Rap star Kanye West has called for an end to homophobia in the hip-hop community.

He said hip-hop was always about "speaking your mind and about breaking down barriers, but everyone in hip-hop discriminates against gay people".

"Not just hip-hop, but America just discriminates," the Grammy-winning artist said in an MTV interview.

"I wanna just, to come on TV and just tell my rappers, just tell my friends, 'Yo, stop it'."

Artists including Eminem, DMX and Ice Cube have been targeted by gay rights campaigners for having homophobic lyrics.

'Mama's boy'

West admitted he developed anti-gay views when he was young after being called a "mama's boy".

"And what happened was, it made me kind of homophobic, because I would go back and question myself," he said.

But he had a rethink after discovering one of his cousins was gay, he said.

"It was a turning point when I was like, 'Yo, this is my cousin. I love him and I've been discriminating against gays'."

Atlanta-born West, 28, won best rap song and best rap album at this year's Grammy Awards.

The MTV show, All Eyes on Kanye West, went out in the US on Thursday.

NEW YORK –Jay-Z wins all around, says Forbes.com. He's got Beyoncé on his arm – and more millions than 50 Cent and Diddy.

The rap icon, a.k.a. Shawn Carter, is No. 1 on the site's list of "Hip-Hop Cash Kings," based solely on 2006 income. He banked an estimated $34 million (all figures U.S.), Forbes.com said yesterday.

WU-TANG CLAN rapper METHOD MAN has accepted a plea deal to carry out community service in relation to his May (07) arrest for driving under the influence of marijuana. The hip-hop star - real name Clifford Smith - was stopped at the Battery Tunnel toll booths in Brooklyn, New York, on 17 May and taken into custody on four drug and traffic charges, including unlawful possession of marijuana and operating a motor vehicle under the influence. Smith, 36, has agreed to undertake community service at the Choices and Consequences programme, headed by the Brooklyn district attorney's office. Defending his client's reputation, his lawyer Peter Frankel, tells the New York Daily News, "He's never been in trouble with the law before. This is a guy who flies in the face of all stereotypes about rappers."

Rapper KANYE WEST has no regrets about speaking out against homophobia in hip-hop music, even though some people now assume he's gay. But West, who in 2005 called for an end to homophobia in the rap community, admits he still wouldn't feel comfortable socialising in a gay club, an attitude he attributes to his upbringing in Chicago, Illinois.

The 30-year-old says, "Speaking out against hip-hop homophobia, some people were like 'Oh, Kanye must be gay! Look at the way he's dressing! And why would he speak about it? He's a gay rapper.' "And my whole point is, I wouldn't have spoke on that if I was gay or if I was in the closet. I would have stayed so far away from it. "And I'm still homophobic myself to a certain extent. You know, I wouldn't go to a gay parade and feel comfortable.

America Make room for all talent , coming from South Florida! Trina , Trick Daddy, Jacki-O Rick Ross, Pit Bull, and of course Uncle Luke are some of the big name's to put South Florida on the map, but 2006/2007 , brings a boom for gay hip hop.

Gay hip-hop, as in rap from a gay perspective. After , listening to the variety of different styles from these hip-hop artist, there was only one in particular that stood out from every body ells . He performs by the name of Diamond DIVA, but holds down the title as being (The Gay Queen Of Hip Hop/Florida's Gay Daughter).

by Ian Dunt

Traditional hip-hop lyrics about guns, women and homophobia are about to face a new competitor in the race for young Americans' hearts and minds.

Princeton religious professor Cornel West has released an album designed to counter rap's negative image, with major names like KRS-One and Levert participating.

"We need to respectfully challenge [rappers] on the issues of misogyny and homophobia," says West.

By Steve Jones
 
Hip-hop is under constant fire for portraying negative images, but Princeton religion professor Cornel West says it is untapped as a positive social force. With his new album Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations, he hopes to inspire a shift in the music's emphasis.

He lectures on such politically charged topics as the war in Iraq, the n-word, homophobia, corporate power and the aftermath of 9/11 with musical support from Andre 3000, Jill Scott, KRS-One, Killer Mike, the late Gerald Levert and others. The first two singles are the pointed Dear Mr. Man, featuring Prince, and incendiary Bushonomics, with Talib Kweli.

