White rappers saying the n-word. (Back to the forum)

On almost all white rapper albums, I hear the word nigga almost as much as I do on black rapper albums (because of features, obviously), but the white boys NEVER say it.

Not Em, not Paul Wall, not anyone.

Now, this doesn’t seem right to me, for many reasons. Mainly for it being a HUGE double standard. These are white people fully immersed in black culture, who not only listen to black music but MAKE it. They talk about Cristal, rims, platinum chains, etc. And yet, they aren’t allowed to say the word that all black people say to eachother?

Clearly, if they used it, it wouldn’t be in a derogatory term. That word hasn’t held that kind of wait for a long time.

Also, you hear the word EVERY DAY, on the subway, on TV, in music, etc. People are obviously desensitized to it by now.

It’s no longer a racial slur, but a term of endearment. I hear white kids call each other nigga all the time.

So it’s really more than just why can’t white rappers use it, but why can’t white people use it without getting called racist?

Not the Huckleberry Finn debate… can this forum really handle it?

I think white rappers don’t say the n-word because of the media. The media are always looking for someone to trip so they can get on their sac. Imagine if Eminem said the n-word in one of his albums. The media would say shit like hes a racist, nazzi, criminal, he hates blacks, you know anything to ruin his reputation. So i guess that’s part of being famous you have to watch your step, one bad step it could cost your career, so why not stay on the safe side?

Would it really ruin his career?

Em is the kind of controversy. He’s been called everything, homophobic, satanic, etc.

He even had congress coming after him. He was banned from playing in certain states.

Yet, he sits at the top in his throne, as rich and famous as ever.

And I doubt he’s lose any of his fans for saying it.

It’d be brave. It would shake a lot of trees. And more than that, I think it would take almost all power out of that word. If white people can say it without being called a racist, the word would have completely veered away from it’s slave roots. It’d be just another word.

@IATG: I give this thread about 5 posts before a fight breaks out lol

Well yea you might hear white people saying the n-word but are any African Americans around? I’ve said the n-word in front of African Americans and ill tell you right now it wasn’t pretty… Sure Eminem is a good rapper and all but you never know there’s people who get butt hurt if you say bitch, then again i don’t think those kind of people listen to rap. Also why would you want to say the n-word? You hear soulja boy saying that shit and he isn’t much of a rapper…. Ive heard some raps where the only thing you can hear is the n-word its not much of a rap… I don’t know about you but i like the rap with emotion and feeling not the kind of rap that says bitch fuck cunt motherfucker if you have to cuss and say the n-word for you to make a full rap then that tells me you don’t have a very good vocabulary and your not much of a rapper. Then again its their choice they might not do it out of respect? Maybe people wont get offended but there’s always those that do get offended and make a whole scandal.

@DeeJaySquared

I really don’t see a reason why someone would choose to start a fight. Its a discussion forum people should respect each others opinions. Then again there’s always the hot heads. So to everyone who posts below me please try your best to keep your composure =) I cant tell you what to do but it would be much appreciated. The rap industry is looked down upon by some people. We don’t need that reputation to go any lower by starting a fight in an online forum. Good Day =)

It’s not the word, it’s the principle.

And yeah, I have a few black friends and I call them “my niggaz” all the time. This generation of black people didn’t get stolen from their motherland. They didn’t have to pick cotton. They didn’t get sprayed down by fire houses by police. They didn’t get lynched for drinking out of the wrong fountain.

Yeah, there’s still racism. But there’s also reverse racism, and this is a great example.

hoses* hahahahah fire houses

IM not down with white rappers saying the n word. I get that it’s not racist but hip hop was started by African Americans and I think it’s disrespectful to the culture for white rappers to say it whether its racist or not

Here, let me put it in a different way.

You move to say…Nicaragua. Therefore you live in a Nicaraguan house, eat Nicaraguan food, and associate wit Nicaraguan people. Would it be disrespectful to speak Spanish?

And also, this isn’t meant to incite people, or make them angry, or for me to be a racist.

