GYRE's 'Queernomics' is rife with fun wordplay & raw emotion

It seems as if 2017 has been the year in which many queer artists have found their voices, and audiences, through their art.

There is one queer artist whom people should be taking note of. Gyre put out an album about a month ago called Queernomics that gives you a perspective on being a young, gay, black man in South Africa.

From the outset, Gyre goes in hard on white gays/white gaze, racism, religion, social conditioning and the manyforces acting against a young, gay, black man in this country. He lays down the paths before him and the consequences of his choices.

Gyre then lets out a triumphant self-affirming cry of: "I am human! I am queer! I am sex! I am love! I am black! Respect that!" All before track two starts.

The album quickly changes tempo to the wavey synth-laced Eyes on You, then kicks into the trap-influenced Slay n' Sleep, only to be followed by the more industrial-sounding Inkunzimalanga. Queernomics does a fantastic job of offering a diverse array of beats, flows, bars and topics throughout the 13 tracks.

LISTEN | GYRE's Queernomics album

While Gyre plays the role of braggadocious rapper well, he also openly and poetically displays his wounds. Queernomics is rife with fun wordplay, raw emotion and unbridled self-expression that's rare in most modern rap releases. - bubblegumclub.co.za

• This article was originally published in The Times.