A Gay Hip-Hop Scene Rises in The Bronx

by Guy Trebay
February 2 - 8, 2000

A bitter wind whips off the Bronx River, spinning loose trash through the desolate streets below the Bruckner Expressway. The prospect of finding anyone out in this industrial area at 3 a.m. seems remote. Yet here, on the corner of 140th Street and Walton Avenue, huddles a crowd 300 strong. The throng is waiting to slide $20 through a slit in a scratched-up bulletproof window and enter the warehouse, a club that even its promoters call a well-kept secret.

This fact suits the mood of the place, which is located in an old Fieldstone building once owned by the gangster Dutch Schultz. During prohibition days, Schultz ran numbers in Harlem and monopolized bootleg beer in the Bronx. Among the first of the mobsters with a fondness for newspaper ink, Schultz changed the tilt of his name (he was born Arthur Flegenheimer) and the cut of his wardrobe to fit the profile of a natty thug.

By Phillip Zonkel
02/09/2007

TRANSGENDER HIP-HOP artist Foxxjazell thinks audiences are ready for her raps and rhymes.

"If people are ready for white rappers, then they are ready for me," says the 22-year-old Long Beach resident, whose real name is Keva Jackson.

This 5'10" mocha beauty is one of 10 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rappers who will perform at a special hip-hop showcase Sunday at Mick & Mack's restaurant and nightclub in Long Beach.

Kanye West reckons that people wrongly believe he’s gay because of his effeminate nature.

The hip-hop star fears that his lack of manliness sometimes gives off the wrong impression.

Hip-hop star COMMON has pledged to stop using gay slurs in his songs after homosexual fans made their feelings known about his lyrics. The singer admits he didn't realise his words were upsetting fans until he was approached by two devotees after a concert. He says, "They was like, 'Why you keep disrespecting homosexuality?' "I thought about it. I ain't here to judge 'em, so I just decided not to approach it like that."

Common has also censored the word 'n**ger' in his songs after apologising to TV host Oprah Winfrey for using the derogatory term. He adds, "I took out some words on my (new) album after that, because I wanted to show a step for myself toward improving on certain things."

Bounce back

by SAMUEL MAULL

NEW YORK (AP) — Foxy Brown was sentenced Friday to one year in jail for violating probation that stemmed from a fight with two manicurists in a New York City nail salon three years ago. "I'm not going to give you any more chances," Criminal Court Judge Melissa Jackson told the 28-year-old rapper. "I hope you turn your life around and never again have to stand in a court of law."

Probation Department officials asked for the hearing after Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand, was arrested Aug. 14 in Brooklyn on charges of assaulting Arlene Raymond, 25.

Brown was accused of hitting the woman with a cell phone on July 30 when the pair fought over the music volume from Brown's car stereo.

by Jon Pareles

Here's a concept: "starcissism," a mixture of self-love, self-promotion, self-absorption and self-awareness in a pop star.

Starcissism lies at the core of the third Kanye West album, Graduation -- due Tuesday.

And, yes, he has earned it.

Gay rights activists are urging the media to issue a ban on rap star JA RULE - after he launched a foul-mouthed tirade accusing the gay and lesbian community of "f**king up America". Speaking in a interview with Complex magazine earlier this week (ends16Sep07), the star criticised U.S. TV networks for "promoting homosexuality" - and insisted children should not be exposed to images of gay couples.

He said, "Lets talk about all these f**king shows that they have on MTV that is promoting homosexuality, that my kids can't watch this sh-t. "Dating shows that's showing two guys or two girls in mid-afternoon. Let's talk about s**t like that! If that's not f**king up America, I don't know what is." And now the Gay + Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is encouraging media outlets to stop giving Ja Rule press coverage as a result of his remarks.

A statement posted on GLAAD's website reads, "No fair-minded person can look at Ja Rule's interview with Complex magazine and believe for one second that his children could be more harmed by what they might see on television than by the vulgarity and prejudice that comes out of their father's mouth. "Now that media have seen Ja Rule's intolerance unmasked by his own words, they have a responsibility not to provide in the future a platform for his ugly, vulgar displays of prejudice."

