These days, it seems like the notorious “N” word (and by N word, we here at DX mean “nigga”, “nigger” or any other derivative) is synonymous with all things Hip Hop.
When news broke that Nas was set to name his next release after the racial slur, all hell broke loose in the world that is the media. Syndicated columnist Mo’Kelly took aim at the Def Jam MC in a recent piece titled Nas is a Comedian, Not an Intellectual-Know the Difference.
Kelly begins the piece with heavy sarcasm, but later tears into Nas with some verbal ether of his own, slamming the Streets Disciple for comparing his latest musical work with the works of Dr. Cornel West.
“Nas IS a funny, funny man,”Kelly writes, “invoking comparisons to Dr. West. Appropriating the intellectuality of Dr. West to argue the merits of stupidity is high, high comedy. Dr. West hasn’t written any songs talking about You Owe Me or engaged in publicized beefs/pissing matches, dissing his peers such as Tavis Smiley, Leonard Pitts or Earl Ofari Hutchinson over perceived disrespect.”
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He goes on to call Nas‘ comparison “ridiculous” and says the rapper is “occasionally intelligent in the way that it occasionally rains,” a reference to Nasir‘s numerous musical contradictions (Is it Oochie Wally Wally or is it One Mic? © Jay Z)
Hip Hop as a whole ends up caught in Kelly‘s verbal drive by with the Geto Boyz, Young Joc, Young Buck and TI mentioned before the article’s end.
At the end of day, it’s Kelly who looks to score the knock out, dragging Esco to the carpet once again, possibly exposing the album title for what it may be: an attempt to sell records.
“Usurping the “power” of the word Nigger is a farce. Selling it for $18.95 is a modern-day minstrel show/slave auction…take your pick.”
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In other Nas news, Cameron Turner also has a beef with Nas this week in Turner’s Two Cents: Nas’ Album Title Won’t Weaken N-Word.
Nasty Nas told MTV News last week that he hoped to take the power out of the word, something Turner vehemently says can’t—and won’t happen with the release of an LP.
Turner refutes Nas‘ claims that one day “nigger” won’t have the same sting for blacks as the term “cracker” does for whites by offering a brief history lesson of the two words.
“‘Cracker’ is an insulting term for some white people: those who are considered poor, uneducated and uncouth. The n-word is used to attack all blacks regardless of education, life experience, manners or social status.”
He drives his point home further with an experiment some of you out in cyber space might be crazy enough to try: Call a white, college-educated executive a cracker he’ll probably look at you like you’re crazy and then go on about his business, forgetting all about you within minutes. Call a black, college-educated executive a nigger and he’ll want to whup your behind (verbally, if not physically).
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Unlike Kelly, Turner tries to find some value in Nas titling his album Nigger, but firmly asserts that God’s Son is off the mark with his claim of taking power from the word by putting in on Front Street via record stores world wide.
“Nas may have a legitimate artistic or sociological reason for calling his album Nigger. No one can critique that until the music comes out. I am simply challenging the notion that we (black folks) can weaken the n-word by throwing it around in mixed company.”
When all is said and done, Nas got plenty of people talking, but if the music doesn’t back up the hype, critics will be spitting more hot fire of their own after Nigger touches down this December.
