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Jewish rapper Y-Love comes out publicly as gay
In a move that he admits could cost him some fans, New York rapper Yitz “Y-Love” Jordan, considered "the first black Jewish MC," has come out publicly as a gay man of color.
"I feel like I have wasted years of my life worrying that my ‘public reputation’ will be negatively impacted by my identity," Jordan said in a statement. "Now that I'm over 30, I simply can't care as much about what people think, despite the prospect of alienating the community I dedicated my life to as an artist and a man. My hope is it will open their eyes – and hearts."
Although he's now publicly talking about it, Jordan tells Out magazine in an interview that he's "never been conflicted about my sexuality ... Any conflicts that have come up in my life have come up because of other people's homophobia. I've always known when to be in the closet and when not to."
Jordan is of Puerto Rican and Ethiopian descent, and <span style="font-weight: bold">converted to Hasidic Judaism in 2000 before going on to study at Jerusalem’s Ohr Somayach yeshiva.</span>
The artist has melded hip-hop style with what he calls "Jewish values," leading to a fan base of "conservative-minded hip-hop fans," he said.
Those same fans "have listened to me to be their ‘voice of Jewish values’ for so long that I'm sure some will huff off in disgust at seeing the real me," Jordan admitted. "What will not change is my art. My rhymes will still be 20 percent Hebrew and full of Jewish quotes as always.
rest yah suh
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