Bobby Lytes sparked an interesting debate on homophobia in Hip-Hop over the weekend.
Historically, Hip-Hop has not been the safest space for the LGBTQ community. There are a number of records in the past that denounce homosexuality amongst men. On the other hand, it has been historically acceptable among women. That double standard is still prevalent today. Although society has grown to be more socially conscious, we still have a long way to go. Bobby Lytes took to Twitter over the weekend to voice his opinion on the acceptance of homosexual men or lack thereof in Hip-Hop.
“IF I WAS ‘STRAIGHT’ I WOULD HAVE BEEN WENT PLATINUM, LETS ARGUE.”
That tweet made it to Instagram, where his followers took the time to chime in. Some agreed while others felt otherwise. One follower took to the comment section saying, “If you have good music and work hard, you will be a success. Stop blaming the ‘i’m gay’ on your failure to produce success.” On the other hand, his supporters encouraged the “My Ni**a” artist to persevere and not get discouraged. On the most recent season of Love & Hip-Hop Miami, Bobby received more support from his cousin, Trina. The two plan to collab in the future.
Many of his followers mentioned Frank Ocean’s sexual orientation. In 2012, the Grammy Award-winning artist opened up about his sexuality in a Tumblr post, stating he felt like a “free man” after the post. In 2017, iLoveMakonnen came out to his followers on Twitter. Although both artists came out after the success of their biggest hits, they still serve as a symbol of hope for openly gay male artists like Bobby Lytes.
The LHH Miami star recently released his latest single, “My Ni**a” prior to 4/20.
