Photo by Are Næsset

BearWatch: Big Daddy Karsten Is Here

23rd March 2020 Kyle Jackson

For this week’s BearWatch, we will be shining the spotlight on the big, bold, and outspoken gay Norwegian rapper, Big Daddy Karsten.

Growing up in Norway, Karsten always knew he wanted to do something music related. His mother was an opera singer, and instilled a love of music in him from a very early age. Then, at the age of 12 or 13, he discovered rap music and was immediately drawn to it. He began writing raps, and his rap persona began to evolve.

His first official rap release was in 2012, with his rap group Folkefiender. During this time, he had not yet come out.

“What I did then and what I do now are two very different things. I was still very much in the closet — battle rapping and making gangster rap. Now, I rap about dicks and being a hoe in fetish bars,” he says, with a cheeky laugh.

In the very hyper-masculine, male-domnated world of hip-hop, it comes as no surprise that many gay hip-hop artists have spoken openly about some of the criticism, homophobia and backlash they have recieved from other artists and fans of hip-hop who question their masculinity and ability to deliver credible content.

Karsten didn’t let that stop him from living his truth. After his decision to come out of the closet, he began to receive much more attention than he was expecting at the time.

“I was the first rapper to come out in Norway, and I came out with a bang! Nobody had expected me to be first. I went from being a known figure in the hip-hop community, to suddenly getting attention from mainstream media. It took me by surprise in a way. Everyone wanted me to tell my story — Norway’s most viewed TV show did a story on me, the biggest radio stations, newspapers and so on, “ he says.

Karsten’s coming out was sensationalized in Norway’s local media outlets, but he soon began to realize that his music was fading to the background because of the general public’s biases.

When I first started releasing songs with queer content, I was all of a sudden ‘too vulgar’ in the mainstream’s eyes. I was quite taken aback by this because I was rapping about the same things as a lot of the straight artists — except, instead of tits and pussy, I was rapping about dicks and asses. I didn’t understand how I was considered ‘more vulgar’ than the others. I was very quickly put in a box as the ‘gay rapper’. In some ways, it’s been a blessing, having the opportunity to tour the country doing pride gigs. But, in other ways, it’s been a curse because I was not given the push I needed to break into the mainstream.
Big Daddy Karsten

Unfortunately, in order to enjoy mainstream success, it seems many queer hip-hop artists are faced with that difficult and unfair choice: either stay in the closet and enjoy mainstream success, or come out the closet and never quite break out into the mainstream.

It appears that only recently, with the coming out of such mainstream artists as Lil’ Nas X and Frank Ocean, such attitudes may be changing, and a shift in how people perceive queer artists is near. Nevertheless, things still remain far from equal for most queer artists.

“I still get invited to speak in the mainstream media when they want someone to talk about PrEP or other queer-related stuff, but there’s really not much interest from them when it comes to my music any more”, says Karsten.

For Karsten, however, staying true to his identity through his music has remained his top priority. “Not coming out until I was 28, I knew I had to be true to me, for me. So, I said ‘fuck ’em’, and kept doing shows in my harness and rapping about whatever I wanted to. As much as I desire mainstream popularity, it’s much more important to represent for my queer people out there.”

Scrolling through social media or turning on the television, however, it would be hard to not recognize that the tides seem to be turning for many underrepresented groups. Queer people, women, and people of color are all starting to be represented in mainstream media far more today than we were in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Non-stereotypical and multi-dimensional queer and POC characters are popping up all over television and streaming services, while queer rappers and singers are speaking their truth through their music in ways that are bold and refreshing.

When asked about some of his musical influences, Karsten named multiple queer artists who are definitely changing the game.

“Oh, where do I start?” he asks enthusiastically. “While I love UK Grime, I also love the music of drag artists — I’m a big Monique Heart fan. Artists like Big Dipper and Cakes Da Killa also inspire me a lot. They’re great examples of how to be skilled artists with a clear gay presence, not giving a fuck about what the norm might think!”

It is clear, from viewing any YouTube videos of Karsten’s rap battles and freestyles, that his name could easily be added to the list of talented, skilled, and inspiring queer artists. Karsten definitely spits fire, and any real hip-hop fan will definitely notice the skill he exhibits when he hits the booth. Make no mistake about it, Big Daddy Karsten is a true force.

After years of releasing music in his native Norwegian tongue, Karsten recently made the transition to releasing songs in English with the release of the remix to his friend and fellow artist Ferdinand’s song “Best Friend”.

Big Daddy Karsten & Ferdinand. Photo by Are Næsset

“Originally, the song is about making the ‘mistake’ of hooking up with your friends. But, like I told Ferdinand, that’s not always a mistake to me”, he says with a laugh. “It happens from time to time. So, I took my perspective of it to the remix.”

With the remix to “Best Friend”, Karsten is definitely about to make a huge splash onto the English-speaking hip-hop scene. For now, he’s just waiting to be released from quarantine, like many others, so he can get back to work.

“Due to COVID-19 spreading like wildfire, and Norway being on lockdown, all my gigs throughout the summer have been canceled. I’m currently in quarantine, but when I’m done with that, I’ll do some Livestream shows. So, follow me on Instagram and Facebook, and you will be able to get a taste of what I can do as a freebie”, he says.

We will definitely be keeping an eye on Big Daddy Karsten!

Stream “Best Friend” (featuring Big Daddy Karsten) [remix] on Spotify, Apple Music and iTunes!