Queer rap poster boy Le1f is bringing his personal brands of hip hop and Twitter beef to Australia this week. In the past 12 months he’s released two mixtapes (Fly Zone and Tree House) and worked with Spank Rock, Kitty Pryde, and Mykki Blanco; as well as a much-publicised Twitter tirade against Mackelmore). Considering he’s such a busy dude, it was nice of him to spare a few minutes and answer a few questions.Noisey: You've been releasing like wildfire over the past two years, don’t you worry about burning out?
Le1f: Nah, it's not like that. I'm already working on recording a new EP.Oh cool, who's on this one?
I'm in the studio with Boody right now finishing up two songs and working with HarryB—my homies. I'm getting ready to go to Australia, so I'll probably finish it after that.Are you applying for citizenship here or what? This has to be the third time you’ve been down this year.
Yeah, they (the shows in Australia) have been really cool—super amazing. Sydney and Melbourne have been two of my favourite places ever to perform in. The crowds are super fun.You've been lashing out on some vicious Twitter tirades lately. Not specifically Macklemore, but how widely spread do you feel that white heteronormative privilege is in contemporary hip hop?
I don't really like talking about other people.Fair enough. From an outsiders perspective, the queer rap scene in New York seems to be thriving: guys like Mykki Blanco, Cakes Da Killa, Zebra Katz, and House of LaDosha are making serious waves.
There's definitely some great rap coming from here, there's a lot of local talent.Are there any other rap scenes in the world you feel are vaguely similar to NYC? Some would argue maybe New Orleans.
I don't think it's anything like that. I think everyone has the right to exist in their own right. Everyone is doing their own thing and contributing to the world around them. Comparing what's going on in New Orleans to what's going on in New York, I don't think it works.What about 2014, where do you see yourself going?
Indie. I want to go from underground to indie.Le1f will be playing:December 6 at Roxanne in MelbourneDecember 7 at Slanted and Enchanted in PerthDecember 8 at Subsonic Music Fest in Barrington TopsDecember 12 at ARQ in SydneyDecember 13 at Meredith Music Festival in Victoria
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Le1f: Nah, it's not like that. I'm already working on recording a new EP.Oh cool, who's on this one?
I'm in the studio with Boody right now finishing up two songs and working with HarryB—my homies. I'm getting ready to go to Australia, so I'll probably finish it after that.Are you applying for citizenship here or what? This has to be the third time you’ve been down this year.
Yeah, they (the shows in Australia) have been really cool—super amazing. Sydney and Melbourne have been two of my favourite places ever to perform in. The crowds are super fun.You've been lashing out on some vicious Twitter tirades lately. Not specifically Macklemore, but how widely spread do you feel that white heteronormative privilege is in contemporary hip hop?
I don't really like talking about other people.Fair enough. From an outsiders perspective, the queer rap scene in New York seems to be thriving: guys like Mykki Blanco, Cakes Da Killa, Zebra Katz, and House of LaDosha are making serious waves.
There's definitely some great rap coming from here, there's a lot of local talent.Are there any other rap scenes in the world you feel are vaguely similar to NYC? Some would argue maybe New Orleans.
I don't think it's anything like that. I think everyone has the right to exist in their own right. Everyone is doing their own thing and contributing to the world around them. Comparing what's going on in New Orleans to what's going on in New York, I don't think it works.
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Indie. I want to go from underground to indie.Le1f will be playing:December 6 at Roxanne in MelbourneDecember 7 at Slanted and Enchanted in PerthDecember 8 at Subsonic Music Fest in Barrington TopsDecember 12 at ARQ in SydneyDecember 13 at Meredith Music Festival in Victoria