[Seen above] are rapper Nas and his wife, singer, Kelis wearing N-word emblazoned attire at the Grammys on Sunday to promote Nas's upcoming album of the same name.
Reportedly Nas is using the word more as a form of artistic expression, than as a marketing tool to incite controversy.
Nas insists the epithet is symbolic of the oppression and discrimination experienced by people of all ethnicities.
He told a CNN reporter:
"We've all at some point felt discriminated on, whether it's in Dominican Republic, whether it's in China, whether it's in Iraq with soldiers getting their heads blown off for reasons we don't know why. The meaning of the word is supposed to be ignorant.So no longer are Black people still niggers, it's also me and you (a white correspondent). I want people to think about what I'm thinking about today."
When asked, even Jay-Z backed Nas. He called Nas's use of the word "art," saying people afford power to words. He added that if we expunge the term from the English language other racist diatribes will replace it; the sentiment and feelings will still exist.
I'm reserving my final judgment for when, and if, I hear the album. But as of now, I don't like the idea. I think the word is highly offensive--I rank it right up there with cu*t. And I think the message will be lost on too many people for it to be effective. But that's the cynic in me.
For more insight check out Blackvoices.com and jovanmiles.net.
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