Strange Fruit: Rapper Fly Young Red On The Inspiration Behind "Lorraine"




Strange Fruit show

Summary: Last week we talked about a new song and video by New Orleans-based rapper Fly Young Red. "Lorraine" deals with the challenges faced by trans women of color, from violence to poverty. On this week's show, Fly Young Red joins us and reveals the song's very personal, real-life inspiration. Fly's gay sister, a trans woman named Chyna Gibson, was shot and killed in late February, at just 31 years old. "I felt like I had the responsibility to go ahead and do this song, to tell the story of those girls so I can help save somebody," Fly says. "Because it happens all the time." In our Juicy Fruit segment this week, WFPL's digital editor Jonese Franklin joins us and we talk about everything from foster care for trans kids in Canada to the 40th anniversary of everybody's uncle's favorite hairstyle: the Jheri curl.