A Review of “Proud Boi”: Celebrating Black Trans Joy

In February of this year, I had the pleasure of interviewing Black trans rapper Cuee. We discussed his career, future hopes, and musical and transitional journeys, but one aspect of our interview particularly inspired me: his emphasis on joy. Despite the darkness the transgender community faces, Cuee stated, “I want people to hear my story…and be like, ‘Okay, there’s the joy.’” His music has certainly achieved this goal — joy is present throughout his discography, and he has once again musically embodied trans happiness in his latest single, “Proud Boi.” 

Queer Next Up: Cuee

Cuee (he/him) is a 29-year-old Black trans recording artist from Chicago, IL, known best for his interactive and hype live performances. Cuee’s music style blends the lyrical confidence of Missy Elliot and Chance the Rapper with the undeniable swagger and finesse of LL Cool J. His debut single, “Shook,” was released in 2018 and has accumulated over 420,000 streams on Spotify.

Palomino Festival Displays Country Music’s Progress Toward Diversity

As a queer Indian-American, the country genre has always seemed antithetical to my existence, a mix of hypermasculinity and overwhelming whiteness. Observing country artists like Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan, I perceived country as music for the white man and…