Gay bars and wavvy beats: 90 minutes of queer hip-hop

Hip-hop—like country music before it—has struggled to embrace LGBTQ+ artists, despite them flourishing on the edges of the genre and aiding its evolution. Alternative hip-hop acts like Big Freedia and Mykki Blanco have contributed to the long-term viability of the genre, bringing New Orleans bounce and synth-heavy sounds to the mainstream, and yet they still fight to be recognized for their influence. Fortunately, the tide of queer visibility in hip-hop seems to be turning, even if some of the genre’s biggest stars still struggle with regressive politics. A new generation of promising emcees like Kevin Abstract, Taylor Bennett, and Young M.A are thriving while embracing their queerness, no longer relegated to the sidelines or isolated under a restrictive subgenre. So, in this next installment of our Pride Month playlists, The A.V. Club is celebrating some of the most charismatic and inventive queer emcees in the game. Below, you’ll find 90 minutes of sharp, eclectic, and banging hip-hop. Take a look.