First let me make something abundantly clear, the title “I’m Gay (I’m Happy)” I think is absolute genius. Those two words together side by side in almost any format in the society we live in can be a cultural and social death sentence. And in many places in the world (even here in the good ole’ US of A) they can mean an ACTUAL death sentence. I’m talking a shanked in the shower, beat with a bat, beheaded on Friday kinda death. The best and rarest of braveries is bravery in the face of death. Let’s be honest Lil B’s album probably won’t even be commercially released in certain countries because of the title alone. I just wish he did a song called “James Baldwin” and I would’ve loved to see you twitter-lectuals and goon rules street professors argue against one of the foremost, prominent black intellectual radicals the world has ever known who just so happened to be an overt homosexual but repped the ghettos of Harlem harder than Nicky Barnes and Rich Porter combined and took the struggles and achievements of the black and impoverished experience and intellectually and dazzlingly rubbed it all in the pasty face of the oppressive power structures of the time and this time as well! I wish a nigga would!!! Don’t matter if your gay, that’s between you and your religion. All I care about is if your down for the cause. Which a LOT of hetero’s ain’t. Go figure. Now the doper thing about the title is that it exposed the raw power of words and reinforces the concept that “perception is king” in a very simple and even remedial use of homonym (no pun intended but you gotta chalk that up as a mean double entendre!) The word “gay” referring to homosexuality in the minds of the “guilty” ,as well call them here, sent shockwaves throughout our hip-hop community. Making Lil B the target of attack and ridicule. But Lil B’s ultimate intention and preference for the word “gay” was its “one who is happy” definition. So basically my lil homey was being attacked for being happy. The poetic justice in that is awe inspiring. If that don’t speak to the conditions that exist in this world and this society I don’t know what does. Hate on somebody simply because they are happy or have found happiness. How many of us are innocent of that injustice? Not many. Including me at times. Now whether Lil B did that on purpose or not is really not an issue because the reality of someone (that would be me by the way) interpreting and analyzing his album title that deeply gives merit to his action regardless of his initial intent. I mean it is HIS album title.
Full Article: Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco speaks on why he likes Lil B and praises his new album, “I’m Gay.”
