Hip-Hop Artist Comes Out
Courtesy of Y-Love
“Negative’s relative and critics are minimal,” raps Y-Love – also known at Yitz Jordan – a Hassidic hip-hop artist who taps into a mix of English, Arabic, Hebrew and Latin in his rhymes. The 34-year-old from East Baltimore has enjoyed a unique experience growing up with a Puerto Rican mother and Ethiopian father. He eventually converted to Judaism, a religion that has fueled many of his lyrics for the past few years.
He’s recently released a new single, “Focus on the Flair.” But this week he also has another message for the world: “I’m gay.”
“I’ve never been conflicted about my sexuality,” Jordan tells Out. “Any conflicts that have come up in my life have come up because of other people’s homophobia. I’ve always known when to be in the closet and when not to.”
The musician admits that current events have dictated his decision to come clean about his personal life. “I want mine to be the last generation of LGBT Americans that remembers what a closet is,” he says in a press statement. “I want kids in 20 years to sit annoyed through LGBT history class to learn about that long ago time ‘when gay people used to have to lie,’ much like segregation is a far-off time to many of today’s middle-class black youth.”
Check out his latest video (yep, that’s him in drag):
