Unserious people help us see the flaws in serious people at the cost of their respect. Such is the case for comedy rappers such as Team Clutch (“Homo Flow”), other “gay remix” parody rappers, and London Yellow (“I Am a Nigger”).
If perspective is what a listener is looking for, getting past the initial shock of songs like “Homo Flow” (a remix of NLE Choppa’s “Shotta Flow”) and “I Am a Nigger” rewards a listener with a distorted mirror. These songs and the characters that perform them are just like the songs and artists they mock aside from a fundamental issue that keeps the music from being “acceptable.” Kinda like a Payless Shoes in-store mirror that helps emphasize the view of your shoes at the expense of an unflattering reflection you wouldn’t take a mirror pic of.
“Homo Flow” is brilliant because it is just as violently gay as “Shotta Flow” is violent. If the aggressive sexuality of “Homo Flow” is off-putting, then why is the urgent homicidal energy in “Shotta Flow” viewed normal enough to become a mainstream hit?
When browsing YouTube without being signed in to verify your age, YouTube warns you about the inappropriateness of “Homo Flow” but lets you jump right into the original “Shotta Flow.” Gayness is more dangerous than guns, it seems.
It’s also a trip to adapt an authoritative, alpha male delivery to gay bars since homosexuality in hip-hop (and among Black people) is commonly believed to be the absence of masculinity. But here goes this confident bass-baritone voice forcefully rhyming “I am a menace” with “Not letting his semen replenish.”
Parodies of popular rap songs using homosexuality as the comedic element had something of a moment during the pandemic. Artists like Team Clutch, Kusorare, and Tophonee set out to completely ruin rap hits like “Sicko Mode” and “The Box” and they succeeded, developing distinct approaches to gay remixes and attracting online fanbases.
We need unserious people to show us which parts of our “normal person” act can be dropped
“I Am a Nigger” accomplishes something completely different from gay remixes. Mind you, these songs are not meticulously crafted to be viewed in the light this piece views them, but intentionality is not a requirement for art to be brilliant. Self-expression is valuable when it’s honest, brave, and/or resonant with other people.
It might be hard to hear honesty and bravery in London Yellow’s “I Am a Nigger,” but there are a lot of pointed lyrics and artistic decisions that may help a listener see something more than a teenage troll.
From the moment London Yellow hesitates and stumbles into “What’s brackin’, buddy?” as the intro, the artist’s discomfort with himself is obvious. Between the song title and everything else that follows, it’s clear bro wrestled a lot with his racial identity. But what makes this song more than a kid pushing the big red button over and over is what the artist is sharing about his experiences which inform this song.
According to London, he’s regularly asked for “N-word passes,” regularly called variations of the word “nigger” despite being light-skinned, and seems to be receiving this treatment mainly from White girls (hence the quid pro quo when he raps “Now please show me your White titties, ma’am” after being called a “nigger” by this young lady). Based on all of this, London seems to be at a point where he’s simply tired of White people skirting around the fact they are racist and would love nothing more than to be racist out loud. The entire premise of this song is “Just say it!” from an exhausted Black person.
“I Am a Nigger” is not going to solve racism. What it does do, however, is show us that anti-Blackness still squeezes the life out of Black youth even when political correctness tries to soften the blow. This kid is being asked for “N-word passes” rather than having the actual slur yelled at him, but subtly racist things like that must happen often enough for him to make an entire song about embracing the slur.
That is sad.
It is also a witty, nonviolent reclamation of his power over the situation. Or maybe it just felt good to publicly joke about it all without using his real name. Either way, “I Am a Nigger” is the latest entry to two folders: “The more things change, the more things stay the same” file and the “Black people will joke about anything” file.
***
We need unserious people to show us which parts of our “normal person” act can be dropped. Similarly, we need unserious artists to be ridiculous to help us see which parts of the “serious artist” act are ridiculous. What is hip-hop today without Lil B? Who is Joji without Pink Guy, or Donald Glover without Sick Boi and Derrick Comedy?
There is candor in unserious art that not all serious art has. It allows artists, listeners, and viewers to explore thoughts and feelings otherwise deemed taboo or unworthy of expression. “Homo Flow” and “I Am a Nigger” do not need awards or a place on the Hot 100, but they have a place in the musical landscape that is more valuable than many believe. We need joke rappers, even if they offer nothing more than a good laugh.
UPDATE 3/19/2024: edited for formatting and syntax