It is a known fact that in the rap game, the usage of the "N" word is a very controversial topic. Well, things become even more controversial when a rapper's album name is the "N" word. Nas has named his December release Nigger.
Many rappers and others have opinions on this title. Some of them support it, while others do not. For example, L.A. Reid, Island Def Jam Music Group Chairman, said on Nas's album, "We support everything our artists do, everything! We stand firmly behind and beside our artists with pride and with pleasure. Anything Nas wants to do, I completely stand beside him. Nas is prolific, he's prophetic, he's a genius, an amazing artist of respect. So, while I'm not sure exactly all that [the title] entails, I know it's smart, so I stand behind him. That's real." Some others to stand behind L.A Reid are Common and Akon.
Others, although, like 50 Cent and Reverend Al Sharpton, disagree with the title. About the title, Al Sharpton, who is trying to totally abolish the "N" word, said, "Again, I'm opposed to anybody using the term. We're in an age where they are hanging nooses, they're locking our kids up in Jena and Florida. We do not need to be degrading ourselves. We get degraded enough. I think we need artists to lift us up, not lock us down."
Nas says that the reasoning behind this title is to soften the meaning of the "N" word. But, after Al Sharton heard Nas's statement, he replied, "What they're doing is, as we're fighting to make [using the N-word word] a hate crime, they're making it not a hate crime, which is helping out the racists. You don't see [people from] any other race trying to take the power out of names being called to them. People [who use the term in their music] wouldn't put out a record against whites or cops or Jews because they ain't got the guts to do that. They only got the guts to beat up on their own."
In my opinion, I agree with Nas and I think that he likes to be controversial. Nas likes attention, and he is surely getting a lot of it from the title he has made.
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4 comments:
Good write up. I found out about your blog from my sister, Liz. Keep on doin' your thing & hit me on my e-mail with anymore info'on music or whatever. I didn't even hear about this Nas thig yet until I jumped on your page. And i'm a big Nas fan plus a crazy HipHop head. So good looking on the info'. Aight then, stay up & one love.
I think that the title of Nas's album is despicable. You do not take power out of a word by titling your album with the word. That thought is ridiculous, a more prudent action would be not to use the word at all.
I think that the title of Nas's album is despicable. You do not take power out of a word by titling your album with the word. That thought is ridiculous, a more prudent action would be not to use the word at all.
I think that the title of Nas's album is despicable. You do not take power out of a word by titling your album with the word. That thought is ridiculous.
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