Baby Tate Discusses Her Identity, Community: ‘There’s Only One You’ | On the Record

For our latest installment of On the Record, Baby Tate had a candid conversation about her identity and community. Elsewhere in our interview, the rapper spoke about how she wants fans to be unapologetically themselves — no matter what.

Baby Tate:
Hi. I’m Baby Tate, I am a pansexual beautiful Black woman from Decatur, Ga., and this is my story.

A lot of times growing up, I didn’t feel free to be as expressive as I wanted to be. And so I always was using music as an outlet to express myself. They’re always asking, “Who do you make music for?” I’m like, “I make music with girls and gays.” The boys can come too, but that’s who I make music for because that’s who has embraced me the most.

I definitely grew up surrounded by the LGBTQIA+ community. I went to performing arts high school, and have a lot of friends from high school that, like, they weren’t gay in high school, but now that we’re adults, you know, everybody’s out and open and it’s just so beautiful to see. There was no, like, bullying going on at my school, there were no fights. Like, everyone was just very accepted for the people that we were and I’m very grateful that that’s where I was able to go to school.

I really feel like as a person with a platform, especially in the music industry, I try to make it an effort a lot in my music to represent other girls like myself, that it’s OK for you to make music and be truthful about it.

I believe that my sexuality is very much so ever evolving as I grow and as I learn more about myself. It doesn’t depend on someone’s gender at all. If I find you attractive, I’m gonna still find you attractive, so that’s why I identify as pansexual, now.

Me coming out on Twitter was kind of just the most normal place I could do it. I think if I were to just say it to, like, my mom or say it to one of my friends, I don’t know what the conversation would have been.

Watch the full video above!