Mykki Blanco, the artist persona and stage name of Michael David Quattlebaum Jr., is an internationally renowned musician, performing artist, and LGBTQ+ activist.
While their self-titled debut Mykki album wasn’t released until 2016, they were the creative force behind mixtapes such as Cosmic Angel (2012) and Gay Dog Food (2013); these groundbreaking mixtapes along with Blanoc’s other early releases defined the “queer rap” genre and paved the way for the possibility other non-heteronormative and gender-nonconfirming artists to break through. Blanco has created cult classic hits including ”Kingpinning” and “Haze.Boogie.Life” and “Wavvy” and ”Coke White, Starlight” and ”The Initiation”— and they have set an extremely high bar when it comes to music videos lead single “High School Never Ends” from their debut album was directed by Matt Lambert and won multiple awards on the festival circuit.
Beyond their own music video content, Blanco has made a significant mark in media and pop culture through their performances in other music videos and short film content, such as their starring role in Madonna’s “Dark Ballet” music video, their stunning reading of Zoe Leonard’s “I Want A Dyke For President” poem, their role in the experimental “No Leash” art film collaboration with Cody Critcheloe for Shayne Oliver’s Hood By Air brand, and their multi-character performance in the Wypipo short film (as part of their role as guest editor for Dazed). The multi-faceted star continues to crossover from the underground having toured with the likes of Bjork, Major Lazer, and Death Grips, while working with such diverse musicians as Kanye West, Devendra Banhart, Amnesia Scanner, Charli XCX, Kathleen Hanna, and Woodkid. Mykki Blanco remains a creative polymath whose journey is as exciting to watch as it is to listen to. As of early 2020, Blanco has completed two albums’ worth of new music representing a significant evolution in their craft and a major leveling up with the tier of collaborators involved. The world can expect to experience more new music (and video content) over the course of 2021 than Blanco has ever unleashed on the world previously in a single year.