Sgt. Sass
In 2007 Philadelphia hip-hop duo Sgt. Sass released their first mixtape and band member DeShawn Seymore started calling his group’s music “fag rap.”
“When we first started, I coined the term just to make that statement—how Lil’ Kim and Missy [Elliott] were like, ‘We’re bitches’—I was like, ‘We’re faggots. We’re fag rappers,’” he explains.
But in the past few years, Seymore and bandmate DaQuan Motley have matured a bit and have a deeper insight into the relationship between their music and their sexuality. “First and foremost, I’m an artist ... that happens to be queer,” Seymore says. Sgt. Sass has stopped broadcasting the terms “fag rap” and “homo hop,” and Motley likens that phase in their lives to coming out of the closet. “You come out, you buy your gay flags and go all pride,” he says with a laugh. “I think we did that. And now we’re like, let’s do our music.”
Their music is straight-up hip-hop, with none of the farce or cliches that can come with novelty gay rap. They combine musical elements from mainstream acts like Notorious B.I.G. and David Banner along with those from underground electronic artists like Spank Rock. Songs on their new EP Body Rock run the gamut from Baltimore club bangers with pounding bass beats to downtempo gangsta rap.
Body Rock is strong from beginning to end, but both Seymore and Motley agree the songs are even better live. “We are wild,” Motley says with a laugh. “People come because it’s like a party. We bring the party on the stage. We jump off the stage. We get in the crowd. We roll on the floor,” he says. “I think that’s what’s missing from hip-hop acts—people are not having fun anymore. We’re tying to bring it back.” ■
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1. Marcus said... on Jun 3, 2009 at 08:44AM
“YES!!!
Reading this show that their is HOPE. I didn't have this coming up looking back it would have been nice. They are making way for the up, and coming. Setting the path for other's, and giving me something to look up to.”