Who doesn’t stan a queen who does things on their own terms? And that’s exactly what Da Brat did earlier this year when she broke the internet by announcing she was in a relationship with Kaleidoscope Hair Products CEO, Jesseca Dupart.
The Growing Up Hip-Hop Atlanta star told Variety that she “always felt like being private is the better way to go,” but compromised on sharing her love publicly since her girlfriend openly shares her life on social media.
“My partner is a social media mogul, and when you get with somebody, you have to meet in the middle,” she added. “I was like, ‘Oh shit, I just came out after 20-something years!'”
Though many fans were not in the least bit shocked — due to speculation for many years — that didn’t stop everyone from expressing love and support to the rapper for such a momentous occasion.
“The reaction made me feel like, ‘Why didn’t I do this shit years ago?'” she said, adding that people had known all along. “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.”
All it took was for Da Brat to find that special someone who made her feel open and complete.
“We just complement each other,” she said of Dupart. “Some of my exes wouldn’t be able to take how social media drags people — the hate and the trolls. But this one that I got now? She’s built for it. She teaches me.”
Brat, whose birth name is Shawntae Harris, added: “So I’m learning, and when you have a partner that you can learn from, grow with, who inspires you? I love that.”
And for the naysayers who might complain that this should’ve happened a long time ago, the So So Def artist said that coming up as one of few female rappers in the 90s, it was taboo to explore that part of her sexuality.
“It’s still tough for female MCs, producers and writers if you don’t have the support of a major male artist backing you — or if you’re not super-duper sexy and have some big titties and a nice ass and can twerk,” Brat said. “You can’t go in there looking [tough] like I did [back in the day] and be like: ‘I’m a rapper.’ They’re going to say, ‘Let’s get you out of those tomboy clothes and dress you up in a teddy.'”
“But that changes who you are — and then your rhymes start changing because you look different,” she continued. “Then you’re not so relatable because you’re not being yourself anymore. Now you’re somebody else. Who are you?”
Da Brat said she hopes to inspire anyone coming to terms with their sexuality or finding their gender expression: “To me, Pride is loving myself and not making excuses for anything: Live in your truth.”
“If I can inspire someone or help somebody to deal with their issues and their sexuality,” she said, “then I’m here for it.”