Last night, after being lauded as “the greatest rapper alive,” by Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne took to the stage to perform “How To Love” and “John (If I Die Today)” at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. Immediately, Facebook feeds, Twitter timelines and blogs erupted about his outfit, namely, a pair of leopard print jeggings.
I don’t think his leggings were particularly stylish, especially the fact that they were sagging and his bright blue Polo Ralph Lauren boxers (briefs?) were exposed. But what disturbed me was the callous and offensive reaction to a piece of clothing. A Twitter account was created almost immediately, @Waynes_Jeggings, and people spent most of the night questioning his sexuality—ironically, more so than when he was photographed kissing Baby (which he maintains is a nod to traditional mob greetings).
After celebrating the overdue, if gradual, dismantling of limited notions of black male style, it’s disheartening to be here again over Lil Wayne’s pants. They were tight and boasted a white and black leopard print. So…what’s the big deal?
This is a man who has notably pushed boundaries both sonically and visually with his latest song and video, “How To Love.” He’s openly embraced skateboarding, made a career out of calling himself an “alien.” He is different—and why are we so afraid of that when it comes to black men? Why should manhood and sexuality even come into question based on the fit and print on a pair of pants?
Lady Gaga spent the entire night dressed as her male alter ego Jo Calderone in a white shirt and Brooks Brothers slacks. She grabbed her crotch, drank what appeared to be hard liquor on the rocks and adopted a deeper voice. She even attempted to kiss Britney Spears. While people did note that her act was weird and more annoying than anything, the hostility and mocking Wayne’s pants incited was noticeably absent in relation to Gaga in drag.
When will black men have the freedom to dress without their masculinity being under attack?
-Jessica C. Andrews
Yeah i’m not feeling it… AT ALL
truthfully, i don’t like it either but i agree it’s ridiculously to say he’s gay because of it…like come onnn….
This dont make him gay but kissing another man in the mouth multiple times suggests other !! imo!!..and i still hate his choice of pants and he needs to pull up those tight leggins exposing this drawls.. smh
… so, i like his get-up. sagging pants and all, haha! i think it suits him.
but i think i’m missing something. would it have been OKAY for people to “question” lady gaga for her getup? cause quite honestly, what she did is more than just a little bit expected as she is admittedly weird, sexual, and bisexual (i mean these to be mutually exclusive btw). insulting her would have just lead to more gay/bi bashing, if anything. and while that doesn’t make it okay for people to do that to wayne, i don’t think adding gaga to it would really solve anything.
I agree but I don’t think the author is telling us to hate on Gaga. I think she’s demonstrating how the rules were different for Gaga than Wayne and the whole article seems to ask us to not judge people’s sexuality because of fashion – with a focus on black men who seem to get it the worse. Does that make sense?
I would like to make an even larger, more important point to the hip hop community and the black community in general: protecting Wayne’s ‘”masculinity by calling out the detractors who speculate about his sexual orientation is borderline homophobic itself. SO WHAT if Wayne is gay? People are freaking out about Wayne’s pants because people think that being a gay male is degrading and wrong. As if that is the worst thing he could be. Asking the question, “When will black men have the freedom to dress without their masculinity being under attack?” is problematic in and of itself. Black masculinity as represented by mainstream hip hop culture is based largely on homophobia, misogyny and violence. As a black lesbian who has loved hip hop music my entire life, I am offended EVERY TIME I read the same old BS that defends Wayne’s right to be a “style icon” who pushes boundaries and calls out those who dare question his masculinity (code for HE’S NOT GAY). When will we allow the discussion to go where it really needs to?
I get where you’re coming from mama because I agree ‘gay’ is not an insult and shouldn’t be and many use it as such, but that’s a different article/thesis/book/documentary. The fact is lil wayne is not gay so to question his sexuality, which is public, because of a pair of pants doesn’t make sense.
When I first started reading the article I assumed that you, like everyone else was about to go IN on Wayne. Then as I kept reading, you brought up some interesting/valid points about Wayne’s career, esp relating to fashion. Thank you for taking a step back and looking at Wayne’s outfit from a “fashion” perspective. Kudos! Great post
I like Weezy’s pants. This is no different than Little Richard, Prince, etc. What I find funny is on-the-street black male culture is very rigid about standards of straight male dress, but there have always been black male artists pushing gender boundaries in their style. I have issues with his anti black woman colorism, but the pants, even the blue boxer briefs, are fire!
I’m glad he is pushing the envelope. Well actually Kanye. Andre 5000 doesn’t count. If it were not for Kanye…..rappers would still be dressing like NWA… or the Game.
It really separates him from the other rappers.
A few weeks ago I was on the bus where two guys were talking the whole bus ride. When one of them got up to get off of the bus, the other guy told him he needed to pull his pants down. I guess for that other guy, he thought his friends pants were too high on his waist when in reality they were already sagging.
“When will black men have the freedom to dress without their masculinity being under attack?” <— As soon as Black men stop thinking their masculinity comes down to how baggy their clothes are, is what I think.
I agree with CaliDreaming86.
