The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center and Julie Potter hosted Queer Hip-Hop Uncensored Thursday at The Nugget.
The audience was mixed with LGBT students from Cal State Long Beach and Nugget-goers who just moseyed in on the right night.
“I’ve never been to an LGBT event at our school before,” Isabella Zingale, a CSULB student, said. “I think my gay aunt will appreciate that I’ve gone out of my way to learn about something I’m unfamiliar with.”
The concert was a segment of the National Coming Out Week events hosted by the vivacious and vulgar Lady Vajayjay, a local drag queen and queer performer. In a blue, white and purple wig, as well as rhinestone jewelry, Lady V brought the audience constant laughter and sometimes even tears.
After charming the audience and announcing performers all night, Lady V removed her wig and performed a raw and honest performance of “I Am What I Am” by Jerry Herman.
The event featured performances by groundbreaking, queer rapper, Drew Mason of Texas, Bay Area MC Mack Mistress, Potter as her audacious alter-ego Julie Fucking Potter and other talent.
Potter took the stage as JFP, featuring Caroline Dream, also known as CNOTE, Potter’s violin-playing accompaniment and life partner.
“I’ve been in love with this woman for seven years,” Potter said on stage. “And the state still won’t let us get married,” Potter added in protest of Proposition 8.
The first openly gay rapper to achieve notoriety, Mason, commanded attention from the stage. Mason’s lyrics, though positive and inspirational, come from a place where the queer artist lives in constant opposition to the injustice he calls attention to in his music. During an a capella portion of his performance, Mason asked the audience to “burst down the closet doors and stand up and fight.”
Mack Mistress, a Bay Area rapper, also performed. Her brash delivery and ferocious snarl on the microphone added to her performance. She performed several club-type singles geared toward making women dance, as well as her breakthrough track, “I Am Mistress.”
The performers at Queer Hip-Hop Uncensored embraced their sexuality in a number of ways. From Mason’s epic lyrics of sexual liberation to hostess Lady V’s highly suggestive romp in the lap of a male audience member, the event was pure fun and all queer.
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