Forks in the Road: The Tyranny of Binaries
In his song with Eminem“Renegade,” Jay-Z delivers a line that resonates far beyond its lyrical context: “I came to a fork in the road and went straight.” This simple yet profound statement captures a philosophy of resistance to binaries, a refusal to conform to the false choices that systems of power often impose. It is a declaration of agency, creativity, and the ability to carve a third path when faced with the limitations of “either/or.” Inspired by this line, I have come to understand it as the essence of what I call nonbinary (enby) epistemology—a way of knowing and being that thrives in tension, mystery, and complexity.
Hip-Hop as a Hush Harbor: A Revelation
The roots of the R.E.S.T mixtape and enby epistemology can be found in spaces of resistance and authenticity. For me, hip-hop served as a modern-day hush harbor—a space carved out for expression and liberation in a world that often silences those on the margins. In the same way that enslaved Africans used hush harbors to carve sacred space for divine encounter and self experession beyond the surveillance of the oppressor, hip-hop became a space where I could express truths that were unwelcome in the binary worlds of Black or white church spaces.
Namely my own queerness.
In 2016 I gave a talk called the Heaven for a G—that argued that hip-hop held space for tension, contradiciton, and mysteries that traditional institutions rejected. Preparing for that talk was the beginning of my process of understanding my own nonbinary identity and it opened the door to understanding the value of nonbinary ways of knowing. The next several years inspried what has become the R.E.S.T framework, mixtape methodology, and enby epistemology.
Enby Epistemology: The Power of Triple Consciousness
W.E.B. Du Bois introduced the concept of double consciousness as the experience of seeing oneself through the lens of both one’s identity and the oppressive narratives imposed by society. For Du Bois, double consciousness was a survival mechanism, a way of navigating a world divided by racial binaries. Nonbinary, or enby, epistemology extends this idea, offering what might be called a triple consciousness—the ability to see not only oneself and the dominant narrative but also the possibility of a third way.
Triple consciousness is a unique gift, particularly for queer and nonbinary individuals, who often live outside the rigid frameworks imposed by society. It is the ability to encounter a fork in the road—a demand to choose one side or the other—and instead go straight. This way of knowing thrives in the tensions and mysteries that binaries seek to erase, offering a groundedness that comes not from certainty but from the acceptance of complexity.
Jay-Z’s lyric shatters this illusion. By choosing to go straight at the fork, he rejects the false choices imposed by the binary and reclaims the power to define his own path. This act of defiance speaks to the heart of enby epistemology: the ability to see beyond the binary, to hold space for the tension and mystery of a third way. By refusing to collapse into the false simplicity of “this or that,” it challenges the power structures that use binaries to maintain control. Triple consciousness allows for a kind of intellectual and spiritual agility, the ability to move through and beyond the categories that others use to define and constrain us. It offers a lens to see the ways binaries are constructed, to critique the narratives that enforce them, and to imagine alternative ways of being and knowing.
This way of thinking is especially powerful in the face of systems that rely on silencing, demonizing, and dehumanizing dissent. Nonbinary epistemology refuses to play by the rules of these systems, instead creating new possibilities that exist outside their frameworks. It is an act of defiance and creation, a way of carving out space for truths that do not fit neatly into the categories dictated by power.
The Comfort of Tension and Mystery
Enby (nonbinary) epistemology is not about rejecting all structure but about finding freedom within the ambiguity that binaries fear. It acknowledges that life is rarely reducible to “either/or” and instead resides in the “both/and,” or even the “neither/nor.” It is an epistemology that thrives in the spaces between, embracing the creative tension that arises when opposing forces coexist. This way of knowing does not seek to resolve tension but to hold it, finding grounding in its very existence.
Mystery is central to this construction. While dominant narratives often demand certainty, nonbinary epistemology finds comfort in the unknown. It recognizes that mystery is not a void to be feared but a fertile ground for discovery and transformation. Just as hip-hop carved out a space for authentic expression in the face of systemic dehumanization and erasure, nonbinary epistemology carves out intellectual and spiritual space for complexity, authenticity, and truth beyond the binary.
“Going Straight” as Resistance
The act of going straight at the fork in the road is an act of resistance. It challenges the structures that present binaries as inevitable and creates space for new possibilities. Nonbinary epistemology disrupts the systems that rely on silencing, demonizing, and dehumanizing those who challenge their narratives. It refuses to play by the rules of these systems, instead creating pathways that exist outside their control.
Whether it is the binary of gender, race, or morality, nonbinary epistemology offers a way to dismantle these frameworks by refusing to conform to their logic. It is an act of defiance, a declaration that we will not be defined by names that are conferrd rather than conjured. We will not walk down paths that are not marked by light and truth.
Jay-Z’s lyric, “I came to a fork in the road and went straight,” is more than a clever turn of phrase—it is a philosophy of resistance and liberation. It embodies the essence of nonbinary epistemology, a way of knowing that thrives in the tensions and mysteries that binaries seek to erase. To live by the philosophy of “going straight” is to embrace the third way—a way of being that celebrates complexity and embraces ambiguity. This does not mean rejecting structure altogether but reimagining structures that honor the fullness of human experience.
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