"Women & Hip-Hop" by Lauren LoDo Surratt (A to J Productions)

I wanted to present to you a well-written & well thought-out couple of essays on women and hip-hop by Lauren "LoDo" Surratt. She happens to be my second cousin, daughter of my cousin Walter and his wife, Sue. Lauren has formed A to J Productions with her husband, Tristan. You might recall Tristan as my first guest blogger, The Engin33r.

After reading these companion articles, please check out their website for A to J Productions, which you can do at either link.

Enjoy!

By the way, Missy Elliott sings, too. See video at end.

Part 1:

http://www.ashytojazzy.com/thespotlight/2013/5/5/dear-hip-hop-what-have-you-done-with-all-the-women

Part 2:
http://www.ashytojazzy.com/thewritersblock/2013/7/14/women-and-hip-hop-part-2-the-balance-in-hip-hop

Remix of "Gossip People":

LGBT Pride 2013: Busting Out All Over!

June is Pride month and it's busting out all over! Ninety-plus degree weather in NYC, coming out of a chilly, damp spring, and it's time to celebrate. President Obama issued a Proclamation today that began: "The story of America's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community is the story of our fathers and sons, our mothers and daughters, and our friends and neighbors who continue the task of making our country a more perfect Union. It is a story about the struggle to realize the great American promise that all people can live with dignity and fairness under the law. Each June, we commemorate the courageous individuals who have fought to achieve this promise for LGBT Americans, and we rededicate ourselves to the pursuit of equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity."

You can read the whole Presidential Proclamation by visiting this White House page: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/05/31/presidential-proclamation-lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender-pride-mon

Meanwhile, in Beaverhausen World, my blog has hit an all-time high regarding views for the month of May! 13,338 views, topping my previous monthly high of 12,529 for December. I love the international stats reflecting my audience; you guys (and gals) are fantastic! It's a disco world & we're all united. Dance on, dance for peace, for equality, for love and for a positive future!

For Pride, I highly recommend reading my ongoing Q & A with classic-disco producer Bob Esty, as he talks about Donna Summer, Cher, Giorgio & much more:

Part 1: http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2013/05/exclusive-q-with-bob-esty-part-1-once.html

Part 2: http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2013/05/exclusive-q-with-bob-esty-part-2-from.html

Also, from guest blogger The Engin33r, an essay on hip hop and LGBT people:

http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-engineer33r-my-first-guest-blogger.html

Of course, hep HBO brought us the Liberace gay tell-all in time for Vegas Pride which kicked things off on the Memorial Day weekend:

http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2013/05/life-with-liberace-behind-candelabra.html

Queens (NY) Gay Pride kicks off this Sunday, with the original Manhattan one set for the very end of the month.

Finally, my Pride memories:
http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2012/06/gay-pride-ghosts-of-pride-past-present.html

And, post-finally, Hildegarde! (Are we sure she and Christine Jorgensen aren't the same person? Have you ever seen them together?) Enjoy this and Happy LGBT Pride to all:

The Engin33r: My First Guest Blogger

Hello, everyone. I'm chilling for Labor Day weekend. I turned things over to The Engin33r to discuss hip hop and LGBT issues. Enjoy, and have a safe and fabulous Memorial Day weekend! ~~ Dj Buddy B

I've gotta say it must be hard to be a gay hip hop fan. BTW, I gave DJ Buddy the day off, my name is Tristan aka The Engin33r and I’ll be your guest blogger! I want to talk to you about something that is near and dear to my heart. Finally, hip hop seems to be catching up with the times.


Let’s be real, mainstream hip hop is notoriously misogynistic, and isn’t really known for being accepting of LGBT people in general. That isn’t to say that there aren’t any gay rappers, they just are encouraged by major labels to stay in the closet. If you want to be popular in mainstream hip hop, you gotta be a misogynist, talk about all your money, maybe slap a ‘hoe’ or two…

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are a great example of what REAL hip hop is all about.  I’ll give you a moment to grab a tissue after that song, I know I needed one.  These guys aren’t alone. Gay hip hop fans finally have a wide selection of artists not willing to use the ‘f’ word.  A lot of hip hop stations are banning the use of 'gay' as a synonym for "the lesser."

There are even some gay hip hop artists coming out of the underground. Lester Greene, Johnny Makeup, QBoy… just to name a few. There is a sub genre of hip hop called 'LGBT hip hop' (also lovingly known as homo hop).  [Loving that term ~~ Buddy B]

Obviously we have a lot of work to do in hip hop (and in society in general) for the acceptance of all people, but I just wanted you to know that the hip hop community is making strides. If you are looking for some good hip hop, feel free to check out our production company, Ashy to Jazzy Productions. The music we produce is uplifting and encourages acceptance of all people. 

I want to give a big thanks to Dj Buddy Beaverhausen for allowing me to post on such a prestigious blog! We are truly blessed to be some of the few people who can make money from blogging! [I can? So far, it's all love. ~~ Buddy B] If you want to hear more about my blog, www.tristansurratt.com, just click the link!  And if you liked this article, please stop by my page and say hello!