Queer New Orleans Hip-Hop Gets Big Apple Shine

By Jamilah King Feb 11, 2010

It’s been a busy couple weeks for New Orleans. A new white mayor, a Super Bowl victory, Mardi Gras. And now, thousands of miles away in an art gallery in New York City, the city’s much slept on queer hip-hop genre, sissy bounce, is finally getting some coastal recognition. From XLR8R:

The New Orleans genre known as bounce, which came into being in the late ’90s, is being documented and celebrated in an upcoming exhibit at New York’s Abrons Art Center. Titled "Where They At," the exhibition is casting a special spotlight on the sissy bounce genre, whose practitioners are among the most outspoken queer and transgendered performers in all of hip-hop. Featuring portraits of performers such as Big Freedia, Katey Red, and Sissy Nobby, the exhibit also tells the story of a community which, despite displacement by Hurricane Katrina, has continued to challenge the rampant sexism and homophobia of many male MCs.

The show will feature photographs, videos, and oral histories compiled by Aubrey Edwards and Alison Fensterstock. In New York — and not buried beneath 12 inches of snow? Check out tonight’s opening. Not in New York? Listen.

Tags