Eminem’s Kamikaze Undermines Black Queerness
“Tyler create nothin’, I see why you called yourself a faggott, bitch,” are the words esteemed rapper Eminem had for Tyler the Creator on his surprise album Kamikaze. A line that has set the internet ablaze as people debate whether it was out of line or if people are just “too soft nowadays.” Now I don’t want to focus on how the word itself is bad, as there’s nothing new I can add to that conversation, though I highly recommend reading this DJBooth article on the subject as it’s the best written one you’ll find.
Instead, I want to focus on the tragedy of one of the biggest rappers attacking a queer man for his sexuality while we are in the midst of a queer renaissance in hip hop. Hip hop has historically not exactly had the best track record when it comes to treatment of queers; One need only look at the song “Georgie Porgie” by one of the most acclaimed conscious rap groups A Tribe Called Quest to see that. This is, of course, just a symptom of the larger issue of homophobia in American and global culture, particularly within the Latin and Black communities along with other communities of color. This is why these last few years have been so refreshing as many queer artists of color have come out and offered the representation we’ve lacked.
Tyler the Creator, Frank Ocean, Dev Hynes, Syd, Kevin Abstract, and Taylor Bennett. These are only a few of the queer artists of color that have either come out as queer or blown up in popularity over these last few years. All of these people are unapologetically queer, and they make sure that the music they make reflects that. All of them are also unapologetically black and talk about the difficulties of being queer in their communities. This is a point Kevin Abstract has made clear in his music with lines such as, “Where I come from [N-words] get called ‘faggot’ and killed.”
Queer people of color are finally stepping into the spotlight and being themselves. They are becoming inspirations for younger queer people of color, and helping reduce the stigma that has kept us oppressed especially within a music and culture we love. That’s what makes Eminem’s statement so disheartening. He can’t hide behind, “oh it doesn’t even MEAN gay,” because that flimsy excuse doesn’t fly when you’re clearly directing it at a gay man for BEING gay. There is nothing subtle about that statement. It is, unfortunately, just another example of a white person dehumanizing people of color, and while Eminem has always positioned himself as an ally to the Black community, you don’t get to be an ally if your support is conditional on who they love. In a single bar, one of the biggest artists of all time has undone years of work for communities of color, and now, once again, queers of all races will have to feel shamed for being themselves as the debate over this stupid line rages on and dominates the online space. As if on cue, we took one step forward and two steps back.
