Challenging 'No Homo'

In the age of 'no homo,' I was more than suprised to hear Brian 'Birdman' Williams bluntly dismiss questions about a highly pulicized picture of a kiss between he and hip hop superstar Lil Wayne that showed up on the Internet in 2006. Hip hop fans are well aware of the close relationship between the two. Williams played a great role in Lil Wayne's success, discovering him at 12, giving him a record deal, and cultivating his skills. The father that he never had, Wayne calls Williams 'daddy' in both songs and interviews. Some fans even incorrectly believe that they are biologically related.

Williams recently spoke to a radio station about the picture that some hip hop fans still haven't left alone, despite the fact that he discussed the issue briefly when the picture first surfaced:


Given the hypersexual and homophobic image that it seems many African American male hip hop stars cultivate, I had wrongly assumed that if Baby (as Williams is also known by) ever responded to the photo again it would be to claim that it was photoshopped (as I, and I'm sure many others, had suspected anyway) or with the cure-all "no homo." While Williams does little to work against the homophobia that usually underlies the discussions about the picture as he still suggests that the kiss is only acceptable within certain parameters, he does disrupt the 'hypermasculine' conception of black men that causes some to view displays of affection as displays of weakness.