Our Top Picks of Queer R&B and Hip Hop Music: Pride Month Edition

By Laurine Payet, Music Journalist

Rap and hip hop have, for too long, been linked to the idea of problematic lyrics. From queerphobia to misogyny, the sometimes-questionable content of the genre has been put under a microscope, due to the number of people of color creating this music. While white rockers get away with constantly objectifying women in their music, the highlight is exclusively being put on cultures led by people of color. A lot of leaders of the hip hop and R&B field are, as a matter of fact, part of the queer community; here are our top picks of LGBTQ+ artists, from upcoming to established creatives. 

Ava Laurel, also known as an anagram of her name, Lava La Rue, is talented in multiple areas. Famous for being a rapper, also is a producer, singer, art director and graphic designer. For the West London artist, writing about queer love and especially lesbian love, in her genre, is extremely important. After experiencing other queer people thanking her for the representation in her songs, she told NME that “queer love is inherently political – it’s still extremely underrepresented across all genres”. It’s crucial for Lava La Rue to continue featuring queer artists in rap, to influence and inspire other members of the community to create music in all different genres, even those currently unrepresented. Founder of the NiNE8 COLLECTIVE, Lava La Rue evolves in an environment of community around other creatives. Laurel’s new EP ‘Butter-Fly’ is a contrasted masterpiece, navigating from alternative hip hop and textured R&B productions to passionate love lyrics and it feels like Lava La Rue effortlessly impresses with a natural flow and effective songwriting. 

You might know her as being the frontwoman of the renowned band The Internet, the singer Syd also has a successful solo career. Originally famous under the name ‘Syd tha Kyd’ for being part of the hip hop collective Odd Future with the likes of Tyler, The Creator and Hodgy, the 29-year-old American singer-songwriter announced her departure 5 years ago and is now flying on her own. After releasing her debut album in 2017, Syd has only gifted her fans with singles since then, including ‘Birthday’ with queer peer Kehlani and Disclosure and ‘Missing Out’ this year. The track features Syd’s signature vibe, gentle but powerful, making it addictive for the sunny park hangouts this summer. 

While a big part of the queer community might start to get representation within the rap and hip hop sector, it is sadly not the case for our transgender friends. Quay Dash carries the weight of being one of the few recognized black trans women rappers. Growing up in New York, she found her place within the music LGBTQ+ community and released her debut EP ‘Transphobic’ in 2017, writing about the struggles of finding acceptance due to her gender identity. She has, since that, released the hit ‘Queen of That Shit’ but seems to take her time with songwriting. Quay Dash has made an appearance on Dorian Electra’s 2020 album, is featured in ‘F the World’ with The Garden and d0llywood1.

Alongside Quay Dash, the artist Mykki Blanco brings a lot to hip hop music as a transgender black person. After a powerful debut ‘Mykki’ in 2016, Mykki Blanco came back last week with her second and latest album ‘Broken Hearts and Beauty Sleep’. As a surprise after Mykki Blanco affirmed a few years ago not being very comfortable being categorized as a queer artist, the album is a journey through queer identities, but most importantly an ode to the beauty of queer love. Featuring Blood Orange, our favorite track is ‘It’s Not My Choice’, a beautiful song contrasted between rap and high-pitched melodies. 

You might have heard her on Ashnikko’s viral song ‘Slumber Party’, Princess Nokia hasn’t taken a break from releasing powerful hits since the release of her 2017 critically acclaimed album ‘1992 Deluxe’. Before being Princess Nokia, Destiny Nicole Frasqueri had already released an album in 2014, catching the attention of the public and the press. Her journey as Princess Nokia amplified the phenomenon that she was, representing the New York City queer community she grew up in. Her last two albums ‘Everything is Beautiful’ and ‘Everything Sucks’ were released on the same day, giving birth to two different concepts, both keeping the 90s inspired signature sound of Princess Nokia’s rap. She sounds like she is angry without taking things seriously at the same time, and it is what makes Princess Nokia’s sound so intriguing and catchy. 

The universe of rap and R&B within the queer community overflows with huge amounts of talent, sometimes yet to get the recognition they deserve. The importance of the representation of LGBTQ+ artists in genres led by straight and cis men lays in the need for queer talents to allow themselves to find the strength to create and flourish, creating in their turn more representation.

Check out our playlist of our favourite queer hip hop and rap artists: