'Love & Hip Hop' star Milan Christopher releases powerful video 'When I Go'

‘Love & Hip Hop’ star Milan Christopher releases powerful video ‘When I Go’

By Gerrick D. Kennedy

May 23, 2016 1:09 PM PT

When Milan Christopher appeared on “Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood” last year he became a breakout star as the show’s first openly gay cast member.

The producer-rapper and his then-boyfriend made headlines — including a feature in The Times — for bravely documenting their relationship in the historically homophobic world of hip-hop.

Christopher hoped his appearance on the hit VH1 reality franchise could help chip away at some of the misogyny and homophobia inherent in rap culture.

And the rapper is using the music video for his latest single, “When I Go,” to make an even bigger statement.

In the Billie Jr.-directed video Christopher sheds light on domestic violence and suicide within the LGBT community — topics that have long been overlooked in the mainstream (researchers have found that teens and young adults who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning have the highest rate of suicide when compared directly to the rest of the general population).

The video, which Pop & Hiss is exclusively premiering, tracks Christopher being harassed on the street by a group of males before arriving to his partner’s home where he’s verbally and physically assaulted — and ultimately chugging a bottle of prescription pills.

It’s heavy subject matter, but Christopher felt it was necessary to tackle.

“Watching this video back was extremely hard for me; it made me relive so many situations I have been in in my past, but a much-needed visual for our culture,” Christopher said. “It was a story that had to be told and give a voice to the voiceless and to help all who have been through and going through the same situation.”

“When I Go” is taken from Christopher’s recently released debut album, “The Alpha.”