Adair Lion

Hip-hop artist Adair Lion stares at a likeness of himself while filming a video for “Another Part of Me,” a song from his upcoming album. Cody Perez, videographer and photographer, films at right.  (Scott Gold/Los Angeles Times)

In front of a stage light, videographer and photographer, Cody Perez, left, and hip-hop artist Adair Lion work on a music video at a performing arts space in Amarillo, Texas.  (Scott Gold/Los Angeles Times)

Model Meredith Haleigh, left, videographer and photographer Cody Perez, and hip-hop artist Adair Lion review footage that will be incorporated into a music video.  (Scott Gold/Los Angeles Times)

A videographer reviews footage of model Meredith Haleigh while shooting a music video for Adair Lion, an artist who released a song arguing that gays should be embraced by the hip-hop community.  (Scott Gold/Los Angeles Times)

Lion works at his small home recording studio in Amarillo.   (Scott Gold/Los Angeles Times)

Lion sings along to recordings of his own music while driving his pickup truck through Amarillo on the way to shoot a music video.  (Scott Gold/Los Angeles Times)

Lion makes one of his regular visits to 93.1 the Beat, an Amarillo radio station that offers hip-hop programming considered taste-making in west Texas. The station has continued to support Lion’s music after he released his song “Ben,” which supported the gay community.  (Scott Gold/Los Angeles Times)

Lion orders lunch from a taco truck used as a backdrop for one of his music videos. Lion’s song, “Ben,” argued that “gay is OK.”   (Scott Gold/Los Angeles Times)

Lion gestures while filming a music video in the back of a small performing arts space at a strip mall in Amarillo. He is wearing a prosthetic nose, part of his transformation into “Jo Calderone,” a fictional character periodically adopted by performer Lady Gaga.  (Scott Gold/Los Angeles Times)