Brother Ali - Tight Rope

Her boy terrified to let the world in
He has girl friends but doesn't want a girlfriend
He retreats inside himself
Where he lives life itself in secret
Daddy says people go to hell for being what he is
And he certainly believes him
'Cause there ain't no flame that can blaze enough
To trump being hated for the way you love
And cry yourself to sleep and hate waking up
It's a cold world, y'all
Shame on us

One needn't look very hard to find homophobia in rap -- ranging from the casually offensive "no homo" phenomenon to the aggressively offensive shit like DMX's Where Da Hood At. Though there are some signs of progress, this type of ignorance is still quite pervasive. So it's noteworthy when a rapper writes a verse showing solidarity with gay folks. Brother Ali deserves praise for his efforts, but the real celebration will have to wait until the day tracks like this are no longer remarkable for their rarity.