[3] Joshua Brown in the Journal of Homosexuality, states "the phrase 'no homo' arose in Hip-Hop lyrics of the 1990s as a discourse interjection to negate supposed sexual and gender transgressions".
[3] Within this context, "'No homo' is not necessarily addressing homosexuality, but creating a verbal defensive in the musical battlefield that is wrought with signifyn' and bustin'.
One reason for this as proposed by Brown is that the integration and reception of the specific phrase no homo into the conversational dialect of North American English was simple and due in part to its phonetic resonance.
[3][5]: 1 Brown states that "women can and do use 'no homo,' although the instances are markedly less in frequency" because it is not unacceptable for a female to commit a gender transgression or display femininity through their modes of speaking.
[7] Slate columnist Jonah Weiner notes several hip hop artists – such as Cam'ron and Lil Wayne – cultivate an extravagant and camp public persona while embracing homophobia, but saying "no homo" can help expand established concepts of masculinity and challenge the status quo.