Mykki Blanco Remains One of the Queer World's Most Innovative Musicians
Mykki Blanco is one of those people just born cool. The 36-year-old California native seems to master anything they try — be it poetry (From the Silence of Duchamp to the Noise of Boys), music (the rap and hip-hop pioneer’s 2016 debut, Mykki, was met with critical praise) or bold honesty and courageous activism.
After establishing themself as a talented performance artist and releasing several mixtapes and EPs, Blanco announced on Facebook in 2015 that they were living with HIV, expressing both anxiety and joy in the declaration. “Fuck stigma and hiding in the dark, this is my real life.
I’m healthy I’ve toured the world 3 times but I’ve been living in the dark, it’s time to actually be as punk as I say I am,” Blanco wrote in the post. “No more living a lie.
HAPPY PRIDE.” On the eve of Blanco releasing their sophomore full-length album, Stay Close to the Music, and a fall tour through New York and Europe, the artist discusses their new musical direction, a return to touring, and how their HIV disclosure affected their career.Tell us about your sonic evolution to Stay Close to the Music.I wanted to feel as if I was in time with myself.
