OutHipHop.com interview with BARTON STINK

Heidi Barton Stink is a transgender out hip hop artist based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota who has been performing at queer community events. She recently released an EP. Here is our interview with her. 

Alright so I guess the first question is, your name - Tell us what “Barton Stink" means.

It's a play on the title of a Coen brothers (Who are from the twin cities) movie called Barton Fink. Originally I was just going to use Barton Stink as the title of a concept album using the themes of the movie (writers block and the creative process). Once I started writing though, the songs ended up having more to do with Queer and Trans issues. The "Stink" part of the name came partially from doing a lot of shows with punk bands who were more ready to hear this stuff rapped about then local rappers. Also, I was always the fat stinky kid on "time out" as a kid, it's kind a reference to me being an outcast. I've gotten shit from other M.C.s saying like, "why would you want stink in your name? that's going to turn people off!" but people are smart, they get it. I'm a dirty stinky Queer

Please introduce yourself to the world of out hip hop that might not know of you.

I'm Heidi Barton Stink, I'm trying to fuse positive HipHop with the topics of social justice, Queer and Trans rights and I'm making it sound real nice while I’m at it. I'm trying to give a voice to my friends and my community and hopefully teach some people some shit.

Now you are a trans artist and I believe you are transitioning from female to male, is that correct?

Nope, I get this mistake a lot, I'm male to female I identify as a butch tranny dyke (But I do like some boys) I've been on hormones a couple months now and I prefer female pronouns (she and her).

Has being trans affected your work as an artist, and if so, how?

It's basically given me stuff that I actually care about to make the subject of my music, something to inform people of. Any life changes are going to provide some good material for an artist.

Do you intend to retain Heidi in front of the Barton Stink or will you drop that at some point?

I actually threw my preferred name (Heidi) in front because I got sick of being called Barton by people I didn't know. I thought about changing it to just "Heidi Stink" but I didn't want to cause any confusion.

Have you always been in Minneapolis area? Has being in that area influenced you musically?

Yeah, I was born and raised in south Minneapolis. Minnesota has about six months of hardcore-stay-in-your-house-get-cabin-fever-WINTER, this provides a lot of time to do nothing but write and rap. Also there are a bunch of indie-rap heavyweights that have are based out of or have been based out of Minneapolis/St. Paul: Atmosphere, Brother Ali, P.O.S., Doomtree, Eyedea, Heiruspecs, Micronots. Growing up here the local M.C.s where the ones who everyone I knew looked up to. I think there's some of that "Minneapolis sound" to my music because of that.

How many CDs have you put out? Including any EPs, mixtapes, etc. Fill us in on your discography to date.

I was in a "Straight HipHop" group before I came out as trans or went by Barton Stink, It was called ManyMissions we put out a few demo style discs around town. Then 2008 we put out any album called the Cooperative Collection... its on Itunes if anybody wants to check it out.

The Familiar Pattern EP is my first solo effort; people can download it free @ http://bartonstink.bandcamp.com/

Why hip hop? What made you decide to be a hip hop performer?

HipHop is great because it has a strong emphasis on lyrics which offers the ability to say directly what you are trying to convey in a catchy way.  If you can get people to bob their heads to something, they'll listen to what you have to say. HipHop spoke to me growing up, and I started rapping long before I was ready to come out as trans, and now I have something I want to be heard.

Have you ever heard of other out rappers/hip hop performers? If so, who and when.

I really like Tori Fixx, I read an article about him in the city pages a few years ago, and I was like "holy shit, there are people rapping about this stuff!" Shortly after some of my lesbians introduced me to Scream Club's music, which I thought was just okay till I saw them live; they put on an ill show! Another one of my favorites is Soce (he made the beat for my song "Direct Action") he puts humor into his music in a way that I wish I could pull off, but that's a completely different skill.

Tell us about your recent EP and what the songs that make it up represent to you.

1. Love who: This is about breaking free of the shame I felt growing up as a gender variant person.

2. Pick your poison: a song about addiction that I wrote without trying to be preachy. my dude dismal dynasty wrote the hook and beat it's a revamped ManyMissions song.

3. Direct Action: This song is kind of a hint of the direction I'm headed in, more political.

Mainstream gay organizations cater mainly to white wealthy gays and lesbians, while many of us lack basic human rights like food, shelter, health care and the right to not be the victim of violence (often at the hands of the state via the police and the prison industrial complex)

4. Photographic blurs: Daily struggle stuff, with a little gender stuff in there.

5. The life of the mind: is basically just a nod to the movie from which I got my name

6. Getting ups: Get up and take responsibility for what is your shit to deal with. Also the hook is kind a "fuck you" to homophobic straight rappers.

7. Never got it right: Samuel Beckett said "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. “that’s what this song is about.

If someone could only get to know you by listening to one song of yours, which would you recommend?

Either "Love Who" or "Direct Action"

I made a video for "Love Who"

"Love Who" by Heidi Barton Stink from Dan Huiting on Vimeo.

Where have you performed? Are there any tours planned?

I've done a bunch of shows, at least one a month (usually more) over the last couple years in and around Minneapolis. I've also done some shows in Fargo North Dakota and I opened for Scream Club at Camp Trans this past summer in Michigan. I'm currently trying to set up a tour but I don't have any dates I want announce yet.

If you could collaborate with any artist, living or dead, gay or straight, who would it be?

P.O.S., Tori Fixx, Aesop Rock, Scream Club, Maybe Nas if he wasn't a Homophobe. There's an ill straight rapper who I’ve done some shows with named Guante who put together some HipHop against Homophobia shows. I would like to do a track with sometime.

What's next for Barton Stink?

Put together a tour, a full length, then another tour. I'm also going to be in a Documentary about Trans people called GenderF*Kation!

Any shout outs?

Weekly, Skullbuster, Soce The Elemental Wizard, Chaz Kangas, TcAvengers, BB! Twin Cities, The Revolting Queers, Nancy Drew Crew, Dismal Dynasty, DJ Jake Encinas and DJ Shannon Blowtorch.

Comments

[MAKER]

AWW LOVE IT !

[soce]

Whoa, did not realize you are a fan of Chaz Kangas!! He's great! Thanks for the shouts!