Poll: Where Do You Stand on the N-Word Debate?
Friday July 21, 2006
There's been plenty of controversy about the use of the word "n_ _ _ a" in hip-hop. In 2004, Eminem was publicly called out for using the word back when he was 17. Bill Cosby has openly condemned the use of this racial epithet mainly because of its connection to centuries of slavery. On the other hand, some rappers think Cosby is 'crazy' for not realizing the difference between the racial slur which ends in 'er' and the re-invented form of the word. What do you think? Should hip-hop artists continue to use the word "n_ _ _ a"?
Yes - It's a term of endearment
No - It's a degrading word
View Poll Results
The Poll is Closed.
Yes - It's a term of endearment
No - It's a degrading word
View Poll Results
Poll Results
A month ago, I asked you to chime in on the racial epithet debate. Turns out this was an unbelievably close race. The N-word is a derogatory term according to 51% of the voters. Another 48% approve of its use as a term of endearment. Further comments on this are always welcome. Somewhere, Bill Cosby is smiling right now.The Poll is Closed.
Comments
Most of the people who buy mainstream hiphop albums arent actually black though… what happened to our fellow people being called brothers and sisters instead of niggas and bitches.
Its time to grow up hiphop and this is coming from a 17 year old black hiphop fan
Okey so say they do use the word n***a in a song… its not like black people are going to be the only ones singing these songs.. and i know for sure that black people really get pissed when a white person uses the word n***a. So i guess they wont be able to complain of the use of the word.. if it has now become lyrics.. anyone can sing lyrics to a song.
^You both raised some good points.
white people act like they don’t understand emphasis when you say tomato and some one else says tomahto the the same words but different emphasis understand! Damn It’s your langage. now you don’t understand differant variation on the same word. n**ger is a nasty word ment to hurt and demean N**ga can be harmful to if the person saying it is trying to do the same thing but most time when the word n**ga is being used its in a different connotation.
Hey Hip Hoppers,
Lets’s make everyone happy and replace the “N” word with the word “BLIIIGGA”. It fully represents what we mean when used as a term of endearment. “Love my BLIIIGGAs”. It is sort of an acronym for the phrase, BLack Intellectual Insightfully IGnorant n**GA. Please note that it goes against the traditional way that acronyms are created and incorporates “the end of the word n**GA. Try it! We can end this useless debate. “You Must Find The Plus Sign”. Peace.
I am actually writing about this right now. Over the weekend, I was in Chicago and out at a nearly all-white karaoke bar. At the end of the night, some dude got up on stage and did a medley of some hip-hop tunes (”G Thang,” “Bust a Move,” “Humpty Dance”), happily dropping the n-word as the white crowd rapped along and cheered. I find it to be really obnoxious and ugly, this pack of whites so freely sort-of-lampooning hip-hop and mindlessly reciting the ugliest word in the history of our nation.
Those moments always remind me why I think the n-word is a bad thing for anyone to be using.
^Joey, that’s a damn shame. You should definitely write about it.
By the way guys, if you notice that the poll tally has increased, it’s just because people have voted on it I last posted. I would like to assume that Bill Cosby is still smiling.
i believe that the “N” word should never be banned. that’s just some way that people express themselves. it has been used for years and now that some people take that word and use it in another way to greet some one no one wants to keep it. you have to know and understand both sides before you can make a decision like that.
Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you. America, you deserve this. Lack of accountability and respect. Sharpton and Jackson, would never come home from any battlefield I`am on. Dame Racist.
The N-word is just a word, it doesnt really mean anything, i dont know y u people are gettin upset about it. Only black people use it, i use it to, its a black thing to use the N-word
Why should we African Americans get so angry when white people use the “n” word? If we don’t want them to say it and if we are going to jump on a white person everytime they use this word then we should stop using it ourselves! By us using this powerful word we are more so giving them the power and authority to use it as well! Black rappers and singers use this word in their music and every other word that comes out of their mouth is the “n” word so you can’t get mad when a white person sings the song and says that word because we are the ones putting it in our lyrics, lyrics are free for anyboody to sing and say! The “n” word is what white people called us long ago in the time of slavery…slavery is gone now so why didn’t that word go with it? African Americans don’t just go around and call white people crackers and you ask why? That is because white people don’t call each other crackers, they have more respect for their heritage than we do! We act like we don’t know anything about where that word came from! And we wonder why we get the names, the looks, and the treatment that we get….WELL THAT IS WHY!
Dion your right it is just a word, but it is the meaning of that word and the use behind it the reason why you should not use it!
jasmine you are so right and i honour you for that lovely paragraph you just wrote. im doing a essay on why rappers should stop using the N word in there songs and you just made my job so much easier. your points are clear you left a good message. not just you but everyone here as left a good message.. im and a pround african woman and i stand for my rights and i know that the n word should not be used in our society today!
N W A a rap group from the 1990’s and on pne otheir albuma aUD THEY WERE NIGGAHS NOW but in the future becauyse “they are joining forces with Islam they will no longer be called Niggahs.” just in the last few years they finally treleased their album or cd with no apologies. N.W.A.’S GREATEST HITS, ARE WE TO BELIEVE THAT NwA STANDS FOR ANTHING BUT WHAT IT originally stood for when they came out with their first album or cd?
Its not Just a Word. How can people sit here and think changing “er” to an “a” actually makes a difference?,…IT DOESN’T. Its a total disrespect to our ancestors who had to endure so much pain both mental and physical. If it was just a word and didnt mean anything then we wouldnt get so mad when someone white says it. No race should use it and I never understood why hispanics got to use the word. I dont think any race should use it and especially those who arent black, they should have enough sense and respect to not use it, be leaders and not followers. And black people lets respect everything that our ancestors fought for and stop using the word. Its negative no matter how you spell it or say it.
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#1 this is only “my opinion” and this is how I see the N word, the history of the N word was very demeaning and racial I agree. I don’t personally use the word. And I use to have the point of view of why is it ok for a black person to use the word but a white person could not. But now I don’t have that point of view. Now I get upset because it seem like “some” white people think they should be able to call black people the N word because black people call themselves the N word, and this I dont agree with. (I personally dont use the word) I mean based on the history of the word, why do white people wanna call black people the n word in the first place? Why cant white people call other white people the N word,like black people do. why do white people feel better at calling a black person the n word? Is it all because black people call other black people the n word? I feel white people can call their white friends the n word if they wanna use the word that bad ,or they can call their asia friends the n word
#2 I believe the N word is based on the relationship of the individual. I’ve heard a white person call a black person the n word because of the realationship they have, do I agree with it? If a black person is ok with a white person calling him that word than who am I to argue that. but they will not call me the N-word, Will I get mad if a black person called me the N-word?…No i would not and here is my reason, because in my opinion when a black person uses the n word I know it will not mean the same as if a white person used the word, The N word in the black community doesn’t mean the same as if a white person would use it. For example, the word bad in the black culture means good!! The N word has become a cultural accepted word in the black community whether black people agree or not. Im sorry but its the truth. I have friends in all races but I will not call a white person the C word, or Mexicans the the W’word and etc. I think its inappropr1ate but if a white person call themselves the C word then I won’t get upset all becasue they won’t allow me to call them the C word…it crazy