And I don’t want anyone to feel disrespected in anyway. This is a very touchy subject, and I don’t want anyone to feel like their opinions are being perceived as “wrong”.

I just want to know how everyone would feel if this occurrence happened, and why.

i guess if a white rapper says nigga, then it’s OK. A little uncomfortable, but OK

But if a white guy says n*gger, then he has crossed the LINE!!!

Yea i get you but the n-word isnt speaking African or their native language. The n-word came from the slave owners. They used to call them the n-word, that’s why some if not many people find it disrespectful. Because it “reminds” them of their troubled past.The n-word was made to insult African Americans it wasn’t made to talk slang with your homies. Its like a gun, a gun is made to shoot and kill it isn’t made to play with and have fun. It’s all up to the people though they decide if its offensive to them or not. But White rappers don’t say the n-word because its controversy some people wont mind while some people will get mad. Its better to stay off controversial topics, why because that’s how wars start. Both sides are going to biased no one is going to change their opinions. First it starts off with a thought, then it turns into a word, then into an action, and then when you realize it your fucked.

Have any of you seen the episode of South Park about the word “fag”?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJdKzVPawvU

i forget if i saw this video posted on rap genius or not, but its just a view into one white rappers mind and how he feels about this.

I say it all the time, non of my black / mexican friends really care at all.

why are Puerto Ricans (like immortal and pun) allowed to say the n-word?

What Yela said is a perfect example of reverse racism and giving that word power.

Very good question Sensezi! Why can only white people not say it? Because some of us (very few of us) have ancestors that used to own slaves?

This is not the 60’s. This is not that 1800’s.

It’s almost 2012. It’s time to make a little forward progress.

Honestly I don’t care anymore, to be honest I don’t think I ever did. I personally don’t like to be called nigga, and people who know me don’t call me that. The way I see it nigga is slang for dude/homeboy/cat/dog/guy/etc. It’s only racist depending on the context, which is usually non racist. If a ‘white’ guy says it, so what? Like someone earlier in this thread said, that’s reverse racism.

This is almost as stupid as a girl calling herself and her friends bitches, and then getting upset when guys call them bitches. It’s actually on the same level of stupid. If you don’t want someone calling you a word/saying it, then don’t use it or identify yourself with it.

Now hush up and throw some music on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fzuXQF_wIU

lol, Immortal Technique is not Puerto Rican.

Yah speaking Spanish to a Nicaraguan and saying the n word to a black personae totally different. The Spanish language was never used to degrade other Spanish speakers, the n word was used to degrade blacks

Just saw that video I gained a ton of respect for yelawolf

How many current white rappers do say the n word though? other than V-Nasty?

Not rappers but DJ Drama says it all the time, and DJ Khaled says it, though he isn’t white.

I’ve read Immortal Technique is Afro-Peruvian, so, if thats true, it doesn’t go against the norm.

As for Pun, I suspect it’s because the word’s negative power, for many, is only delivered when a white person speaks it.

White rappers shouldn’t say the word, at least in their songs. If their own black friends allow it, say it with them, but songs are a public thing once they’re released. They would, no doubt, be heard by black people eventually.

Of course, were a white rapper to say the word in a song, I wouldn’t think he/she were racist, but it’s still uncomfortable to hear from a white person, regardless of the context.

And, on the real, white people being denied access to “nigga” isn’t an issue serious enough to be deemed “reverse racism.” Why the hell is saying the word that important, anyway?

@dejaybear: The word is both a racial slur and a term of endearment, depending on who says it and who hears it.

I don’t really care for the whole n-word thing.
It’s just a word, sure sometime in the past it would have been used as a way to suppress the blacks but now it’s put on a whole different meaning.
Times change and with it, so do words.
An example of this is the word ‘faggot’, it’s main purpose is to pay out homosexuals or gay people. (The word gay itself has changed meaning over time) But now it’s just an everyday payout.
The meaning of the word cunt differs, not to mention attaching the word ‘sick’ in front of it suddenly turns it into a complement.
I mean seriously, people are stupid sometimes.

