Big Dipper is Going to Rough You Up on Growlr’s Livestream

Beginning Thursday, May 7, the bear social network GROWLr will air live shows on its app in an effort to help support LGBTQ artists, many of whom have lost their major sources of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This follows and expands upon the app’s recent announcement of GROWLr Live, a live video feature that allows users to livestream broadcasts and video chat with other users. Kicking off the entertainment series is everyone’s favorite furry rapper, Big Dipper. Best known for his frank sexuality and tongue-in-check humor, Big Dipper is the raunchy, big-boy bear of internet rap whose viral videos, unique sound, and catchy wordplay challenges typical hip-hop tropes.

He quickly developed a cult following after releasing his first song “Drip Drop” in 2011, and has become a prominent entertainer at Pride and bear events. Until the country can overcome COVID-19, you can catch him hosting Big Dipper Live every Thursday at 9:00 p.m. EST. OUT FRONT had the pleasure of chatting more with Big Dipper about the show, his unique take on body positivity, and the pros and cons of digital dating. 

Hi, Big Dipper! Thank you so much for chatting with me about GROWLr’s new livestream entertainment series. How have you been holding up during this pandemic?
You know, I am alright. I am very lucky, I’m not sick; I have a place to live; I have a lot of projects that I am working on and a lot of things I have had on my to-do list for a long time. Now that I’m not traveling and playing shows or DJing parties, I am able to, like, actually sit and get things done.

That’s great, and we are very excited that you are part of this series. What can we expect from your show, Big Dipper Live?
You know, I use social media a lot, and I host a podcast called Sloppy Seconds with Big Dipper and Meatball. I play live shows and put out music and videos on YouTube, but I don’t really do a lot of engagement as far as, like, responding to DMs or talking to people on live apps and that kind of thing, so this is an opportunity where I’m basically going to be on their lives every Thursday night for an hour talking to people, answering questions, letting people come into the chat, talking about what people want to talk about, and taking a moment to engage with people, which I am excited about.

Why did you agree to be involved with this series, and what are you looking forward to the most?
I’m looking forward to, like, being surprised by questions that people ask, and I am looking forward to making meaningful and engaging connections with people. I agreed to be a part of it because I think it’s the coolest thing that GROWLr is doing.

Gay social apps are where people meet often for sex, and a lot of the interaction is, like, singularly minded. There is a specific focus when a lot of people interact, and this is a place where it’s like, none of us are out meeting new people right now. If we are, shame on us. Everyone should be home. So, this is a great opportunity to actually talk and connect with people without this pretense of oh, we’re trying to f*ck, or we’re trying to meet up, or I want see you naked. Like, we are literally going to talk, get to know people, answer questions, and share life experiences.

As a performer, how bad has this pandemic hit you in terms of work?
I had a ton of gigs lined up in the summer. I was going to be playing lots and lots of Prides. I’m an independent artist; I have a decent following, but you know, I’m not a big-name artist. You know, typically Pride events and big events will book all the big-name people first, then they will start to book other acts.

So, in the beginning of March, my booking agent and I were accepting offer after offer after offer because they had sort of moved on to, like, the second–tier artists, and they started booking everyone. The week leading up to the lockdown, I think I signed, like, six different offers, and that was only the beginning of them coming in.

I was going to be out on the road for, like, three months this summer playing Pride shows, playing bear parties, traveling around like I always do every summer. So, that has completely stopped, but queer people and artists are innovators and there’s a lot of digital stuff happening. This GROWLr show is a great example of that. I’m not doing like a music show, but I am able to be a personality on this app and draw in an audience and engage with people.

I heard that you never intended on being a performer. Is this true?
Yes.

Then how did you fall into this crazy business?
Well, I went to college for theatre. I always liked performing when I was a kid, but I had that realization in my early 20s, like, oh, I’m not cut out to be an actor because I really enjoyed directing and producing a lot more. So, that was my focus. Then, sort of on a whim, I was joking around with a friend of mine, and we sort of like came up with my first song which was meant to be a joke, like a parody song. I was like, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if I turned this into an actual song?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, right.’ Then I did it.

Then I was like, a music video would make it even better. That was eight years ago, around 2012, and it has been a snowball effect ever since. Like, I know I have the chops to be a performer, but I don’t know if I fully have the narcissism to be a performer [laughs]. I can definitely focus on myself and talk about myself a lot, but I think to be a true performer, you have to at every given turn be able to pitch yourself. Sometimes I think it would be cool to make a project for a performer, or for a drag queen. I produce a podcast called Race Chaser with Alaska and Willam, and I love working with them because I get to come up with ideas for them. Nothing to do with me as the focus.

You have stated that a reason you perform is to combat hatred and help people feel empowered. Can you elaborate on this more?
Again, never my intention in the beginning, but the feedback I would get, I would get on stage and just sort of be myself. A lot of people talk about the videos that I make or the clothes I wear on stage or the content of my music; they feel really empowered. For me, it was never a political statement to begin with. It was just the idea that, like, when I see someone performing, I think Britney Spears and then I go oh, OK, I’ll do choreography and wear a skimpy outfit and act sexy the whole time.

That’s what I wanted to do. I’m the same; we can all do that. Because of my body and who I am and my identity, it is an empowering image. So, once I started getting that feedback from people after my shows, I was able to hear that and say to myself, what you’re doing actually matters. Even though you are up there joking around and talking about sucking dick and doing fun reveals and choreography, it actually has a positive impact for people who are watching. That has been empowering.

