Trans Trenderz Presents 'IT'S A VERY TRANS CHRISTMAS' Holiday EP

It's beginning to look a lot... oh, hell, who are we kidding? Christmas is here! We're fully in the red and green zone. The 11th hour. And if you haven't yet filled those stockings or ordered your gifts yet - you're likely stressing big time. Well, spike the bloody egg nog and siddown cos we have about 20 minutes worth of reprieve for you in the form of an exciting seasonal revue: It's A Very Trans Christmas, indeed!

This EP, brought to you by Trans Trenderz-- the now celebrated indie label dedicated to the musical output of Black Trans artists, features 5 brand new holiday-themed tracks from a Christmas cadre of incredible artists...

First off, NovaGawd and She'is Kutoa give us, "Holiday Baby," spotlighted in PASTE's recent holiday music download, the song is a smooth, spirited Hip Hop/R&B celebratory salvo, while "Milk & Cookies" is trademark Lady Londyn recently defined by her single, "All On Me," with quick breaks and food meets sex innuendo. Evolation and Jae's "New Holiday" has an ethereal, downtempo/trap vibe with sentimental lyrics, WETLAVABOII's "Lonely," is a nudge more uptempo and yearning. Finally, Trans Trenderz founder, Blxck Cxsper's "Sit On My Lap" is flexuous and haunting, inimitably Cxsper, which begs the listener to reach into the box for the spirit. Watch the video for that track here.

On creating It's a Very Trans Christmas, Blxck Cxsper said:

"Originally I thought it would be cool to put together a Christmas tape with a bunch of trans people on it because the holidays are already triggering enough for us when there is no pandemic involved and I felt like the world could use some heartwarming - or ratchet - Christmas music to lift their spirits. And even though this mixtape was completely made by trans people, there isn't a single song on it about being trans. I think that's super important because oftentimes the focus is on our identities but that's not what we focus on as human beings. I'm focusing my work on trans people the same way some labels focus on people from a different city or a different music genre. Because everybody deserves to be in a space where their identity is the norm therefore they can be properly appreciated and valued for their individuality."

Trans Trenderz was launched in 2016 when Cxsper curated and produced a mixtape of the same name, featuring 14 Trans artists. The feeling at the release party was unlike anything they had experienced before. "You could feel how excited people were to finally see Trans folks on stage. It didn't feel like a show, more like a family reunion," they explain. "There was no hierarchy between the artist and the audience, everybody was contributing to the love in that room in their own way." Wanting to continue to provide that space for themselves and other like-minded artists, Trans Trenderz officially evolved into a record label, signing Transgender and gender non-conforming acts.

In June of 2020, when the Black Lives Matter movement regained traction, Cxsper offered to make beats for other Black Trans artists. Within days, 30 artists reached out to them to collaborate. Around the same time, Myla, a Black Trans woman from Dallas, TX, contacted Cxsper wanting to donate some of her PUA money to help Black Trans people. They decided to use the funds to cover release costs for Black Trans musicians, and a new endeavor, The Ghostly Beats Project, was born. As soon as it was announced, Black Trans artists and allies alike began to get in touch to become involved, and it has continued to grow from there. More than a label, Trans Trenderz is a movement, uplifting Black Trans Voices through creative collaboration and supporting each other as a family.

Listen here:

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