“Music is my favorite tool for escapism,” Cakes da Killa tells Apple Music. Setting the scene for his Pride DJ mix, the rapper describes his current headspace: “I’m still buzzing from last night’s festivities, but I’m in a very, very chill mode.” He admits he’s nursing a hangover, but the calming sound of rainfall outside his Williamsburg, Brooklyn, sublet is helping. “I hope this mix feels like home,” he says. “For the community, clubs and nightlife are safe havens or sanctuaries, and the music is the lifeline that keeps it going. Everything I do is about promoting Black excellence through a queer lens, so that's the vibe I'm giving. We're so often not given the credit as innovators of style and art—and we are the blueprints for a lot of it.”