This particular double standard is kind of self inflicted. A lot of Black guys themselves are the worst about judging each other and questioning each others masculinity over dumb things….especially within the hip hop community. So other people just follow suit and it comes back to bite them in the butt. Isn’t Lil Wayne the one that even started the “No Homo” nonsense?
I’ve heard/seen way more anti-Gaga comments since the VMAs than comments against Wayne’s get-up. Regardless, Wayne is catching a lot of negativity right now due to an out-of-line verse he spit at Jay Z on his latest album. People are also down-grading his latest release, Carter IV, partially due to this, and due to the fact that he is just wack. Wayne is garbage, in my opinion, lyrically, and he’s extremely over-rated (did you really mention “How To Love?”); not too different from how this article is extremely reaching.
Many people will say any man wearing jeggings is “gay.” It’s not about their shade of skin. It’s not about their celebrity. It doesn’t even mean they necessarily really think the wearer is gay. But it looks pretty feminine. Tell me it doesn’t when it does. Okay. That’s your opinion. And others will have theirs. Get over it. No one cares that much, it’s just something of which to make fun. And I guarantee you that gay men are even saying he looks a bit sweet in his leopard print tights. LEOPARD PRINT TIGHTS. Are you serious with this article? You wonder why people are on this like they are? It’s partially people merely having fun/partially people hating/partially people concerned about Down Low Brothers. It’s really that simple.
Gaga admitted that she is bisexual… Lil Wayne wants us to think of him as “macho” while he “sings” and wears “jeggings.” We are not buying it and real talk I think were just hoping that this trend doesn’t continue…
cmon yall, stop being so fkin politically correct, real regular men wouldnt be caught dead wearin these fkin skinny ass jeans, the shit looks fkin ridiculous and fkin ugly as hell. so stop frontin, the sht is a trendin topic on twitter cause IT LOOKS RIDICULOUS!!! point blank end of story. Be for fkin real and listen to some real hip hop music anyway , not this fkin watered down radio bullsht. The Best Rapper Alive????? hahahah thats a fkin joke and a half. Yall condoning a syrup drinkin, gang affiliated blood member who talks sht about dark skinned females, real good choice yall.You people are fkin robots who think everything should just be accepted, and if u dont then your a hater?!? fk that sht, the sht is corny and lame the way yall fkin people just fall for anything thats “hott”, so go ahead and keep supporting this lil black devil troll & his music.
HAHAHA my points exactly…thanks!
Whats next? Sayin that dude Derek J from Hair battle Spectacular ISNT gay even tho he wears HEELS?! Im done…
If you choose to wear jeggins as a man, you choose to take on the stigma with it. Thanks!
YES!!! I wish someone would tell this to that gremlin’s face! We ALL know if you were to see a normal non-famous dude dresses like that you would let him have it. Hell everyone would, so why is he the exception!?
I thought he was DL way before the jeggings. That kiss sealed it for me. Mob greeting my sweet behind, he ain’t in the Mob!
Honestly, color aside, the pants were a little ridiculous. I can’t even say I necessarily tip my hat at him for being fashion forward. They were too tight. Point blank. A fitted Jean looks nice but this was an extra skinny fit that doesn’t really fit his image. It’s not about questioning his sexuality, it’s more about the fact that he deserves to be on the worst dressed list. If he had a stylist, he or she needs to be fired. That outfit should never have happened. I feel like he’s grasping at straws especially with that “guitar” playing he’s doing. It’s almost a mockery of the craft. No shots…. I think it would be good for his career to get back to the basics & lose the skating, “Singing,” guitar, and leggings.
Well I was a bit annoyed when that guy (Kevin Heart?) said “You’re black. Why are you skateboarding”. Plenty of black people skate.
sagging is gay–that’s the truth.
lil’ wayne looks ridiculous but it suits him. men with responsibilities and pride don’t look to lil wayne a paragon of fashion and true masculinity.
Men should be able to dress freely without their masculinity being attacked. I agree with this. However, Lil wayne should not be the example.
Why should he, out of all celebrities, be able to dress freely without his masculinity being attacked when he promotes racism and homophobic within his black community with his ignorant lyrics?
He is the artist that helped popularize the phase “No homo” a few years back. He is the artist who said beautiful black woman look better red” he is the artist that rapped in one of his songs “You homo niggas getting AIDS in the ass”
He is not an example or even article-worthy for the topic. Hes the disgrace.
Where are the black idols and mentors with morals and values who know if you look respectable,you garnish respect.Do the black stars,actors,ball players etc…who do drugs,do outlandish gangsta crimes,dress ridiculously,get arrested,beat their woman etc….do they work for the white man trying to destroy the black community???
When will all americans get tired of this sort of entertainment.If we werent swine,we wouldnt be fed this kind of food all the time,because our entertainers careers would simply fade away.
Its people like lil wayne,lady gaga and the whole entertainment industry,and fake right wing and left wing news that made me cancel my cable because maybe I am finally getting it right in my life,I seriously doubt lady gaga or lil wayne,are on the narrow path in life,dressed in meat gowns,singing in autotune in their underwaer on the narrow path.
