It wasn’t too long ago that I was ignorant of the existence of a gay hip-pop artist out of Tel Aviv named Shorty. Now, I want to shout my love from the rooftops because I know she’s ready to steal your heart along with your ears.
When I finally had the chance to throw some questions her way, I have to say I was taken aback by the honesty with which they were answered. I was also floored by a particular answer (let’s see if you can guess which one that was).
AfterEllen.com: What was your coming out process like? Maybe this is dumb of me, but I feel like Israel isn’t exactly the easiest place to be out and vocal about it.
Shorty: Well, some would say you can divide Israel into two parts: The state of Israel and the state of Tel Aviv, which is a very open-minded city, very similar to New York. Thank God it’s where I grew up, so I had a very easy coming out. Plus, as a person, I never cared about what other people had to say about me. I just do me. But it’s not like that all over Israel. In some parts it’s still very hard to be who you are, and not everyone is as accepting and open minded as in Tel- Aviv.
My mom is my best friend. She took it hard in the beginning. When I told her, I was 15. But she learned to accept it; since she didn’t want to lose me. Now she lives comfortably with the issue.
AE: I remember back in 2006 when the gay pride parade was canceled there. It was the only time Orthodox Jews, Muslims and Catholics got together. Are things still like that?
Shorty: I think that when it comes to the gay community, the Jews, Muslims and Catholics will always come together in order to stop the “gay evil.” But I think that as long as the world sees that we are not afraid of religious groups, then we are in a good place. I think that with every gay parade it gets a little bit better. There are even gay parades in Jerusalem now, and who ever thought that that would happen?
AE: I was in Israel once for my bat mitzvah and it was a beautiful place. I remember eating a lot of schnitzel. I was too young to really go out to any of the clubs, though. For anyone traveling to Israel looking for a fun gay-friendly place to go to, where would you suggest?
Shorty: Wow, there are tons of gay-friendly places and also, all-gay places in Israel nowadays. Tons of clubs and bars and beautiful people that live their lives freely and openly. Of course Tel Aviv is still the number one city for the gay scene, but other cities are coming along, like Jerusalem and Haifa.
AE: Let’s talk about your music. You can rap, you can sing – you’re raw but poppy. Can you tell me a bit about how your sound came together?
Shorty: Well, as a person and as a musician, I get bored easily, so I try to always be one step ahead, to always change, sound-wise. When I started doing what I do – when I was 20 – I made a pact with myself that the songs that I write will always say something, and perhaps change people’s lives, because that’s what music is all about.
I was the first artist to come out of the closet in such a blunt way, without being afraid of how the critics or the radio stations might react. All I cared about was my audience. I felt like there wasn’t a female artist that young girls could connect too that says everything on her mind on every subject. I wasn’t the typical “pop” star, I was always the industry’s bad girl and I love it. Lucky for me, I was able to earn loyal listeners and the respect of the people in the industry and I’m grateful for that.
AE: Your personal style balances both masculine and feminine – what attracts you to a girl?
Shorty: Wow, the million dollar question. I think that the sensitive side of me will say the eyes, but the macho side of me will say the lips. No, to be serious, since my sign is cancer, and the cancer sign is known for its sensitivity – the first look I give is to a woman’s eyes. I try to see her depth, and something beyond the outside. And if the eyes tell me the right story, I might look at other parts. One thing is for sure, that I’m definitely ready for a relationship, a real one.
AE: Have you ever done any acting?
Shorty: Yeah, I’ve done some acting before, and also hosted a number of TV shows. I love acting because it gives me a chance to put on a mask and be someone that I’m not. However, the characters I take on will always have some similarity to who I am, who I was, or who I want to be. To have some connection with the character. I did a short film that went on winning awards in the Berlin Film Festival, it was called Blood Money, where i played a character that cheated on her girlfriend with an older woman. Later we find out that the girlfriend hired that woman to give me AIDS for cheating on her. A very hard story. so obviously, my life isn’t as crazy, thank god. But i can definitely relate to a love that can drive you crazy, I’ve been there myself.
AE: So, you and I talked a little bit about you possibly going to a casting call for the second season of The Real L Word — and I told you that I definitely think you’re good-looking enough to have a camera following you and your story would be interesting to watch but I need to know why why do you want to be on reality TV?
