Hip-Hop Artists Are Hiding Homo Secrets

NEW YORK (Wireless Flash) -- Hip-hop's heavyweights are hiding some scandalous secrets.

That's the down low from Terrance Dean, openly gay author of "Hiding in Hip Hop: On the Down Low in the Entertainment Industry -- from Music to Hollywood" (Atria), which opens the closet on the subculture of "down low brothers" -- masculine men who date women but sleep with men on the side.

Dean doesn't name names, but says, "There are mainstream hip-hop artists that are homosexual, and could make a difference if they came out."

Dean says record labels and publicists "go to great lengths" to maintain rappers' masculine images.

"Look at any magazine cover -- the men have big chests, flat abs, and a flock of women around them," he said. "We assume they can't be gay."

But if 50 Cent or Kanye West were to come out, Dean doubts their careers would crumble.

"Kids today are like, `So what, he's gay.' It's all about the music," he said.