No doubt about it, hip hop has a reputation for homophobia. Even the genre's biggest stars will tell you it's been part of the culture for decades.
And the list of artists who have used gay slurs in their music reads like a who's who of the music business. Eminem, Wu-Tang Clan, Lil' Wayne, Snoop Dogg and others have all - at one time or another - rapped in songs with anti-gay sentiments.
That said, things are starting to change. Both Eminem and Jay-Z have publicly said gay and lesbian people should be able to love one another. Pharrell collaborated with Mika - an openly gay pop singer - on the song 'Celebrate.'
And of course, in 2001, Eminem performed with Elton John at the Grammy Awards when Eminem was being sharply criticized by GLADD.
As Snoop Dogg recently told the Associated Press, "People are learning how to live and get along more, and accept people for who they are and not bash them or hurt them because they're different."
Well now, the hip hop team of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have a new video for a song called 'Same Love.'
It stands up for gay rights, gay marriage and promotes equality for everyone, while talking about the use of words like "so gay" and "f****t" in popular culture.
It's worth a look.
'Same Love' will be on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' debut record 'The Heist', which comes out next Tuesday (Oct. 9).
They'll also be playing at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver October 13th and 14th, and at The Sound Academy in Toronto on November 23rd.
In the summer, another artist Frank Ocean revealed on his blog that his first love was a man. Ocean is known more as an R&B singer, but he's produced and collaborated with hip hop icons like Jay-Z, Andre 3000, Kanye West and Nas.
When Ocean spoke out, he received support - mostly through Twitter and blogs - from the likes of 50 Cent, Russell Simmons, Nas and others.
The Associated Press asked other hip hop artists for their reaction to Ocean's announcement. Take a look.
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