June is #AfricanAmericanMusicAppreciationMonth (also called #BlackMusicAppreciationMonth) AND #PrideMonth! In honor of that, this thread will highlight Black American trans musicians, featuring one person per day this month.
Additional criteria: needs at least two songs available to listen to somewhere online (so Delisa Newton isn't eligible).
One very helpful source was https://transmusic.org/ , which is currently on hiatus but has an very impressive collection of trans music.
#TransMusic #TransMusicians #TransArt #BlackMusic #BlackMusicians #BlackArt
First up: two "oldies but goodies," then the more modern musicians will be listed alphabetically.
Willmer "Little Ax" Broadnax was a gospel singer born in 1916. His ability to more easily reach tenor notes made his music stand out. When he died in the early '90s, it was revealed that he was trans - until that point, something only his older brother had known.
More info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willmer_%22Little_Ax%22_Broadnax
https://ew.com/article/2016/03/01/little-axe-transgender-gospel-singer-short-film/
https://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/07/black-trans-history-wilmer-little-axe-m.html
The best place to find his music seems to be youtube. These are the best recordings I've found:
I've covered Jackie Shane (May 15, 1940 - February 21, 2019) before, so check here for more information:
https://anarchism.space/@j/101577488137637909
She was a soul & R&B singer who was born & died in Nashville, Tennessee but performed throughout Canada & the US.
Her music is available through youtube, soundcloud, & spotify:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcxL-whnoTLyFvexFiFhM4w
https://soundcloud.com/jackieshaneofficial
Photo source:
Attached: 2 images · Content warning: eye contact, cigarette
Ah-Mer-Ah-Su is a Michigan-born, Oakland-based musician who describes her music as "synthesis of choir kid meets club kid and in a whole league of it's own." Her website is here:
She's talked about her music & life a bunch:
https://qtpocart.libsyn.com/63-star-amerasu-0
https://www.scribd.com/document/326710780/We-Want-the-Airwaves-Star-Amerasu-pt-1
https://qtpocart.libsyn.com/632-star-amerasu-pt-2
https://www.scribd.com/document/329450563/we-want-the-airwaves-star-amerasu-pt-2
https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/3dexw9/ah-mer-ah-su-klonopin-listen
http://www.papermag.com/premiere-check-out-ah-mer-ah-sus-new-song-space-2079619004.html
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3dxax9/ah-mer-ah-su-klonopin-edit-stream
(cont'd)
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/ywbkp7/why-queer-people-need-chosen-families
https://www.kqed.org/arts/13818045/the-10-best-bay-area-albums-of-2017-ah-mer-ah-su-rebecca
http://www.papermag.com/ah-mer-ah-su-2571231162.html
https://www.thebeatjuice.com/2018/06/19/ah-mer-ah-su-takes-control-on-defiant-powerful/
http://www.papermag.com/pride-roundtable-2581878945.html
https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/xwk8ba/ah-mer-ah-su-perfect-video-single-premiere-2018
https://www.them.us/story/ah-mer-ah-su-star
https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8468535/ah-mer-ah-su-interview-star-album
https://www.thefader.com/2018/09/05/ah-mer-ah-su-new-video-need-you-need-me
http://thebaybridged.com/2018/09/20/making-new-myths-with-ah-mer-ah-su/
https://www.out.com/out-exclusives/2018/11/07/ah-mer-ah-su-serving-tpoc-realness-berlin-oakland
https://www.ravelinmagazine.com/posts/ah-mer-ah-sus-star-chronicles-path-toward-self-compassion/
She's on spotify, soundcloud, youtube, & bandcamp:
https://soundcloud.com/staramerasu
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmv1Uc-NsWBYJOfFnXyE29Q
https://makestarfamous.bandcamp.com/
AMET Ricky, a North Carolina-based rapper, describes himself as follows:
" . . . Ricky is known for being an advocate for the LGBT community and being an openly transgender rapper. AMET Ricky's creativity leaves listeners wondering if he will take the crown as the true new prince of Hip Hop."
He's on spotify, & his bandcamp is here:
As an artist, AMET Ricky's style captivates all audiences. His lyrical word play is enticing. Along with his musical abilities, Ricky is known for being an advocate for the LGBT community and being an openly transgender rapper. AMET Ricky's creativity leaves listeners wondering if he will take the crown as the true new prince of Hip Hop.