Though even with this being said, I still agree that the n-word shouldn’t be used by white rappers, even if it’s meaning has changed over the years.

I would really just ask why a white person would want to use the word.

I don’t think white rappers should use the n-word out of respect for black people and the culture that they’re in. I don’t understand why it’s so important for a white guy to use the n-word. I am white, and I get uncomfortable when I hear my white classmates use it. It’s just wrong.

Also, I wish some black rappers would stop using the n-word so much. Sometimes I rap along and then I stop when the n-word comes and it feels uncomfortable. haha

im white and a bunch of my friends, black and white hit me up and be like “ what the fuck you doing nigga?” and i’m like “chillin watchu fin to do?” i dont use it that often cuz its kinda like yo mama jokes, you gonna fuck around and say one to somebody whos mama just died. you didn’t mean to be offensive but theres no going back after that. It’s not always offensive to the people in a given situation but it has potential to be and that should be reason enough to not say it. plus ive seen older cats go off on black dudes my age in a store cuz they said “my bad nigga” he wasn’t on that shit and if he has a son he probably isn’t either.

I DONT CARE IF OBAMA HAD A SPEECH DEEMING THE WORD “NIGGA” OK FOR ALL RACES TO SAY CUZ ITS A DIFFERENT WORD AND A TERM OF ENDEARMENT BLAH BLAH… PEOPLE STILL WONT LIKE IT AND IT WILL NOT BE UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED, OR TOLERATED FOR THAT MATTER.

I don’t know if Joell Ortiz is half black and half Latino, but I am sure that he is Latino. Joell says the N-Word and no one gives a fuck.
From a young African-American’s perspective (13 years old) the N-word should just be not used because of the bad things that could come from it.
But from a rational perspective, I know and understand that it will never happen. People of every color are going to say it and there’s nothing anybody can really do about it.
If a white rapper said “nigga” there wouldn’t be a problem. “Nigga” doesn’t have a racist connotation. “Nigger” is totally different as we all know. So I sort of reside in the middle when it comes to the word.

Also, people shouldn’t be seen as racist if they rap along to a song and say “nigga”. That isn’t racist at all, you’re just enjoying the music. When Em is a hype-man for D12 and Slaughterhouse he even says “nigga”. He raps along with whoever is rapping. If they happen to say “nigga”, he doesn’t stop himself, and he shouldn’t have to. An example of this is when he, Nate Dogg, Snoop, Dre, and Xzibit preform “Bitch Please II”. The entire hook uses the word “nigga”. Em shouldn’t (and doesn’t) have to censor himself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhtHHYUpt1k Around 2 mins in…

can an indian (like the ones from India) say the n-word in their songs?

I live in Texas and when I’m in class and a white person says nigga, they nervously look around to see if a black person is around, and when they see me they quickly look away, I’ve even had people apologize to me for saying it. Not even white people are comfortable in saying, they just say it because its “cool”.

At this same school I’ve seen a white kid get jumped for saying it to a black kid and another white kid get his ass whooped for saying it to his white friend.

Should white rappers say nigga in their songs? Not if:
1. They’re saying to get fame/popularity/fans, etc to make up for their obvious lack of skill
2. If they value their health because much worse can happen than just an ass whoopin on tour
P.S. Also, not if they act like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq2YYhjjuz4&feature=related

V nasty needs to get Smacked the fuck up

Its all perspective of the word whether you have a positive, negative, or neutral view of it. Its going to be said whether you like it or not, in your face or behind your back. On a lighter note check this video out. It’s about the word “nigga” and how its used!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOpCfIRA9MY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

1. Take Tyler the Creator’s face
2. Turn his skin white
3. Give him a black wig
4. Make his brain stupid
5. TADA you get V-Nasty

the last minute is the most relevant part to this forum.

LOL, V-Nasty barely has any publicity and she already acts like she has haters

lame

We don’t know where V-nasty has been? You mean the ‘burbs are super rough now?

And it’s not the whole idea of saying it. It’s not that white people just want to say it because it’s ‘cool’. It’s the principle of being ALLOWED to say it.

