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WATCH: "My Brother" Beautiful New Music Video by Nhojj

If there is one music video that you watch today, make sure it is the new video "My Brother" created by Nhojj.

"My Brother" is a deliciously upbeat and uplifting track from the talented and openly gay independent neo-soul artist. In the music video, Nhojj is joined by fellow artists Baron, ButtaFlySoul, Sam Martinborough and Sean360x to illustrate friendship, love and support among Black gay men. The video is healing, uplifting and totally danceable.

Nhojj was born in Guyana. The singer and songwriter made industry history when he topped the MTV Top 100 in 2010 with his music video for "Love", which was the theme song to OUT 100 honoree Kirk Shannon Butts' critically-acclaimed black gay love story "Blueprint".

Watch the new video AFTER THE JUMP ...

VIDEO: Openly Gay R&B Artist Nhojj Live at "ALT Q Music Festival"

Catching up with the latest from Nhojj, the talented and openly gay, Guyana-born independent soul/RnB artist who made industry history when he topped the MTV Top 100 in 2010 ...

Nhojj performed a beautiful acoustic set last weekend at the 2012 ALT Q Music Festival in Chicago. Watch a clip of Nhojj performing his track "Music"—listen at iTunes—AFTER THE JUMP ...

Nhojj and his "Music" is also the subject of an inspiring new short documentary. Nhojj: MUSIC and the Word goes behind-the-scenes at Nhojj's critically-acclaimed, January 2012 concert at the Brooklyn Museum. The concert was part of the museum's "Out & Proud" series. Nhojj: MUSIC and the Word  takes on Nhojj's music, sexuality and message to create an inspiring fusion of music, biography and activism. Watch the performance and the short AFTER THE JUMP ...

"It is important to document our lives and stories as LGBTQ people," the artist tells Rod 2.0. "[The film] offers a platform on which the younger generation can stand. It also provides affirmation for our brothers and sisters living in this moment of time.  This is my motivation for the documentary and for the music I write and perform."

LISTEN: New Music "Adam & Steve" by Openly Gay R&B Artist Nhojj

Catching up with Nhojj, the openly gay, Guyana-born independent soul/RnB artist who made industry history when he topped the MTV Top 100 in 2010 ...

Nhojj has created an uplifting new ballad "Adam & Steve" (iTunes). Listen AFTER THE JUMP ...

The title and mesage are a none-too-subtle riff of the homophobic warnings against "Adam & Steve", says the artist.

[Nhojj] bravely sheds light on spirituality and homosexuality in a culture where many see the two as contradictory. The God in "Adam & Steve" is nonjudgmental [and] simply asks that his children love one another. God's love is offered, not just to Adam and Eve, but to "Adam and Steve" also.

Nhojj became the first black male to win an OMA at the OUTMusic Awards. That was for the soulful, haunting ballad "Love", the theme song to OUT 100 honoree Kirk Shannon Butts' critically-acclaimed black gay love story "Blueprint".

Listen AFTER THE JUMP ...

NEWS: Don Lemon, Louis Smith, Kye Allums, Blueprint, JLS, Tanzania

Judge: Eddie Long trial "maybe" in the fall?

AUDIO: Signorile's in-depth interview with Don Lemon.

SF voters to decide on circumcision ban.

Kirk Shannon Butts' critically-acclaimed love story "Blueprint" will be screened at the 2011 Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. Watch HERE.

Tanzania bans five films with "gay themes" and "indecent dresses".

Jury awards openly gay LAPD Sgt. Ronald Crump $1.6 million in discrimination case.

JLS: We want to represent Britain at Eurovision!

London 2012 Olympics torch will come to Peterborough—the hometown of  bronze medalist and pommel horse hotness Louis Smith. An 80-year-old resident who "carried the torch [in] the 1948 London Olympics" may pass it on to the gymnast.

Pharrell talks tech.

Software manufacturer to remove filters that block LGBT content "in thousands of public schools."

  Connecticut House approves transgender anti-discrimination bill 77-62.

Transgender basketball player Kye Allums will no longer play for the George Washington women's basketball team. "'I alone came to this conclusion,' Allums said in a statement released by the university, 'and I thank the athletic department for respecting my wishes.' ... He told the AP in March that he suffered a total of eight concussions, was having memory problems and was unsure whether he would be cleared medically to play his senior season."

LISTEN: New Music "He & Him" by Openly Gay R&B Artist Nhojj

Catching up with Nhojj, the openly gay, Guyana-born independent artist who made industry history when he topped the MTV Top 100 in 2010. Nhojj has created a beautiful, new love song called "He & Him."

Listen AFTER THE JUMP ...

"I've been working on expressing the beauty of gay love in my music," Nhojj tells Rod 2.0. "About two months ago, the words came to mind. There is a sensuality in sameness and this is essence of the song—chest to chest, skin to skin, he and him."

Nhojj adds, "Its important to hear and enjoy our stories across all media. We have gay films and books but very little music. I'm playing my part in sharing our experiences through music."

Nhojj became the first black male to win an OMA at the OUTMusic Awards. That was for the soulful, haunting ballad "Love", the theme song to OUT 100 honoree Kirk Shannon Butts' critically-acclaimed black gay love story "Blueprint". Listen to the new music and watch the "Love" video AFTER THE JUMP ...

WATCH: Lena Horne on Hollywood Studio Racism to Johnny Carson

Lena Horne made a rare 1982 appearance on The Tonight Show in support of "The Lady and Her Music." It's a fascinating discussion. Lena talks with Johnny Carson about the old Hollywood studio system and the racism she experienced in the 1940s and 1950s.

