Mykki Blanco

An interesting mix of RuPaul, Marina Abramovic, Marilyn Manson, Kate Moss, and André Breton, Mykki Blanco isn't so much an everyday person but an event, art happening, hip-hop artist, and "womanly side" of Michael David Quattlebaum Jr. Quattlebaum grew up bouncing between San Mateo, California, and Raleigh, North Carolina, but ran away to New York City at the age of 16, where he discovered and embraced the transgendered lifestyle. He didn't stay there long, and soon headed back to California, but college drew him toward the Art Institute of Chicago. Moving back to N.Y.C. after dropping out of school, he began to write, publishing his book of poems From the Silence of Duchamp to the Noise of Boys in 2011. Besides Duchamp, Anaïs Nin and Jean Cocteau were influences, but so were Lauryn Hill and disco superstar Sylvester, meaning Quattlebaum would never be happy as just an "underground artist." Looking to bring some art to the mainstream, he began to perform crushing industrial rock under the name No Fear and glamorous, ghetto-fabulous riot grrrl rap under the name Mykki Blanco. In 2012, Mykki made her grand entrance with the Mykki Blanco and the Mutant Angels EP, featuring cuts like "Join My Militia (Nas Gave Me a Perm)" and "Gay Dog." Dubbed "Hip-Hop's New Queen" by Elle magazine's blog, Blanco joined Death Grips on tour, opening for the avant hip-hop group on its late-2012 tour of America. The mixtape Cosmic Angel: The Illuminati Prince/ss arrived by the end of the year, while the EP Betty Rubble: The Initiation followed in 2013.