Metro Weekly

Saucy Santana: 5 Things To Know

The openly gay rapper is churning out non-stop club-ready tracks, with each one spreading his word to more and more people.

Saucy Santana -- Photo: Blair Caldwell
Saucy Santana — Photo: Blair Caldwell

Rap is not a genre people often associate with the LGBTQ community, but that feeling is changing.

A number of artists are smashing glass ceilings and altering what a successful rapper looks like. One of the most exciting new names in the field is Saucy Santana, who is quickly becoming a celebrity and a favorite among many in the hip-hop space.

The openly gay rapper is churning out non-stop club-ready tracks, with each one spreading his word to more and more people.

He recently doled out new tune “Bop Bop”, which is an appropriate title for such a catchy cut. As you listen to what might become a new gay club mainstay for the next few months, read on to learn more about the man who is helping revolutionize rap.

He’s One Of The Only Openly Gay Men In Rap

While a lot of progress has been made in the past few years regarding the presence and treatment of LGBTQ talents in the rap and hip-hop spaces, there is still a lot of room for improvement. Artists like Lil Nas X and a bevy of others have helped make the genre less homophobic, and Santana is certainly a big part of changing attitudes.

Santana isn’t just openly gay, he’s proud to be flamboyant and in-your-face with his outfits, makeup, and lyrics about loving men. He is a true queen, and it’s all on display for the world to see – and that’s part of what makes him stand out from all other prominent rappers. He hasn’t quite made it into the mainstream just yet, but all signs point to him doing so soon, at which point he will break many barriers.

He Has A Song With Madonna

Back in 2019, Santana released a single called “Material Girl”, which was featured on his Imma Celebrity mixtape. A few years later, he resurrected the tune to breathe new life into it with a remix featuring none other than the original material girl herself – Madonna.

The queen joined Santana on a reworked version of the track, which was renamed “Material Gworllllllll!” The collaboration follows a recent trend Madonna has been adhering to that sees her bringing some of her older work into the present with up-and-coming acts, and it’s a huge co-sign for Santana. Her celebrity surely brought new fans to the rapper, and it must have meant a lot to him as a gay man.

He Started As A Makeup Artist

Santana didn’t start out with intentions of being a rapper. In fact, he kind of fell into the job when a podcast he was recording needed a theme song, so he figured he may as well make one himself. During this time and for years before, he had been busy building a career as a makeup artist, and he was actually doing very well.

For a while, Santana owned a small boutique in Florida where he sold clothes, hair extensions, and did makeup for women, including celebrity friends and clients like two female rappers in popular duo City Girls.

He’s A Reality TV Star As Well

During the time he was doing makeup professionally, Santana also began to see his star rise due to a number of appearances on Love & Hip Hop: Miami. He left his mark thanks to his quick wit and at least one argument with a cast member, which showed he was not one to mess with. Being on the program helped raise his profile, which then made it easier for him to find success in music.

He may not have ever been labeled as an official member of the cast, but so far, he’s made more of his time on screen than most who were.

He Once Survived A Drive-By Shooting

In 2019, as his music career was just beginning, Santana was involved in a drive-by shooting in Miami. While he was hit and injured, he made a quick recovery. Speaking about the incident to a local news station, the rapper said, “I’m lucky, blessed to be alive… I got shot in the top of my shoulder, you was aiming at my face or at my head, that’s an instant kill.”

Since being shot, Santana has stated he believes that homophobia may have played a role in the violent altercation, though not everyone agrees. This was one of the causes of a spat he was involved in on Love & Hip Hop: Miami, as cast member Miami Tip did not believe that was the case.

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