Horne details her friendship with Ava Gardner—"We both liked to get together and have a few drinks"—who ultimately was chosen to replace her in Showboat  because Southern movie theaters would not carry a film staring Horne. That's in Part One. In Part Two, she discusses being booked to sing at hotels but not allowed to stay in them. "They hurt for many years. But I found the humor and it helped me do this play."

Watch the segment and an amazing rendition of "Stormy Weather" AFTER THE JUMP ...

Openly Gay R&B Artist Nhojj Talks to "The Advocate"

More on Nhojj, the openly gay, Guyana-born independent artist who made OUTMusic Awards history when he became the first black male to win an OMA. The music video for Nhojj's "Love" recently topped the MTV Top 100. In an interesting new interview at Advocate.com, Nhojj discusses his music and the challenges of being an black and openly gay in the recording industry.

On the success of "Love":

"It’s just been amazing, and who knew? I’ve always been out, it’s always been a part of my music, but this is connected to imagery of same-gender loving, connected it to my music, connected it to who I am. What was amazing is, there were some Guyana newspapers online that posted the video, and I was reading the comments. And the comments are from the average, you know, person on the street. And I was expecting comments to be hurtful, homophobic ... but there was none of that there. People were encouraging, supportive, sending their love, saying how proud they were. And I was like, Wow, this is really amazing. And it really did affirm for me that if you take a stand and tell the truth, miracles can happen."

On being recognized by BET's "Soul Sessions":

"That happened just before the MTV thing, actually, and that was ... it was completely shocking. Because, for me, you know, BET kind of represents popular black culture. And in my head, popular black culture is ... they don’t quite accept homosexuality. That’s what I always kind of carried in my head and believed, but to get that message of congratulations from that organization was really ... it really made me reconsider what was in my head and how I look at my black community. It was really good, really affirming, really encouraging."

Nhojj also talks about coming out to his religious family—his father is a minister—and  being a [part of bPastor Joseph W.Tolton's "Gay By God" campaign which bought a full page newspaper advert in response to Donnie McClurkin's hateful "ex-gay" and anti-gay rants. Says Nhojj: "God doesn’t make mistakes."

Read the interview HERE.

Some Background:
WATCH: "Love" by Openly Gay Singer Nhojj Tops MTV 100
Full Page Ad Responds to McClurkin: "Black & Gay is Beautiful"

WATCH: "Love" by Openly Gay Singer Nhojj Tops MTV 100

Topping the MTV Top 100—and that's ahead of Justin Bieber, Ke$ha and the ubiquitous Taylor Swift—is "Love" by Nhojj. If you aren't familiar with the black, openly gay, Guyana-born independent artist, he made OUTMusic Awards history when he became the first black male to win an OMA.  That was for the soulful, haunting ballad "Love", the theme song to OUT 100 honoree Kirk Shannon Butts' critically-acclaimed black gay love story "Blueprint".

Nhojj appears as the angel of love in the video, which, like the film, is about the instant attraction of Keith and Nathan, two black college students, and and the day they spent together. "Blueprint" was critically-received on the LGBT and art film circuit. It's available on VOD and the DVD will be released next week.

You may recall that Nhojj was part of the Gay by God campaign, joining Pastor Joseph W.Tolton other black gay activists with a full page newspaper advert in response to Donnie McClurkin's hateful "ex-gay" and anti-gay rants. Says Nhojj: "God is love, so wherever love exists, God exists. Same gender love is just as right and good as any other – because love is at the core. hat is what I want to share with the world.”

Nhojj and Kirk-Shannon Butts are friends to Rod 2.0. Congratulations to them both for their success and congratulations to Nhojj for his incredible reception by MTV's audience. Watch the video AFTER THE JUMP...

Full Page Ad Responds to McClurkin: "Black & Gay is Beautiful"

Black gay activists take out a full page advertisement in response to Donnie McClurkin's hateful "ex-gay" and 'anti-gay" rants. The advert runs in today's Metro NY. Click for larger version.

Pastor Joseph Tolton of Rehoboth Temple wrote the official response on behalf of New York’s black gay men and counters the "hypocrisy in the pulpit" and "spiritual" violence of McClurkin and homophobic black churches. It reads in part: "For those of us in faith who have always loved the black church, the defining issue of our lives has been the churches damning stance on homosexuality. As children, the condemnation broke our spirit. As adolescents, this ridicule broke our hearts. As young adults, this disdain has attempted to drive us to the brink. Spiritual violence is wrong and it kills the spirit. The black church must find new ways to talk about sex and sexuality."

At the recent Church of God in Christ's Holy Convocation Youth Service, the allegedly "ex-gay" delivered an incendiary rant against gays and gay youth in particular. Said McClurkin: "I see feminine men, feminine boys, everywhere I go. These young girls are just as bad as the boys in homosexuality, you don't see it. They can hide ... but there are some evil young hard butch girls."

Tolton adds this message to McClurkin: "You are not a man who loves men because of being molested as a child. That grave and despicable tragedy broke your spirit and damaged your mind; however, it did not have the capacity to change your DNA."

Pastor Tolton is seen in the center of the photo. From left to right: Actor Cornelius Jones; Activist Sheldon DeSouza; Michael Whittaker; Tolton; HIV activists Gaynel Sheffield and Pat Desrolers; and openly gay R&B singer Nhojj. Bravo to Pastor Tolton and these activists. Donnie McClurkin's experience was the exception and not the rule. This is much more accurate picture of our black LGBT community—diverse and confident.

Thanks ANDRES DUQUE!