It’d be a step in a positive direction if a white rapper was to say it. Now, some bad shit might come out of them saying it, but it’d tear down a lot of barriers. It’d put us all on an even playing field. It’d say, “Hey, no one in this game is ostracized or outcast for the color of their skin anymore.”

Hip-hop is a huge part of black culture. As is the word ‘nigga’. Now if white people can embrace black culture like white rappers obviously are, why can’t they embrace it to the fullest extent. Clearly, white rappers aren’t racist. They hang out with black people, they do black things, they make black music. So why would it be so bad for them to say a black word? Why would anyone get offended at that? It’s not “nigger” anymore. No one is saying, “Nigger, done get yo' shuckin' and jivin' ass out on my fields and pick me some damn tobaccy.”

It’s only a racist term when used racially, therefore if it’s not, it should never offend anyone.

Like yelawolf said in the interview up above, there are grandparents alive today who’s parents were born around the time of the civil war and there are many elderly people around today who were young adults during the civil rights movement. We aren’t as far removed from all the bullshit as you think. Racism still exists today. It shouldn’t but it does. We’re not at the place yet where that word doesn’t hurt people

I have no idea why white people have an obsession with WANTING to say it. Debating for hours on end looking for damn loopholes.

^lol, good point. It does make emceeing easier.

It doesn’t actually matter what race you are, it matters how you’ve lived. I kinda hate to say this, but if you grew up in the suburbs / country, then people wont want you saying it. If you grow up in a ghetto and your white, people wont care if you say nigga.

hmm interesting topic.
I may sound ignorant or what not but as to why white people can’t say it?:
– they’re white, they wouldn’t have the right voice (lol)
– it’s bad enough it’s popular in mainstream music to influence children
– why would you want to say it?
– it would cause A LOT of controversy

Just use another word (friend/homie) or sample it on like Em did on Jealous Woes II and put it in the rap, I do in fact have problem with people of any race using the word it makes me think less of you. As if you have little to no vocabulary to be uttering the word that much, but what am I suppose to do? Make t-shirts that read “stop using the n-word in your because white MCs want start to use it” tf?

Would you like to be a Nigger too?

The word has lost it’s meaning but it still has the bad taste when it comes out your mouth (y'nahmean?)

What album by a white person was this and who was the white person?

In a perfect world, the word wouldn’t be used by anyone because of the meaning it was originally. We don’t live in a perfect world. I think people are ignorant to say that changing the suffix of the word from “er” to ‘a’ changes it at all. And we live in a world where you might get beat the fuck up for misusing that word, so just because a couple of your homies don’t care, doesn’t mean that no one is going to find it offense. So if you really have the balls as a white rapper to put that on a track and let a whole community of rap listen, then your taking the risk that not one of them is going to be so offended that if they saw you on the street they’d lay you the fuck out. Watch who you beef with.

V nasty cant rap for shit

Idc where v nasty came from shes been in the deepest hoods get the fuck outta here with that shit she looks like shes living good if you got enuff money to afford joints, and to afford going around not doing shit then you aint poor you just talk alot of shit you want to see poor go to a 3rd world country LOL 3rd world countries make the hoods of America look like luxury

i personally don’t have a problem. i mean first of all it’s expression music is a chance to say what you want to say about what you see around you, without looking like a total asshole. also i feel that the word is only offensive when you interpret it to be offensive. for instance if v-nasty says “got my niggas with me” i don’t have a problem with that, she’s not saying like that. but if someones like “dumb black niggers need to get back field before i hang their asses” then it gets a little hurtful because i know they’re intending it to be hurtful and it’s hard to feel like ‘they don’t really mean it like that’ because it’s so specific. but if it’s used in a nonracial way i don’t have a problem with it. if you use it to describe a general person (think like motherfucker, no one thinks that whoever you call one fucks mothers specifically) then i don’t have a problem. it’s like i told a white dude i’m cool with “there is a difference between ‘nigga’ and ‘nigger’”