While the two Jimmys duke it out for late-night viewers and YouTube followers, and the press got some mileage debating a report that one camp’s bookers were trying to strongarm hot talent, Dave Letterman booked Le1f to make his network TV debut last night on Late Show. While some Reporters Who Cover Music wondered whether Letterman had a new music booker (Late Show booked the network TV debut of Future Islands less than two weeks earlier), others applauded, noting it mark the first time an openly gay rapper has performed on a major network late-night show. “Our next guest is a New York rapper and producer, and he’s making his network television debut with us right here tonight, so that’s great, thank you very much for that. His new EP is titled ‘Hey’ or ‘Hey!’ Please welcome Le1f,” Letterman said, by way of introducing the gay rapper operating in a controversially homophobic music genre — who returned the favor, tweeting:
thank you so much to @Letterman for inviting me to perform on his stage as a musician and not as a spectacle. that’s major.
— Le1f ☥ (@LE1FNY) March 14, 2014
Watch his performance here:
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