The new queer face of rap

Removed as we are in Australia from the smaller subcultures of American rap, it’s easy to assume homophobia is a mainstay of all US hip-hop. Every new boneheaded anti-gay comment from 50 Cent certainly seems to support the theory.

In New Orleans, a new generation of rappers is fostering a diverse, decidedly queer hip-hop scene, called ‘sissy bounce’. Think rapid-fire rhymes, copious booty-popping and hectic beats delivered by a colourful cast of rappers — gay, straight, bi, trans and everything in between.

One of the scene’s younger rappers, openly gay 21-year-old Nicky Da B, is about to head Down Under for the first time for shows in Sydney and Melbourne. And it turns out the performer, who sounds so intimidating in his frantic rap tracks, is a big ol’ teddy bear in real life.

“They always say Australia has an overpopulation of snakes. I’m excited to go to Australia but I’m like ‘Oh my god, we gon’ see snakes everywhere!’. Once I’m there I want to go to the zoo to see a koala. I want one, but I know they won’t let me have one,” he pouted.

Da B has come to international attention thanks to his breakthrough track, the frenetic Diplo collaboration Express Yourself. The song seems the perfect anthem for the bounce scene, given its ‘let your freak flag fly’ message.

“To me, bounce is really well-rounded. It doesn’t matter what your preference is,” he said.

“But us gays, when we put our personality into the music, it seems to make it ‘pop’ and stand out more.

“If you put a [straight] rapper against a gay rapper, you’ve got someone who’s probably already been through so much and is so comfortable in themselves, versus just a regular rapper. We work harder and we push more.”

Da B will perform tracks from his debut album, Please Don’t Forget Da B, at his Australian shows.

More of a mixtape than an album proper, it’s a full-on aural assault, mixing the rapper’s hectic rhyming style with a cacophony of uber-gay samples. On highlight Back To Da Basics, he even raps over a sample of Jennifer Hudson wailing One Night Only from the Dreamgirls soundtrack.

Da B was proud to confirm the intense, rapid-fire rapping style he’s developed — one listen to Please Don’t Forget Da B and you’ll feel out of breath yourself — is a result of sheer natural talent as opposed to studio trickery.

“I was born with it. I had to be born with it!” he laughed.

INFO: Nicky Da B, June 1, Phoenix Public House, Melbourne, and June 2, Vivid party, Sydney Opera House. www.nickydab.com