A furor has broken out over this show of affection between Busta Rhymes and Q-Tip and the only feeling it has produced in me is disgust...at all the gay baiting hip hop "fans" that are so sexually insecure that any show of affection between males is homosexual.  This disturbs me as a straight, African American male.  But this highlights a bigger problem that hip hop has to face sooner rather than later:  hip hop has a serious sexual identity problem and it needs addressing, stat.  The hypermasculine aura around hip hop needs to be destroyed, for the good of the music and the good of the community.

People shouldn't ask whether their favorite artist is gay:  they should ask why there are so few female rappers and the ones we got, like Jean Grae, are considering retiring, lack relevance like Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown, or suffer from near obscurity despite being dope like Invincible.

Fans shouldn't ask whether their favorite artist is gay: they should ask why their favorite artist can't express any positives about females at all.  It truly has become "Homies Over Hoes" in the rap game and that should worry rap fans.  "Bonita Applebum" could not be made in today's hip hop atmosphere and that's a damn shame.  There are rap fans sweating bullets over a proposed Lil' Wayne-T-Pain collaboration album full of love songs, less the artists involve compromise their street cred.

Fans shouldn't ask whether their favorite artist is gay: they should ask why their favorite artist can't express any positives about females at all.

Fans shouldn't ask whether their favorite artist is gay:  they should ask why they are so worried about why supposed "hipsters" rappers jeans are so tight and not their tight rhymes.  The skinny jeans are for the ladies eyes, not yours, so why are you offended?  These same "fans" however, responded with a hearty oh yeah at the sight of the latest shirtless thug wonder that is more homoerotic than tight jeans could ever be.

Fans shouldn't ask whether their favorite artist is gay:  they should ask why blacks firebombed Prop 8 at the polls and they can't support another minority group that fights for their rights, despite African Americans being denied the right to marry who they want not that long ago.  All things being equal, interracial dating is more of a choice than homosexuality and I really would not like to see the world without Barack Obama.  Yeah, our black president is the product of an interracial pairing.  While I'm talking about Obama, I have to wonder why 50 Cents is still the default understanding of black males when Obama is a better choice.  In addition, the existence of the DL Brother causes more confusion in the community due to broken relationships and unsafe sexual practices than human beings being able to express their love for each other without fear of discrimination.

But I guess you care more about whether your favorite rapper is gay.

*Editors side note:
Check out this old school video below of Busta Rhymes and Tribe Called Quest from way back in 96' at the Smoking Groves Tour. Hip Hop and good music is what really matters, lets get back to that. Are we asking for too much?