Angel Haze is a rapper known for publicly discussing, both in music & press, queerness, homophobia, rape culture, mental illness, & racism.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_Haze
https://guestlist.net/article/6323/angel-haze-interview
https://www.clashmusic.com/features/angels-in-the-airwaves-clash-meets-angel-haze
http://kalamu.com/neogriot/2015/10/01/audio-interview-angel-haze-back-to-the-woods/
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7777007/angel-haze-resurrection-video-premiere-interview
Angel's on spotify, itunes, soundcloud, & youtube:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/angel-haze/id538165031
https://soundcloud.com/angxlhxze
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjHM2lYtKm41QrIorWewGuw
Anjimile is an indie/folk/rock/pop musician who describes themself as a "queer & trans songmaker / lover boy with a heart of gold." Their website is here:
They've talked quite a bit about their musical journey in the last couple years:
http://soundofboston.com/premiere-golden-hands-anjimile/
https://www.wbur.org/artery/2018/06/27/wbur-favorite-massachusetts-entry-npr-music-tiny-desk-contest
https://digboston.com/anjimile-how-to-say-fck-it-with-flying-colors/
https://www.wers.org/anjimile/
https://www.wbur.org/artery/2018/08/02/up-next-anjimile
http://soundofboston.com/album-review-colors-by-anjimile/
https://www.wgbh.org/indie/2018/08/15/bands-you-should-know-anjimilie
(cont'd)
https://allstonpudding.com/interview-anjimile/
https://www.wbur.org/artery/2019/01/07/anjimile-mixtape-premiere
https://vanyaland.com/2019/01/21/anjimile-crafts-an-artistic-affirmation-for-the-ages-with-maker/
https://bostonhassle.com/anjimile-maker-mixtape/
https://www.wbur.org/artery/2019/03/25/meet-the-artery25-millennials?platform=hootsuite#anjimile
https://www.adhoc.fm/post/anjimile-makers-mixtape-interview/
They're on spotify, soundcloud, bandcamp, youtube, & itunes:
https://soundcloud.com/anjimile/
https://anjimile.bandcamp.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/anjimilemusic
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/anjimile/786333277
Asa Coaxum says of her music: "I’d pretty much just put it under alternative, just for the fact that it’s just all around."
https://durhambeat.com/2019/02/04/artist-profile-asa-coaxum/
She's on soundcloud & youtube:
https://soundcloud.com/cruelworldofasa
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kS56PeBlLO6LhgVEkFYtO7pvSdeQSmq3c
She's also on Spotify as "Asa," which brings up a lot of results, but if you search "Izwe Lethu" (one of her songs), she's the first result.
Auset Bennu, a hip-hop/rap musician, describes herself as a "Trans Female Emcee from the Bronx, NY."
She's on bandcamp, youtube, & soundcloud:
https://ausetbennu.bandcamp.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrkFQzhWoxhBuUlVQMcSC7g
https://soundcloud.com/empressausetmusic
All four of her releases are from this year, so new music seems likely. If you want to keep up with her live stuff, she has a regularly-updated instagram account:
"Billy Dean Thomas, AKA 'The Queer B.I.G' is a Hip-hop recording artist and composer born and raised in Harlem, but currently residing in Boston." Their website is here:
https://www.billydeanthomas.com/
Here's a few good articles about them:
https://www.wbur.org/artery/2018/10/31/oberon-american-gothic-billy-dean-thomas
https://digboston.com/billy-dean-thomas-the-queer-b-i-g-redefining-american-gothic/
https://bostonhassle.com/billy-dean-thomas-rocky-barboa/
They're on spotify, soundcloud, & youtube:
https://soundcloud.com/billydeanslist
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC84d907qSunUOLd6JjLr73Q/videos
"Born in Anniston, Alabama 1977, to a single mother, Black Cracker (Ellison Glenn) is a multi-disciplinary artist working in sound, text, video and installation." His website is here:
https://www.blckcrckr.com/home
He's done a few interviews:
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/rnbadr/black-cracker-talks-about-his-musical-projects-and-his-swastika-tattoo
https://web.archive.org/web/20120302011004/http://www.vice.com/read/black-cracker-talks-about-his-musical-projects-and-his-swastika-tattoo
https://indie-mag.com/2015/03/black-cracker-on-rhythm-god-and-a-background-dancing-obama/
https://www.berlinartlink.com/2015/07/13/new-black-cracker/
http://www.exberliner.com/whats-on/music-nightlife/black-cracker-interview/
He's on spotify, soundcloud, & youtube:
https://soundcloud.com/blackcracker
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyhwyt3HauUDrkOTyutAgvg
Breanna Sinclairé is an opera singer who, in 2015, became the first out trans person to sing the American national anthem at a professional sporting event (a baseball game).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breanna_Sinclair%C3%A9
(CW: physical abuse)
https://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2018/02/13/breanna-sinclaires-revolution-transwoman-opera-performing-gmcw/
She's on youtube:
"Electropunk artist, Brian is Ze is a lyricist and producer from Houston, TX."
