For as long as I can think back, as a die-hard hip hop fan, I felt that there were always certain rules that you had to abide by in order to become a welcomed participant in the culture. One of them was that you can’t claim to be the best M.C. if you’re not writing your rhymes. Another one was that authenticity matters. In the words of Jay-Z “Where I’m from you couldn’t talk about it if you ain’t live it”. The last one seemed like it would never change, and that’s the ban on the L.G.B.T.Q. community from hip-hop. Times have changed.

Now there’s Drake, who is on top of the rap game, but was accused of using a ghostwriter by his rival Meek Mill. There’s Rick Ross who portrayed himself as a drug kingpin, was exposed as a Correctional Officer, and still has a decent career. Last but not least you have 24 year old Brooklyn rapper Young M.A. (Me Always), who is a nice lyricist, but what makes her unique is that she is openly gay. The rules are changing because the world is changing. Hip-hop just like any art form is like a sponge; it soaks up whatever is around it and adapts to the culture.

Hip-Hop has always been known as a youth culture, and with Young M.A.’s summer banger “OOOUUU” blasting out of almost every car this summer, it seems that many people don’t care about her sexuality. Most people if you ask them about her as an artist they’ll just say “she got bars”, or her music is dope, or they just like the song. I highly doubt that Young M.A. would get this well receptive of a response if she arrived in the rap game 20 years ago, where homophobic lyrics were as normal as a DJ scratching a record. Love her or hate her, Young M.A. is changing the way that hip-hop fans digest the music by having them judge a rapper strictly on the music and nothing else. I believe that the culture is starting to turn it’s focus back to the music little by little, ultimately the focus will always be on the music

Young M.A. is my personal favorite right now because of the fact that she’s a hardcore lyricist and lord knows that New York needs one that can also make records that everyone can enjoy. I miss the raw lyricism straight up and down but I also miss beats with the boom bap sound a little but what attracts me to her music is that she’s so raw and upfront about who she is that you have no choice but to love it or hate it. I like the fact that she isn’t ashamed of her sexuality and instead wears it like a badge of honor, which she should. It may open the flood gates for more artist that are a part of the L.G.B.T.Q. community to come out and be themselves in an industry where they’re told to compromise who they are. The rise of Young M.A. is truly a testament of how Hip-Hop is maturing and becoming more inclusive of groups that were marginalized for a long period of time. I think the future of hip-hop is allowing everyone of all walks of life to become a part of it. I also believe that socially conscious music will become the norm once again, as rappers have shown that you can speak on the times without sounding like a preacher. Lyrical content in the mainstream is returning, but it’s up to the consumers to decide if it will be the forefront. Change will continue to happen, whether we like it or not.

*The opinions and ideas expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the opinions of The Bronx Brand*

Shawn Hudson is from the Sack Wern Housing Projects in Soundview.  Living in the Bronx has inspired him to keep fighting and striving. He loves the fact that the Bronx is like the underdog of New York City.