Some LGBTQIA+ artists spend the entirety of their careers, if not their lives, without ever speaking about their sexuality. It was about a year ago when Da Brat confirmed that she was gay, and while there has been speculation over the years, the So So Def icon revealed that she was afraid of speaking about her sexuality because of the stigmas in Hip Hop.
Since coming out, Da Brat has been candid about her relationship with mega-successful beauty business mogul Jesseca Dupart, and following the recent controversy with DaBaby, the Rap veteran sat down with TMZ to discuss the state of LGBTQIA+ acceptance in Hip Hop today.
“It’s way better now. Back in the day, it wasn’t cool,” said Da Brat. She mentioned the backlash Ellen Degeneres endured when she came out including being dropped from brands and losing business deals because people didn’t want to work with her. “But now, it’s 2021. It’s a different vibe. Totally. And people are one hundred percent supportive and I’m very grateful that I get to live out loud and I met somebody that made me really wanna not care about what anybody had to say.”
Da Brat added that she’s putting “herself first and my happiness first.” Dupart said she was initially intimidated by dating a celebrity when they got together in 2019, but being gay is something that has been accepted more than in the past. The pair are putting their romance on full display with their new WeTV reality show Brat Loves Judy, and Da Brat spoke about letting the world into her personal life for the first time.
Check out the clip from TMZ below.