It’s our gender issue! Or rather, our non-gender issue. Or rather, our gender isn’t an issue, issue. Well, either really, it is what you want it to be. That’s the whole point. Although, we ARE focusing on identities that differ from the social mainstream norm. Otherwise known as non-binary. So Dylan Jones has chosen three of his fave non-binary singers for your perusal. Not necessarily because they’ve done activism or anything. They may have. But it’s mostly because they’re supercool and their music’s awesome.
Angel Haze
Angel Haze is a super trendy American rapper signed with Universal Records. Possibly Haze’s biggest hit to date is surly trip-rap sensation “Werkin Girls”, which enjoyed internet notoriety and then dipped a toe into the mainstream. Then the album Dirty Gold came out and was met with instantaneous and universal critical acclaim.
Haze has been compared to Azealia Banks, and there ARE some similarities; both American rappers of almost exactly the same age, both with powerful, confrontational music and formidable talent. Except Angel Haze isn’t an attention-seeking nonsense, whereas Azealia Banks is.
Haze identifies as pansexual and agender. Agender means someone who generally doesn’t have a gender identity. It covers a broad range of various definitions. Basically it means, people who have enough imagination to transcend mainstream definitions.
Fun superficial celeb fact; Angel Haze is currently dating Ireland Baldwin, the supermodel daughter of Kim Bassinger and Alec Baldwin. Good for you Angel!
Peaches
Peaches is awesome. It’s perhaps fair to say she’s been at the forefront of challenging gender norms in modern music. She’s most famous for Fuck The Pain Away; you know it! It was on Lost in Translation. It’s a great sex song. Madonna works out to it, apparently. Why does that not surprise me?
Peaches mostly identifies as female, but says it changes, and she often feels male. Sometimes on stage she wears a beard, or, if the fancy takes her, a penis. Her backing band are called “The Herms”, short for hermaphrodites. One of the major themes of her music is encouraging straight men to try gay sex. Which, you know, is FINE BY US.
She got a lot of flack for the title of her album “Fatherfucker”, and she had some interesting stuff to say about it: “Why do we stub our toe and say, “Aww motherfucker!”? We use it in our everyday language, and it’s an insanely intense word. I’m not one to shy away from these obscene terms, but if we’re going to use motherfucker, why don’t we use fatherfucker? I’m just trying to be even.”
Fun superficial celeb fact: Christina Aguilera is a massive Peaches fan, and Peaches features on Christina’s song “My Girls” on the album Bionic.
Mykki Blanco
Mykki is a rapper and performance artist from sunny California who is, put simply, fucking fierce. Looks vary from skinny, baggy-jeaned boy from the projects, to glamazon in a ballgown, depending on mood. Mykki identifies as transgender. Interestingly, because of their specific kind of feminine look, Mykki is often pigeonholed as a drag queen or transvestite. They have done a lot to fight this, and reinforce the differentiation between transvestite and transgender. Mykki constantly changes their gender pronoun, which is why I’ve refrained from using a specific one here!
Apart from anything else, Mykki’s music is great. My personal favourite is broody urban stomper “Haze, Boogie, Life” and “Get Wavvy” is also an absolute banger.
Last year, Mykki revealed they were diagnosed as HIV positive in 2011. They have now cut back on performing, and are pursuing a career in investigative journalism. Amazing!
Fun superficial celeb fact: Mykki is good mates with feminist activist Kathleen Hanna. Bet their dinner parties are AWESOME. Actually they’re way too cool for dinner parties.
