Grammy Award-winning transgender producer D. Smith has refused to waver as she finds herself under attack by cast mates since her Love & Hip Hop Atlanta debut this week. Tensions have risen on the show, after the Miami-born, Brooklyn-raised songwriter was received by a less than warm Waka Flocka, who previously said transgender people like Caitlyn Jenner of "rebuking God" and "marketing evil." Smith, who was born male and claims to have discovered her female gender identity at age 7, called the comments irresponsible and expressed worry over the effect such words have on transgender youth.
"Their opinions do not hurt my feelings. My problem is that there are little elementary school girls who have friends or peers that may hear [the criticism] and go over the edge, commit suicide or get beat up that day. If you do not have anything positive to say, it would help not to say anything. We’re fighting a real fight, both spiritual and physically. I want [Lil Scrappy and Waka Flocka Flame] to be a little more conscious with their words because they do have a platform."
Despite adverse feelings about Smith's identity and lifestyle, it might be difficult to argue with her contributions to rap, the very art form responsible for the show employing Waka and Scrappy. Her list of credits includes collaborations with the likes of Lil Wayne, Gwen Stefani, Andre 3000, and Ciara, amongst others. And while many in the world of entertainment avoid addressing matters of their personal life, Smith, who has been transitioning from male to female for two years, claims such disdain serves as motivation for her to openly represent transgender people.
“This is one of the reasons I chose to do Love & Hip Hop Atlanta. This is the demographic that people need to see the most,” she told the New York Post. “Fifteen years from now, some trans girl are going to have it so much easier than I did because I helped out.”
Source: NY Post
