Thug Life Army

Words are an important ingredient to good hip hop music. Great flowing rap along with that hip hop snap beat is what makes a good hip hop track.

Lately the talk has been the use of the ‘N’ word and the effects that it has on our youth. It has even been suggested that we ‘ban’ the use of the word ‘nigga’ in hip hop and rap music.

This issue has two sides - the why we should not use it and the why shouldn’t we use it. Both sides have good reasons for their belief but what is more important is why we are even talking about this issue when there are so many other bigger issues to address first.

Talking to a friend of mine, who is coincidently a hip hop artist named FAME, I have been educated on a few things concerning the use of the ‘N’ word but more importantly another issue that no one is talking about.

Do you know, as I didn’t, that some Afro-Americans do not like to be called Black? Have you really ever met a ‘Black’ man? Is calling an Afro-American a ‘black person’ any better than calling them the ‘N’ word?

It is in the context that the ‘N’ word is used of course, but have you taken the time to look up the definitions of Black and White?

Black can mean – Without hope; gloomy soiled, Evil; wicked, angry or resentful, dishonorable, Cheerless and depressing; gloomy, Being or characterized by morbid or grimly satiric humor, Deserving of, indicating, or incurring censure or dishonor, stemming from evil characteristics or forces, harshly ironic or sinister, deserving or bringing disgrace or shame, (bearing the least resemblance to white), dark, gloomy, sad, depressing, distressing, horrible, grim, bleak, hopeless, dismal, ominous, morbid, mournful, morose, lugubrious, joyless, doleful, cheerless, terrible, bad, devastating, tragic, fatal, unfortunate, dreadful, destructive, unlucky, harmful, adverse, dire, catastrophic, hapless, detrimental, corrupt, vicious, immoral, depraved, debased, amoral, villainous, unprincipled, nefarious, dissolute, iniquitous, irreligious, impious and the list goes on and on.

(Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/black)

So either blatantly or subliminally the word ‘Black’ has a deeper cutting effect than the ‘N’ word. The trouble is it is just accepted and used and no one mentions the definition of that word.

To better explain this look at the definition of white. White can mean – Caucasian, unsullied; free from moral blemish or impurity, pure - (used of persons or behaviors) having no faults; sinless; morally admirable, benevolent; without malicious intent, blank, clean.

(Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/White)

So a ‘black’ man would be (pick any of the above) – a sinister, joyless, bad unprincipled dude; while a ‘white’ man would be (again pick any of the above) – a pure, clean dude with no faults. Something is wrong there.

Deeper than the ‘N’ word is the words Black and White, there lies the true core of the ‘N’ word debate. The ‘N’ word just touches the surface and it should be addressed when there is nothing else to talk about, but as you can see maybe the words Black and White should be ‘banned’ when talking about race and race relations so we ALL don’t get hood winked by the underlining subliminal messages in the definition of those words.

What does it matter if ‘nigga’ is used or not used when the underlying message is a ‘black’ man, by definition, is already doomed from the womb to the tomb no matter what they accomplish in life?

Think about that the next time you use the term ‘Black’ and ‘White’ to refer to people.

Thanks to my friend FAME for opening my eyes to this.

*Find out more on hip hop MC FAME - HERE