However trivial what I do seems, the importance of it has been reflected back to me enough times by people it means something to. I am able to hear that and be like, it is empowering, and it does give a voice to chubby kids who felt like they didn’t deserve to be idealized.

I love that you have a unique take on body positivity, and I know you will be discussing more about that in your show. Have you always been this way?
No. I think even to this day, no matter what your size is, no matter what kind of body you have, the way the media portrays beauty standards, everyone can look in the mirror and give, like, a head-to-toe critique of things they want to change, but body positivity is about attitude and ownership. We have this one body, and the way it’s going to flourish is if you love it and can find the joy and power in it. It is truly empowering.

When I was younger, I always felt like the fat, chubby kid, and I never found that sexy. Then, as I grew older, I started realizing if I were to look at a skinny person or a chubby person, I would always be more attracted to the person who would have more meat on their bones. I’m like, well, I’ve got that, so I must be that to somebody else. The same thing with body hair. When I first started sprouting body hair, and especially back hair, and, like, my beard didn’t grow in right for a long time. It patchy and thin, I was like oh god, I want to shave. It was so embarrassing.

Then, once I was able to sort of look outside myself and be like oh, I love when dudes have beards. I love the feeling of back hair when you’re holding someone. Oh, well then, I provided that for someone else. So, I was able to look outside of myself to see the value that I offered. It almost sounds superficial and wrong, but it was outside reflected back to me which is what helps me love myself from the inside.

Why do you think there is so much hate and body negativity within the LGBTQ community?
Because we were shunned and unloved as young people, so we’d like to see it back to ourselves. The amount of queer people who have some sort of emotional traumas in their upbringing or in their childhood, even if they grew up in a loving household, they somewhere internalized that they would be kicked out if they came out or that they would be unlovable if they were who they truly were. Carrying that pain around you, it has to go somewhere, and it is easier to lash out within your own community than it is to, like, sort of take on the ideals of general society. I think there’s so much discrimination and infighting within the queer community, and it’s all because we’re like all damaged. We don’t live in a fully accepting society. We all carry a little bit of damage with us.

What advice would you give to someone who is struggling to accept themselves because they are bigger, chubby, hairy, etc.?
Something that I share a lot is, identify one part of your body that you love, or that you can find some love for, or something that you can do. If you are a really good dancer, then love on that for a little bit. It is a baby-step process. If you are really struggling with loving yourself, find one little thing that you’re like, I’m the shit at this; I am very good, and I love that I can do that. Let it build from there.

I am also a big proponent of, everyone has someone out there, if not many someones’ out there, that want to f*ck them. Even if you look in the mirror and you’re like, I’m trash; this is horrible, I can almost guarantee you there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people out there who would look at you and be like, I would f*ck you. I would f*ck that. So, if you can keep that in your mind, not to boil everything down to sexuality, but like, you’re f*ckable. You’re loveable. There are amazing things about each and every one of us.

In your show, you will also discuss digital dating. What is your dating app of preference?
Well, my app of preference is real life. Almost exclusively when I talk to people on GROWLr, it’s a pretty quick conversation before it’s like, let’s meet up. There are so many things like pheromones and smells and vibe and voice quality, which is really cool that they have all the video features on GROWlr because you can actually get to know someone in the way that they are, not just what they say or what they type. So, yes, I use GROWLr a lot to meet people. I prefer the in-person vibes so you can really feel the chemistry.

Do you have any digital dating horror stories?
Many, many, many! Lots of people misrepresenting themselves with their photos. Something that happens a lot for me is, because I travel for shows, people will hit me up on the apps and then not allude to the fact that they know who I am or they are coming to my show. I definitely will, like, f*ck people after my show, but also there’s something nice to, like, not bring your work home with you.

If I’m out on the road, and there’s someone who has no idea who I am or who hasn’t heard of the venue or bar that I’m playing, I might be more likely to link up with them because then I don’t have to fulfill an expectation that they have. A few times, I’ve had people sort of say that they were unfamiliar, or alluded to the fact that they were just like cool, what brings you to town, etc. Then it’s like them and all of their friends have tickets to my show. That feels like a little catfishing.

I will tell you that I had a great experience once in North Carolina when I met a dude from GROWLr where we basically didn’t talk about work stuff at all, and then he came to my show and was sort of coyly smiling like I knew it was you the whole time. He waited and drove me back to the hotel, and he was very nice. So, sometimes it works out. It’s all about chemistry.

What is the number-one thing you should not do when digital dating?
Lie, be untrue, send inaccurate photos.

What about unsolicited dick pics?
Love them! [Laughs] But I think that’s a controversial point of view to have in 2020. I’m a fan.

What’s next for you? Any other, upcoming projects or songs we should be on the lookout for?
Yes, I am putting out an EP at the end of the month of May called The Ham and Cheese EP, and that’s the full title [laughs]. It’s five new songs, and I have shot a couple music videos for them, and we finished shooting stuff right before lockdown. Now, I am in the process of, like, getting all of that ready to be released. So, I will have some new stuff coming out throughout the summer. Initially, my plan was to premiere everything out on the road at these Pride events, but now, I’m going to do it all digitally.

Tune in to GROWLr Live every Thursday at 9:00 p.m. EST for Big Dipper Live.