Return of the QING

We chatted to superhot rapper QBoy about the gay rap scene, weed, and donuts! 


qboy-qing-9-photography-by-nik-pate

Hey QBoy! You’ve got a new EP out. Tell us all about it!

Well it’s a 5 video visual E.P. called ‘QING’ – pronounced King. It’s taken a long time to record and release – because life events happen that set you back and you have to wait for enough money to do everything, so it happens in fits and starts. But I finally got there, and I’m very happy with it. It’s quite a poppy collection of rap tracks mixed with hip-hop, trap, dubstep, garage. The emphasis is on enjoyment, dancing and entertainment. It has some serious moments but overall I was aiming to create good quality productions and videos, that will create a smile on the face and movement in the body.

The queer rap scene has been gaining popularity in recent years. Why do you think that is?

Well, certainly the first generation of queer hip-hop artists like myself, Deep Dickollective, Cazwell, God-Des & She and more who trailblazed and had to fight to create a path for themselves all helped pave the way for the following generation. We introduced the idea that queers not only listen to and love hip-hop, but create and produce it too.

Have you ever encountered a backlash in the music industry for being queer?

No. I’ve been a one-man machine since I started, and in the face of adversity I managed to attract a whole lot of media attention, do TV shows, go on tour. Meanwhile, the music industry was watching me, and respecting the fact I am doing it all on my own, doing something new and daring and succeeding at it. However, back then no labels or agencies were daring enough to sign a queer hip-hop artist. Which has changed now and is good to see. 

Which living artist would you like to collaborate with most?

My idols are and always will be Salt-N-Pepa so to record a song with them would be amazing. AND a video!

What would be your dream venue to perform in?

Anywhere that provides weed and donuts in the dressing room after the show!

What do you think of the rap and hip-hop scene in London?

When I first started, there was hardly any representation for queers who liked hip-hop in the LGBT community, certainly less so nationwide – the story was better in London. David Rosen and Jeffrey Hinton were playing R&B and rap in Heaven at the weekends, and there were a few clubs which played some urban music mixed in with house, but nothing was dedicated to hip-hop exclusively and unapologetically. Descriptively ’R&B’ often got used instead of ‘hip-hop’ as possibly promoters thought it sounded more ‘friendly’ or acceptable. Then in 2001, I was involved in the UK’s first gay hip-hop party ‘Pac-Man’ with Gideon (Block9), NineBob, MistaMaker and fashion artist NOKI. We were the first to say ‘this is gay, this is hip-hop. Like it or lump it.’ And we all LOVED it. It was no gimmick or trying to take advantage of a trend because we really were bucking trends. We were and are genuine in our love and dedication. Move on 15 years, and now there are so many gay clubs and venues that are playing hip-hop and R&B, including my party ‘R & She’, that the diversity of the scene is a lot broader, which is great to see. All I ever try to do, and like to see, is further new examples of what it is to be LGBT+ so that younger people are not limited to stereotypes to provide inspiration or role models – which I felt was the case when I was younger. 

Finally, what have you got in store for the future? 

2017 I will be promoting and performing my new E.P. ‘QING’ with any luck! ‘R & She’ celebrates its’ 5th birthday too in April, which is amazing! Neil, David and I feel very blessed to still be having so much fun with a party we all love being part of. 

BANG faves Paul Heron, Louis Chatten, Matt Bogard and Zach Burns take to the decks for what will be another BANGtastic night. Hit it hard at The Steelyard. 

• ‘QING’ is out now.

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