Way to demorilize poor young and up and coming minds-
Gay is as Gay does! But don’t diss the gay community when your community can’t find the difference between you and homosexuals. Lil kim wasn’t wearing business suits when she dropped Hardcore…and I don’t dress like a stripper if I don’t want to be recognized or approached as 1. Obviously Wayne is comfortable with the type of Gay attention he gets from showing his underwear and wearing Jeggings. Are women dating men these days that cross-dress? Jeggings are clearly made for women and/or Men that have a certain feminine quailty in fashion…95% of the time there gay (bottoms). Masculine men are very fashionable…high maintaince and considered metrosexual! You know when a persons sexuality is rightfully questionable…Jeggings? After the contoversy of regularly kissing a grown man in the mouth??? Just come out the closet already. There’s plenty of masuline homosexuals…we call them HOMO THUGS! Why is the world surprised. “Its a secret society, all they ask is trust” jay-Z
When will black men have the freedom to dress without their masculinity being under attack?
THIS IS BULLSHIT AND PROPAGANDA! STOP LETTING GAY WHITE MEN DRESS YOU AND GO BACK TO DRESSING YOURSELVES WITH BLACK MALE FASHIONS AND YOU WILL GO BACK TO NEVER HAVING THAT QUESTIONED!
THE REAL QUESTION IS ….. WHEN WILL BLACK SO-CALLED MEDIA STOP THINKING AND WRITING IN THE BEST INTEREST OF WHITE AMERICA AND YOUR CORPORATE BOSSES THAT PAY YOUR SALARIES AND FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY! THIS ARTICLE MS JESSICA IS BULL AND YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED TO PUT YOUR NAME ON IT.
BLACK FACE …WHITE HEART! NOTHING SPECIAL … NOT OT US ANYWAY! ARE YOU SERIOUS! GIRLY PANTS! What did they DO to dude in PRISON?! WHAT ARE THEY DOING TO ALL THESE DUDES IN PRISION? I guess THEY have ANOTHER posters BOY for taking ALL the MASCULINITY, POWER and GODLY AGGRESSION out of HIP HOP and BLACK MALES!
WHAT RESPECTING BLACK GOD WOULD WEAR THE SAME PANTS AS MICK JAGGER with RUPAUL SNEAKERS no less! And WE all KNOW …..MICK JAGGER and RUPAUL!THERE WAS A TIME WHEN ALL THE STYLIST WERE BLACK and BLACK MADE FASHIONS. Not with this NEW crew … for the past 10 years there are been a QUITE change in HIP HOP … the ONLY peeps around these dude BLACK … his THEM AND THEIR CREWS! I know…been in and out the game 25 year plus! If HIP HOP had stayed the course from the BEGINNING every BLACK PERSON IN USA and the WORLD would be RICH like the ARABS are with OIL! Becasue it makes the SAME kind of money! But they took MIDDLE CLASS blacks OUT THE GAME and put in the HOOD in charge and there you have it. LIL WAYNE … IN GIRLY PANTS and CLOWN SHOES as a IMAGE to FATHER LESS males and little girls. WE SHOULD BE ASHAMED …. I KNOW I AM.Looking like a BILLBOARD for EUROPEAN designers … LOUIE VUITTON BELT and POLO RALPH LAUREN UNDERWEAR clearly and purposely displayed. BRANDED our ancestors was by their SLAVE MASTERS… HE TOO …BRANDED because he is NOTHING more than a CORPORATE slave put forth to ENSLAVE and MAINTAIN our MENTAL, SOCIAL and ECONOMIC SLAVERY for THEM. Yeah… its THAT deep! THIRD EYE OPEN!
Black ladies PLEASE. Why are some of you still defending this little wayward monster lil wayne? He has demonstrated on more than one occassion that he had no love for real black females, especially the dark skinned ones (bet that B look better red). When that little girl watoto from the nile wrote her song asking lil wayne to stop disrespecting black women he straight up ignored her. Lil wayne is a joke and menace to society, as are the black males and females who ride with him let the mainstream community laugh it up at him in peace. Hard to believe after all the slandering lil wayne and his type have done against black women there are still some black ladies ready to pull out the knives and start doing battle in his honor in online mags designed for progressive thinking black females.
“When will black men have the freedom to dress without their masculinity being under attack?”
when they stop dressing like ol’ boy in the picture.
Sigh. Let people wear what they want to wear. I’m not a Wayne fan. I’ve never been a Wayne fan. I don’t think that I will ever be a Wayne fan. The way a person dresses is not going to define his or her sexual orientation. Some gay men wear leggings. Guess what? Some don’t. It’s that simple.
We need to stop ascribing so much value to clothing. I don’t care that the man wore jeggings. I do care that the jeggings are ugly and his underwear is showing.
When Andre 3000 put on a Hula skirt and Jersey we didn’t question it. So this idea that Wayne is being unfairly critiqued is a long shot. He seems to be over compensating for something what with is child litter, rampant coupling, and expenditures. I personally think Diddy is Bi and it has nothing to do with his wardrobe.
I’m more concerned with his draws always showing…when will some men realize that’s not attractive at all! At least to most women.