how young thug challenged hip hops hyper-masculinity...
Androgyny is certainly not new within the music industry and can be dated back into the 30's and even earlier. We have more recent icons such as Prince, Annie Lennox and Kurt Cobain - who all pushed the boundaries of gender roles and expectations within fashion. But hip hop culture is a little different. With many rappers (old and new) being born into highly deprived areas, involvement in illegal trades and gang banging is just how life goes. Perceived masculinity is of the upmost importance when your life is on the line every single day, and many will also have been raised in households where homosexuality and transsexualism are simply not acceptable, and gender expectations are often cemented into their upbringing due to family cultural values. Ask a non hip hop head what they think of the genre and you are often met with "it's just about guns, money, drugs and women, isn't it?". You are not wrong there, mate. Rap music tells a story, and that is theirs. The streets are no place for a flamboyant, gender bending male. That's just how it is. That is why anyone who challenges this gets total respect from me, as a hip hop obsessed fashion graduate.
Before I delve into why Young Thug is so significant, I must first acknowledge the likes of Andre 3000, Kanye West and A$AP Rocky. They are predecessors to Thugga when it comes to expressing a 'fuck it' attitude to hip hops traditional dress code and are still very well respected musicians today (yes, Kanye is dealing with continuous controversy, and Rocky's music hasn't been the same since Yams' death, but the impact these three have had on music is undeniable). I remember it was only a few years back when Rocky had people going wild over his super long t-shirt and jeans combo because it looked like he was wearing a dress, but this seems positively tame in comparison to what Young Thug brought to the table shortly after.
If you search for older music videos of his, there are no dresses in sight - just a lanky, buck-toothed street kid with very clear inspiration from Lil' Wayne in his music. It was the release of his single 'Stoner' in 2014 that put him on the map, by which time he had coined his signature vocals and was receiving a lot of traction in the community. This is where we actually start to see a clear exploration of fashion in terms of fabrics, cuts and detailing - nothing overtly 'feminine', but certainly weird when compared with other rappers; who kept it more traditional. 2015 rolls around, his success is growing rapidly and so are his bizarre and controversial stylistic choices. Photo shoots began to surface of him, very openly, donning actual dresses. He spoke in interviews about his love for women's clothing and it feels like from here on in, it kinda became his "thing". Having a "thing" can certainly propel your success to new heights - just look at 6ix9ine and his rainbow hair.
I remember when I would tell people I was a Young Thug fan, I would often be met with a screw face and confusion as to why. Funnily enough these exact same people are now his fans too. He was completely ahead of his time musically and he has created a space for future rappers to explore their style (and possibly sexuality) outside of the social boundaries hip hop culture created. This is 2018, the genre has changed so much... I wouldn't necessarily say for the better, but it has. Deal with it. Much like Andre 3000 - an amazing story teller in rap, the music is so good people overlook the crazy clothing and just focus on the sound. Now we're just waiting for that Barter 7 release...
I do want to mention how much of a troll Thug has proved himself to be, because I think it's important to consider before you merely pass him off as queer or gay - which are just some of the lighter phrases I've heard him be described as over the years. When his career really took off in 2015, he took great pleasure in completely trolling Lil' Wayne by stating he wanted to name his mixtape "The Carter 6" (totally ripping off Weezy's iconic 'The Carter' series - the 5th instalment was held back from release during this time). A disrespectful yet bold move on his part. Of course, Cash Money Records did not allow this and he renamed the mixtape 'Barter 6', following blood gang traditions of replacing C's with a B. He claimed he meant no disrespect to his idol, yet proceeded to perform his first show following the release in Hollygrove, New Orleans (Wayne's hometown). Thugga's social media antics are also continually shared on gossip pages to this day, for example posting heart emojis under other rappers pictures or tweeting "suspect" things. Even some of his lyrics have caused a stir. In amongst the usual trap content will be a line that might have you giving the side eye. His stylist has mentioned: "if someone says something about what he does, he does it more", so to me, it is clearly a response to the continuous gay comments he receives daily. I mention these factors to reinforce his awareness of society and hip hop culture...he has a platform to do something different and explore fashion on a new level, but he knows that in taking his behaviour to the extreme, it will also garner focus in his direction. I truly see nothing wrong with that, particularly when he has proven his music to be in its own lane and has become a hugely influential part of modern day rap.
Whatever you think about Young Thug, you cannot deny it takes balls to do what he has done. He waves a gun around in one hand, a women's Chanel bag in the other - the juxtaposition is really quite something. The release of his mixtape "Jeffery"(one of his strongest bodies of work in my opinion) in 2016, shows him wearing a baby blue layered Alessandro Trincone dress in an editorial type shoot. Again, this had the internet up in arms. Just what he wanted. I don't think he's gay at all, I think he just doesn't give a fuck. He gets enjoyment out of rubbing the culture up the wrong way. It wouldn't matter to me if he was, anyhow. I've seen comments suggesting his music "clearly can't stand up on its own, or he wouldn't need to do all this". I guess that is up to interpretation, but tell me why we now have an influx of Atlanta rappers sounding exactly like Thug, but no one sounded like him prior to 2014...
Fashion has always been an integral part of hip hop as a culture. From Dapper Dan's accessible designer rip offs in the late 80's (who, amazingly enough, recently collaborated with Gucci) to Lil' Kim's colourful, racy style in the 90's (which has practically become the go-to attire for most female rappers since then), looking fresh is just as important as the music you put out. We have seriously seen some significant style changes as each era comes and goes, but it's the Soundcloud/"mumble rap" era that seems to have taken it to new heights and beyond.
That is not to say that he is simply using cross-dressing as a way to become memorable, but I do think he plays into it because he knows the shock value will create controversy, get his name buzzing and will visually separate him from his peers. Even if this is all an act for publicity, I honestly don't even think it matters. The boundaries he has broken down in rap music are so monumental, it is way more than just a publicity stunt. It's caused a complete shift in the genre, like it or not. In his 2016 Calvin Klein campaign, where he is seen wearing a long black dress, he responds to an interview question surrounding his decision to wear women's clothing: "In my world of course, it don’t matter...You could be a gangster with a dress, you could be a gangster with baggy pants. I feel like there’s no such thing as gender." Damn. Possibly the most forward, relevant and progressive statement I've ever heard come from a rappers mouth, and certainly not one I ever expected to hear. Gender binaries have been at the forefront of social conversation for years now, but naturally rappers steer clear of this as it jeopardises the masculinity that is so intrinsic to their culture.
