Hip-hop and the free expression of homosexuality have been at odds since the genre’s inception in the ‘70s. Hot 97 DJ Mister Cee, the host of Throwback at Noon and Friday Night Live, has been a founding father of this musical money machine that has penetrated modern culture.
The Brooklyn-born beat–rocker’s been a leading DJ in hip hop for two decades, and his claims to fame is that he shephered Big Daddy Kane's "classic years" and discovered Biggie and hand delivered him to P.Diddy, sparking the musical dominance of Bad Boy’s glory years throughout the ‘90s.
When it was reported in 2011 that Mister Cee had solicited a transsexual prostitute and got arrested, it was more of a shocker than anything, because of the staunchly and openly homophobic rap culture that exists. He pled guilty to loitering for the purpose of engaging a prostitute after cops nabbed him in the whip getting it on with another dude.
Then, in May of this year, Cee was again arrested, this time for soliciting sex with a male undercover police officer. Still, he didn’t admit he was gay. Despite the fact that it is shared, manipulated, moved and masterminded by plenty of LBGT people, hip-hop‘s business persona has always been dressed in prehistoric ultra-machismo. Similarly, if you are a female MC you have to be a perceived walking sex-pot to get a look or overtly masculine.
It was hard listening to Mister Cee stay silent, while his friends and supporters squirmied on the issues and lashed out in his defense. It was equally hard listening to competitor stations demean him because he engaged in sexual activity with another male.
The vibe that Cee’s defenders (in particular his Big Dawg/Pitbulls DJ family) gave off was less about acceptance of a friend’s sexual preferences (as it probably should have been), and more of a defense of their manhood’s, rather than a defense of Mr. Cee’s actions. Actually, Cee put everybody that rocks with him in a tough spot. He went back on the radio like nothing went down, and if Hot 97 has a "no animal" policy in their building, it ceased that day because there’s been an elephant in the room the size of Big Pun every time Cee hits the airwaves.
After a third incident of Cee receiving oral services from a transsexual was recently and unknowingly filmed and blasted to the public, he resigned. Then on Thursday he rescinded his resignation, and for the first time just told the truth in a interview with xxlmag.com:
“I definitely feel that it’s a weight that has been lifted because for so long I’ve just been… from the first incident in 2011 all the way up until the situation with the video that came out yesterday, it’s just been. What lie can I come up with next? I wish I could have done this on my own terms. The whole thing of why I never wanted to be honest about what I do in my private life is, because I wanted to protect my family. I hold my family down with a lot, and a part of me felt like if I would have came forward then I would have lost the (love and ) support. And in that, maybe I wouldn’t have been able to provide for my family the way I provide for them now.”
Cee will quickly realize most people don’t care about whom he loves because being a notable hip-hop tastemaker is what gained him fame and respect—not his sexual preference.
In these changing social climates, he will probably be respected more for coming clean. Cee already said 85 percent of the social media feedback on his Instagram account has been positive. He’s fortunate because hip-hop is ready for this. He might actually grow in popularity, and now he can live life freely without the often suicidal pressure of hiding his true self to the public. He has some things to work out with Mrs. Cee, but other than that he should be good. Cee told xxl.com that the silver lining in this situation is that it could be most beneficial to hip-hop.
“I hope so. First and foremost I never decided to do this to be the person… It was more or less, like, I got to stop with the hiding and the lying. I do believe that taking the first step with what I did today will first help me, but will also help a lot of other people that have the same issues that I have.”
Times are changing and, although supporters of gay rights might see this situation as another watershed moment, it’s more so a win for my favorite DJ. He’s allowed so many people to be happy, release their inhibitions and be “real” individuals through his music. He deserves to live the same way.
