapper wants to use a statement that might question their sexuality or will question their sexuality. This gives rappers the right to say almost anything they want to say almost anything how and where they want to say it. The phrase “No Homo” is so popular today that almost everybody uses it.

The phrase no homo is used as a defense of anyone’s who emasculated. The phrase “No Homo” makes you asks what is considered inadvertently gay and what is considered non masculine. People, who use the phrase “no Homo”, struggle with identity expression. The reason why they struggle with identity expression is the fact the reason I stated earlier, what is considered inadvertently gay? If you don’t know what inadvertently gay is, then you can’t confirm the identity that you want to express. Joshua Brown tells us that femiphobia is one of the reasons why people us “No Homo”.