NYC queer rapper/producer Le1f made his network television debut on the Late Show last night, inspiring what will hopefully become the rap industry’s answer to its lack of LGBT visibility.
After several years building a fan base in the NY club scene, on YouTube, and across social media, 24-year-old Le1f — real name Khalif Diouf — is enjoying newfound mainstream fame after signing with Brookyn-based Terrible Records. Vogue recently named him “New York’s Hottest Underground Rapper.”
Most recently, Diouf made headlines after suggesting Macklemore’s summer anthem “Thrift Shop” had sampled his catchy single “Wut”, the song he chose to perform on Letterman.
On facing homophobic response to his music, Le1f tells NewsWeek:
How about we take this to the next level?
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NW: Have you faced homophobic responses to your music?
Diouf: I did a lot at first and I still always do. People will have negative responses to everything that a lot of people have positive responses to. A lot of it is just people being anonymous on the Internet, and I don’t care [laughs].
Watch Le1f’s first network television performance below:
http://youtu.be/7_kKjCnaoyc
Enjoy the climb, Le1f!
https://twitter.com/LE1FNY/status/444367373576208384
Fang
Love him!
RomanHans
A great performance by a terrific talent, once again proving that David Letterman is a true friend to our community AND new music. I hope Jimmy Fallon fans start to wonder why landmark performances like this always seem to happen on the Letterman show.
Apparatus
There’s nothing about this I don’t love.
Alan down in Florida
Decidedly unimpressed – especially since I couldn’t understand a word he said (don’t hate me for having 60 year old ears).
My question is did his rap identify himself as gay? The introduction certainly didn’t.
Scribe38
@Alan down in Florida: “light in the loafers” repeated several times, taking a gay slur and owning it. He also dances which is looked down on in hip-hop (viewed as girly by some), some of the moves could be characterized as feminine (no shade intended at all). I think the whole performance rocked and that he preformed as his true self. I will be searching for his stuff on itune this weekend.
Kangol
I love that song! So catchy. Glad to see Le1f taking off.
jasentylar
Loved his performance…I liked that he danced and the music/arrangement was nice. But like Alan down in Florida, I didn’t understand most of what he was saying outside of the chorus.