The Decline of Homophobia in Hip-Hop

As time moves on, as does the music industry. The idea that the 2001 Grammy performance of then-contentious lyricist Eminem alongside openly-gay music legend Elton John was once considered controversial almost seems archaic. In hip-hop, a culture entrenched with over-sexualized messages written to reinforce the male-ego, there was a time when being so much as associated with the homosexual community was considered career suicide. Now it seems time has helped guide rap music and the homosexual community into a relationship of mutual respect, connectivity and acceptance-at least at a quick glance.