Photo Credits: Tarrice Love and Sammy Rawal
Bry’Nt, out hip-hop artist from Hartford, CT, has been performing since 1996 when he and a group of friends started a rap group called Third Degree. Since then he has toured the nation with numerous artist such as Ru Paul, Fantasia, DJ Class and in September 2010 he appeared at “Inferno DR2010” in the Domincan Republic along with the first ladies of hip-hop Kin4Life.
This fall he will released his long-awaiting EP, “Bry’Nt Park,” the follow-up to his first two mix tapes, “Porn Star” (2008) and “Porn Star II: The Director’s Cut” (2009). “You’re going to get a collection of situations I’ve gone through that have led me until this point in my life.” said Bry’Nt. “But don’t expect it to be all sad songs. I’m still going to have the club bangers up there.”
Recently he starred as the Character Omar in Roger Omeus’ “Finding Me: Truth,” the sequel to “Finding Me” a film about a group of friends finding love and their true purpose in life. You can hear him live when he performers at Fire Island Blackout (FIBO) at Cherry Grove, Fire Island, NY on August 13 at the Ice Palace at Grove Hotel. Here’s what the lyrical boy wonder had to share about his artistic style and being an openly gay hip-hop artist.
PRIDEINDEX: According to published reports, you were openly gay since the age of 15 how did you come out to your family?
BRY’NT: I wasn’t openly gay at fifteen. I ACCEPTED the fact that I was gay at that age. I came out, accidentally, at seventeen years old. One day, my mother went into my room without me knowing, to clean up (something she had never done in the past), and found pornographic movies I had left out. She confronted me about it, and at that moment I could no longer keep it a secret.
PI: Briefly tell us about the projects are you currently working on and what’s next?
BR: The only project I am focused on right now is the completion of my debut album “Bry’Nt Park.” I tend to take on many micro-projects here and there, but that is at the top of the list.
PI: How would you describe your musical style?
BR: I make hip-hop/rap music that has the lyrical rawness of the hip-hop/rap of the past, meshed with the music that drives the club scene of today.
PI: What themes do you cover in your music?
BR: On past mix tapes, I have talked about everything between relationships, sex, depression, enemies, being a gay rapper, money, and on and on. On my album, however, I mainly touch upon relationships, infidelity, friendships, and a little bit of what it was like growing up for me.
PI: Name at least 3 artists who have affected your artistic style.
BR: Three artists that have affected my artistic style are Busta Rhymes, Madonna, and Notorious B.I.G.
PI: You’re a handsome young man, I am sure that you have been hit on by many “straight” and gay men and women how do you handle it?
BR: I don’t have a specific method of handling being hit on. A little flirting never bothered me.
PI: What qualities do you look for in a partner?
BR: The main qualities I look for in a partner are; a sense of humor, high level of confidence, and someone who is always sincere with a good heart; everything else kinds of falls into place around those qualities.
PI: What do think about mainstream hip-hop artist who use anti-gay epithets in their music?
BR: It is something I’ve learned to accept. Hip-hop is an unfiltered genre of music where close to everything can be expressed in song. If I don’t like it, I just ignore it.
PI: What advice would you offer LGBT youth in response bullying and homophobia?
BR: There isn’t any concrete sound advice that I could offer LGBT youth in response to bullying. But, I will say, people can sense fear. The more fearless you become in your everyday lives, the less anything or anyone can stifle you. When you are mentally steadfast, you can maneuver out of any negative situation that you may encounter.
PI: Do you think that there will ever be a point when out hip-hop artist will ever be accepted like their mainstream counterparts? If so when.
BR: Yes, eventually, I do think that there will be a point when out hip-hop artists will be accepted like our mainstream counterparts. Many other genres of music have done so already, hip-hop is just a little behind. But, I couldn’t tell you when.
Bry’Nt’s music can be heard at http://brynt.bandcamp.com or http://twitter.com/BryNTMusic
For more info on Roger Omeus’ Finding Me: Truth visit: http://findingmetruthblob.com
2011 Fire Island Black Out (FIBO) visit www.fireislandblackout.com
