Texas born/LA based rapper Kevin Abstract blew people away with his 2014 debut album mtv1987, an experimental rumination on his relationship with a drug addict. Released when he was just 18 years old, the album drew upon inspirations ranging from Kanye West and Kid Cudi to Frank Ocean and Tyler, the Creator, and introduced the world not just to Kevin but to his “boy band” collective Brockhampton.

Abstract’s sophomore album, American Boyfriend, is set to come out by the end of this year, and yesterday he released his second single and video for the album: “Empty”, produced by Black Monday, Romil, and Michael Uzowuru (who also co-directed the video). His first single, “Echo“, was an atmospheric track about leaving home (based on Abstract’s own experiences leaving home to pursue his music career). The Tyler Mitchell-directed video introduced the motorcycle-wearing protagonist of American Boyfriend, which Abstract describes as a “suburban love story”.

“Empty” is a much brighter track, and the video’s aesthetic reflects this: the bright colours pop, offering a sense of surrealism to the typical suburban neighbourhood where it takes place. The video also does something uncommon in rap culture: it portrays a homosexual relationship, between Abstract and a football star.

Homophobia and heteronormativity have always been an unfortunate constant in rap culture.Relationships in rap are nearly entirely heterosexual, and homophobia still runs rampant: even recently, Meek Mill couldn’t make a diss track at Game without calling him a “faggot”. Take a look at any rap message board or comment section for further evidence that homophobia is an indelible aspect of the culture.

Recently, this fight against heteronormativity has found its heroes in gay artists like Mykki Blanco and Le1f, but they’re often marginalized into the underground: gay rights activists never seem to rise to the mainstream. The one non-heterosexual artist to get truly famous that comes to mind is Frank Ocean, whose latest album Blond(e) has managed to dominate the charts while depicting Ocean’s relationships with men. Ocean came out in 2012 with a Tumblr post describing his relationship with another man when he was 19. It was particularly of impressive Ocean to come out just at the height of his fame, not only fighting against the homophobia of the industry but the allegations that the hip hop collective Odd Future, of which Ocean was a member, was very homophobic and advocated violence against LGBTQ people.

Kevin Abstract is on a similar plane as Ocean. Both have refused to ascribe to a specific sexuality, citing a fluidity that defies simple classifications like “gay” or “bisexual”. Both have had relationships with members of both sexes, and both have detailed these in their music. Abstract’s first album was about a specific relationship, which just happened to be heterosexual, but American Boyfriend seems to look more at other aspects of his sexuality.

Abstract’s fought convention for a long time, from his music to his style to his startlingly honest posts on twitter. American Boyfriend is proving to not only be a sonically interesting album (although it is, the production on both “Empty” and “Echo” is spectacular), but the content will also depict the important but underlooked realities of growing up in both a society and a musical culture that treats homosexuality as an insult.