Shorty: Well, I think that there is something amazing in reality TV, when it’s done right. I mean, it’s a known fact that life is the best script, and I’ve always been a “what you see – is what you get” type of person. I’m very “in your face,” good and bad. Even as an artist, you either hate me or you love me. Also, I love the fact that The Real L Word shows lesbians in a light that a lot of people didn’t see before. Ten years ago or so, Ellen DeGeneres’s show got canceled because she came out, and today you can see two women kissing on TV. It’s an amazing achievement, and that’s why I think that The Real L Word is an important show. Even more so than the L Word itself, i think.
AE: I know you’re a fan of the Real L Word, but like, didn’t you want to kick your TV sometimes?
Shorty: But that’s life, isn’t it? We get upset, we cry, we love, we hate, we fight, and basically sometimes break the TV of our lives. Because life isn’t easy, and things don’t always go our way, and i think that when we see The Real L Word, we sometimes see the things we don’t want to see. That not everything is perfect. It’s life, and it’s real, and it’s amazing.
AE: Who was your favorite person on the show and who do you think you might clash heads with?
Shorty: My favorite person? Well, I really liked Rose. I think that I can see a little bit of myself in her, as far as the partying and enjoying life goes. Which is kinda funny because I think that if I would clash heads with anyone on the show, it would probably be with her because she’s also a person that speaks her mind, like me. So we can either be best friends or worst enemies, but I think we would work it out after a couple of Grey Goose shots.
AE: Rose! Ugh! Well, I still like you anyway.
Shorty: [Laughs} Come on – she’s nice. She’s got a lot of ego, but it’s probably just a cover for other missing parts.
AE: If you were to do the show, what parts of you do you hope get captured? Let’s be honest, you probably wouldn’t be allowing someone to tape you having sex in your bedroom – right? Or if you will, tell us more!
Shorty: [Laughs] Tape of having sex? Hmm, I don’t know about that, though I’m a pretty scandalous person, sometimes too scandalous. I don’t think ahead of the parts that I would like the audience to see the most and maybe that’s a problem. I’m just being myself. The thing is, that I’m aware of my good qualities, and also my bad ones. I’m a very flirty person, and I work to always get what I want. I pretty much never got a “No” from a girl. However, on the other side, I’m very sensitive, maybe too sensitive and when I fall in love, I’m 200 percent there.
AE: Actually, now that I think about it, one of your fans (who thankfully introduced you to me) translated some of your lyrics for me. True or false, these are some of the lines” Would you prefer it if I would just be pretty and quiet while you imagine me going down on girls?” and “I swear on everything I hold dear there is not a single bit of me she didn’t study, treats my body like a gift … she slides her fingers like butter, with a gum flavored tongue she takes in and out.” I think even if you can’t be on the show, your songs need to be!
Shorty: True, true. Like I said, I’m very “in your face.” You have to understand, when my first album came out, and to this day even, there wasn’t a single artist that came out the way that I did. I came out with the message “This is me. I will say what I want, how I want it and you will listen,” and I think that that’s why I earned such a loyal audience. Because it seemed like people my age wanted for someone to be honest, not only about the sexuality issues, but about life, society. Young people my age didn’t have that in artists here before and I wanted to do things differently. I knew I succeeded when I heard that most parents didn’t allow their children to see my concerts. Then I knew that I was reaching my target.
AE: How do you feel about us leaving it open to the commenters to decide whether or not you should go to the casting call? Because while I would absolutely watch and, let’s be honest, I’ll watch anyway. My only fear is that sometimes reality TV doesn’t paint people in the best light.
Shorty: I think that people see us the way we want them to see us, know what I mean? if I’m gonna go on that show or any other show, and be a total bitch, that’s what people will think about me. If a person is certain about who she is, she should not be afraid about the way she might be portrayed.
Like I said before, I have my good sides, I have my bad sides, and I’m definitely not perfect. But I’m me. I’m proud of the person I’ve become, proud of my journey and proud of my ability to help young people through my music and my lyrics. That’s my mission in life. That, and finding true love.
AE: Where can we get more information about you. Googling “Shorty” brings up many things of which you are not, like, barbecue restaurants, Mexican restaurants, guns, people who sell crack.
Shorty: Of course! As my second album is coming out soon, it’s very easy to find me online. You can go to my official YouTube page and my official Facebook page is under the name shorty – ήÎòοÎÿÎÖ, or Hila Shorty Nissimov. There you can find everything about me, like my songs, bio, tour dates. I’ll also be in the states this summer.