Hip-hop star LL COOL J has spoken out in support of fellow rapper 50 CENT ahead of the In Da Club star's forthcoming chart battle with KANYE WEST.

Both West and 50 - real name Curtis Jackson - release their new albums in the U.S. on 11 September (07), but LL Cool J - real name James Todd Smith III - insists he is going to buy 10 copies of pal Jackson's LP to ensure he succeeds against his rival West. Smith tells the New York Daily News' Fashion Week blog,

"I've heard some of Fifty's music, and I'm rooting for him. "He's produced music for me and I'm going to buy ten copies of his album. He's my man and I'm gonna ride with him. Nothing against Kanye, but I'm a team player. "This is New York, everybody better be rooting for Fifty."

Bounce back

By Joe Walker

They've both landed big hits, but only one will win.

The much-hyped battle between hip hop stars Kanye West and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson could be thought of as music's version of a heavyweight boxing dream bout. With the genres top two stars releasing their highly anticipated third albums -- "Graduation" by West, "Curtis" by 50 Cent -- on the same day, Tuesday, some may compare its social magnitude to that of Muhammad Ali vs. George Forman.

The media coverage surrounding these two albums has been pummeling, with many media sources ready to score the bout. Black Noir Magazine owner Florence Anthony says nothing is wrong with a little friendly competition.

"Both Kanye and 50 have become crossover artists who are even respected in the pop world," she says. "It's a good thing because it hypes up hip hop in a positive way."

By Patricia Meschino

NEW YORK (Billboard) - In the wake of gay-rights protests surrounding three major dancehall reggae concerts in New York in recent weeks, promoters, performers and their labels are noting a detrimental effect on bookings and endorsements in the United States and Europe for dancehall artists, who play a style of reggae that incorporates hip-hop and R&B.

The New York shows drew the ire of gay-rights groups that continue to protest songs they deem homophobic by a handful of dancehall artists.

The rapper bet his hip hop crown on a chart duel with Kanye West. It's not looking good...

by William Shaw

You have to wonder whether 50 Cent now rues the day he challenged rival Kanye West to an album sales duel, promising to retire as a solo artist if West won. Both released their third albums last Tuesday in America - 50 Cent's Curtis and Kanye West's Graduation - and the US entertainment press has hyped the battle to the hilt. The rappers feature on the cover of the latest Rolling Stone, eyeball to eyeball, above the breathless cover line 'Showdown! Who will be the king of hip hop?' This week US chart bible Billboard will announce who has the crown, but over the last few days West has been easily outselling his rival.

By JOEY GUERRA

Kanye West doesn't need to prove his musical mettle. Forget the gimmicky clashes with 50 Cent or immature backstage tantrums like the one at the MTV Video Music Awards as he went home empty-handed.

West simply needs to let the music on Graduation speak — soar, really — for itself. West's third solo disc is exhilarating from start to finish, a joyous mash-up of clever rhymes, savvy street flavor and dance-floor delirium.

Vocally, West is more confident than ever. His unmistakable delivery is at once sleepy and vibrant, and the rhythms veer from old-school charm to sci-fi spaciness. Every moment sparkles with surprise.

By Ian Burrell

It was a sight that lives long in the memory, the rapper Kanye West, standing centre stage at London's Hammersmith Apollo, jerkily kicking out his legs in the style beloved of those Eighties teenagers who wore big back-combed hair, eyeliner and fingerless gloves, as he encouraged mystified hip-hop fans among his audience to sing along to A-ha's 1985 pop hit "Take on Me".

Kanye West, 30, is not any kind of rapper. His backing band for the show, 18 months ago, was a 10-piece female string orchestra, including what is believed to be rap's first live harpist.

While other hip-hop MCs wear their jeans low slung and lace their lyrics with boasts of nefarious pasts on ghetto streets, Kanye has rhymed about the dubious benefits of material wealth and the dirty secrets of the diamond trade. He has a teddy bear for his motif, dresses in a style that is heavily influenced by the preppy look of the Ivy League and has named his clothing line Pastelle, reflecting his taste for soft colours. He has publicly condemned rap music's deeply ingrained homophobia.