https://www.houstonpress.com/music/brian-is-z-speaks-out-for-houstons-lgbtq-musicians-8508086
https://www.outsmartmagazine.com/2016/08/brian-is-ze-meet-the-genderqueer-artist-changing-houstons-rap-scene/
https://www.houstonpress.com/music/exclusive-this-is-ze-by-brian-is-ze-10237848
Ze's on spotify, bandcamp, soundcloud, google play, & youtube:
https://brianisze.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/brianisze
https://play.google.com/store/music/artist?id=Aia32c44oyazjiylpnzqecs2u4e
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh54YdGGO5oWqxtZhkeecYw
The 19th-century U.S. poet Emily Dickinson famously penned that “People need hard times and oppression to develop psychic muscles.” But would she make the same statement in a time that pits two casuistry experts knee-deep in their own harvested fields of bullshit, a year when our violence-addicted country witnessed its...
Chae Buttuh is a multi-genre musician. She's done some interviews, discussing the sexual focus of her music:
http://culture.affinitymagazine.us/afxchaebuttuh/
https://yesweekly.com/smooth-like-chae-buttuh/
https://www.out.com/music/2017/9/05/chae-buttuh-hoeism-feminism-futurism
https://www.thefader.com/2017/10/20/chae-buttuh-everything-did-video
https://redgatemedia.org/post/174514968633/21-questions-with-chae-buttuh
http://www.papermag.com/chae-buttuh-jet-beauty-2578371428.html
She's on spotify, bandcamp, & soundcloud:
https://baebuttuh-inc.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/chaebuttuh
Chae Buttuh is a dirty south, dirty mouth’d sex siren on her upcoming mixtape, “HoFi: A Collection of Glam Trap & H*e Hymns”, available via her SoundCloud and bandcamp on July 31st and Spotify and Apple Music August 4th. The title is exactly what you should expect to find on the mixtape, lofi trap bangers […]
CLD GRL does some cool indie loop stuff.
She's on bandcamp & soundcloud:
https://cldgrl.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/user-52597578
Honey Dijon is a DJ & multi-genre musician.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Honey_Dijon
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/apr/01/honey-dijon-favourite-tracks
https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/mbakvy/magazine-shopping-with-honey-dijon
https://www.highsnobiety.com/2017/09/13/honey-dijon-interview/
https://www.clashmusic.com/features/get-lifted-honey-dijon-interviewed
https://thequietus.com/articles/24155-honey-dijon-interview
https://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/2018/05/03/honey-dijon/
https://groove.de/2017/10/12/ask-the-dj-honey-dijon-interview-english/
https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/honey-dijon-interview-2018
https://www.residentadvisor.net/podcast-episode.aspx?id=657
https://blog.acehotel.com/post/172420542843/interview-justin-strauss-with-honey-dijon
https://www.ssense.com/en-us/editorial/music/meet-mate-and-create-the-life-of-honey-dijon
https://pinupmagazine.org/articles/honey-dijon-valentines-day-insertion-music-playlist-mix#12
She's on spotify, youtube, & soundcloud:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLoyUoHBcUVbEvygJHggJoQ
https://soundcloud.com/honeydijon
Juliana Huxtable is a multidisciplinary artist (poet, DJ, performer, musician...) whose music is super cool & super hard to describe.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juliana_Huxtable
http://topicalcream.info/editorial/juliana-huxtable-shock-value/
https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/20742/1/petra-collins-selects-juliana-huxtable
https://i-d.vice.com/en_us/article/j58dy4/nycs-downtown-art-queen-juliana-huxtable-takes-la
http://sfaq.us/2016/03/juliana-huxtable-in-conversation-with-jarrett-earnest/
https://www.thefader.com/2016/07/07/fader-mix-juliana-huxtable
https://www.52-insights.com/juliana-huxtable-art-blowing-up-the-system-transgendered-interview/
https://fashionmagazine.com/culture/need-know-transgender-poet-dj-artist-juliana-huxtable/
http://topicalcream.info/editorial/juliana-huxtable-the-conspiracy-of-activism/
(cont'd)
http://www.maskmagazine.com/the-street-issue/work/juliana-huxtable
https://www.ssense.com/en-us/editorial/culture/juliana-huxtables-conspiracy-logic
https://bust.com/arts/195362-juliana-huxtable-interview.html
https://crackmagazine.net/article/long-reads/juliana-huxtable-work-in-progress/
Her music is on soundcloud:
gender identitty