The Use of the N-Word

The Use of the N-Word

I think it is about time that we laid out specific ground rules about the use of the dreaded "n-word." Things have spiraled out of control. White people have become much more comfortable with using the word. Black people are starting to revert back to the way they acted when the word was accepted. People of other races (other than black) are using the word too freely, simply because they work with, or are targeting their music toward, black people. The situation has gotten so out of hand that I think it's about time we decided, once and for all, who can use the word, who can not, and iron out definitions of its different variations.

The issue of the word's usage among non-black ethnicities quickly went from "barely noticeable" to "Is anyone else noticing this?" It got a little attention when Jennifer Lopez said it a few years ago, but then it sort of died down. I started to notice it when I realized that Fat Joe, a Latin-American, was saying it all the time in his raps. "Am I the only one that thinks this is a little odd?" Does Fat Joe get a "pass" because he raps? More importantly, SHOULD Fat Joe get a "pass" because he raps? Did he grow up in the hood? Was he in a gang? If the answer to both of those questions is "yes," I still say that "no," he should not get a pass. We have to draw the line somewhere, don't we? I guess I can let that go, though. I mean, Latin people do have a certain amount of credibility among blacks. So if Fat Joe can say it, where do we draw the line? What if an Arab person said it? Oh wait! There IS an Arab person who publicly says it all the time! DJ Khaled! That's right!

Come on now, black people. Seriously, an Arab person? This is OK now? Black people and Arab people have been at odds ever since the two bumped heads in one of black peoples most frequented places: the liquor store. I have nothing against Arab people myself, but in general, black people and Arab people have never really gotten along. Blacks don't like the fact that they can't buy anything in the hood from a fellow black person, it seems the Arab people own everything. Then, despite the fact that they make so much money from us, they still won't let us date their daughters! Then on top of all that, their men will consistently pursue our women! The relationship between blacks and Arabs has not been a match made in heaven.

So why are we letting DJ Khaled shout the n-word all over his CD? Why is he getting a pass? Because he affiliates himself with rappers? Then I think that, once again, the problem of the word's usage falls on the shoulders of rappers. At first, the fact that rappers were saying it all was a problem. Then that gradually became accepted. Rappers are going to say it, blacks are going to say it, that is not going to change. Now the problem is that rappers are allowing their peers to say it, peers who, were they not rappers, would get chin-checked if they said it. Why aren't DJ Khaled's peers going "Hey man, you're OK an all, but you can't go around saying that word."? Why are they allowing him to say it? And now that he does say it, and it's on records that are played on the radio, why are we, the consumer, allowing it?

We have to draw the line somewhere, and I'm ready to start now.

RULE 1: Blacks are allowed to say it. Should we be saying it? No. Is it confusing to other races that we say it so often among each other and to other races? Yes. The fact still remains, however, that we have earned the right to say it. It is part of our lexicon, and we never use it in a derogatory way. I am, of course, referring to "nigga." "Nigger," is not to be used by anyone, and we rarely use it ourselves. "Nigga," for the most part, is a term of endearment AMONG BLACKS. "That's my nigga." At worst, it is simply used to refer to another person. "Who's that nigga?" "Tell that nigga to watch where he's going." It's just black peoples way of saying "person."

RULE 2: NOBODY ELSE CAN SAY IT. Not Mexicans, not Puerto-Ricans, not Arabs, not Chinese, not Japanese. Nobody. End of discussion. If we can all live by, and respect, these rules, race relations should immediately improve.