Black LGBTQ Music History Makers: Cakes Da Killa, Rewriting Who Belongs in Hip Hop
Watch the episode above, then read on for the full story.
Today, we spotlight Cakes Da Killa, the groundbreaking rapper, lyricist, and cultural disruptor who helped carve out space for openly queer voices in hip hop.
Long before the industry was ready, Cakes Da Killa was rapping exactly as himself: sharp, funny, confident, and unmistakably queer.
From New Jersey to the New York scene
Born Rashard Bradshaw in Teaneck, New Jersey, Cakes came up as part of a wave of openly queer rappers in New York around 2012. Instead of waiting for a major label, he built his name independently, one mixtape at a time.
His early mixtapes, Easy Bake Oven, Vol. 1 (2011), The Eulogy (2013), and Hunger Pangs (2014), showed off his rapid-fire flow and his love of club culture.
The albums
His debut album, Hedonism, arrived in 2016. He followed it with Svengali (2022) and Black Sheep (2024), blending hip hop with house music and the sound of Black queer nightlife. Along the way he has worked with Mykki Blanco, Honey Dijon, and Rye Rye, among others.
In front of the camera
In 2014, director Ja'Tovia Gary made a short documentary about him called Cakes Da Killa: No Homo. In 2019, he auditioned on Netflix's Rhythm + Flow in front of Cardi B, Jadakiss, and Fat Joe, bringing an openly queer rapper to one of the biggest hip hop shows on TV.
★ Key Moments
2011: Releases Easy Bake Oven, Vol. 1
2014: Subject of the short film Cakes Da Killa: No Homo
2016: Debut album Hedonism
2019: Appears on Netflix's Rhythm + Flow
2024: Releases Black Sheep
Why Cakes Da Killa matters to us
Cakes Da Killa proved you don't need a major label's permission to be heard. He built a career on talent, wit, and refusing to shrink. And these days he calls Atlanta home, which makes him one of ours.
More History Makers
Big Freedia: the Queen of Bounce
Doechii: making Grammy history
Carl Bean: the voice behind “I Was Born This Way”
Frankie Knuckles: the Godfather of House Music
Sources: Wikipedia
AmpliPhy | LGBTQ Voices, Black and Out Loud.
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