(AllHipHop News) Rap veteran Da Brat wondered why she had waited over two decades to “come out” after she was flooded with warm wishes following her first public acknowledgment of her sexuality.
The rap star, real name Shawntae Harris, had long faced speculation about her sexual preferences.
But she only officially revealed she was a lesbian back in March, when she shared a gushing social media post about her girlfriend, businesswoman Jesseca Dupart, after receiving a Bentley for a surprise early 46th birthday gift.
Da Brat has now opened up further about her decision to share something so personal with the world, admitting she only felt comfortable enough to go public after finding the right partner in the Kaleidoscope Hair Products founder.
“I’ve always felt like being private is the better way to go, because then you don’t have so many people in your business,” she explains in Variety’s Power of Pride series.
“I was fine staying quiet, but my partner is a social media mogul – that’s how she became who she is. And when you get with somebody, you have to meet in the middle. So to me, the middle was just letting everybody know: ‘Hey, she’s the one.'”
The musician didn’t even tell her manager about her Instagram “coming out” because it all happened so naturally: “It feels good to share with the world when you’re happy,” she says. “I was like, ‘Oh s##t, I just came out after 20-something years!'”
The 46-year-old was flooded with positive messages from fans and friends alike after the big reveal, and it made her question her decision to hide her sexuality for so long.
“The reaction made me feel like, ‘Why didn’t I do this s##t years ago?'” she adds. “There were some people saying, ‘We knew it.’ Well, good for you! Now I know it, and I’m able to say it. I did this on my own terms.”
Da Brat also insists it was always her choice to keep her private life ambiguous because it’s hard enough to find fame as a female rapper in such a male-dominated industry, but now she hopes to inspire others grappling with sexuality struggles by sharing her truth.
“To me, Pride is loving myself and not making excuses for anything: Live in your truth,” she adds.
“If I can inspire someone or help somebody to deal with their issues and their sexuality, then I’m here for it.”
