The Black Forum: The N**** Dialogues #1 (Reader Discretion Advised)
I'd like to state that Spike Lee is not saying that African American culture is just for black people alone to enjoy and cherish. Culture is for everybody.
-Spike Lee
I was asked to address this issue way back after one of my classic (I'm getting ahead of myself by calling it classic) Facebook Notes, Why Can't Women Be Bitches?, from a couple years ago. Use of the word nigga, and I will use the slang version rather than the mainstream "nigger" really out of mere preference, is a very complex issue. There are so many double standards, paradoxes, ironies, and controversies when it comes to the usage of nigga. Given the many possible discussions that could come from this, this particular discussion will be about who exactly is using the word, which probably best fits under the irony and paradox categories. This is the first of a series within The Black Forum series, The Nigga Dialogues.
It's obvious from previous entries that I am a huge fan of hip-hop. While I remain a huge cynic of the future of the genre, I still express optimism by always searching for young hip-hop artists that will carry the torch since most of my favorites are old by hip-hop standards (Jay-Z, 41; Mos Def, 37; Talib Kweli, 36; Common, 39; Kanye West, 34, et cetera). The only one even close to my age is Lupe [Fiasco] (29), but he is noted as saying he won't be in the game much longer as a rapper. Recently, four up and coming rappers came out with albums, and like many rappers made their rounds through the mixtape circuit, J. Cole, Wale, Big Sean, and Drake. I was initially very disappointed with all of them, but I've gotten more lenient due to altering my expectations (this will be another entry soon). Two of them caused me to think with respect to the usage of the word nigga. One is probably fairly obvious, but the other not so much.
While listening to Wale's latest album, Ambition (the title track, Ambition is the only one that I really like *Rick Ross grunt*), one of my famous, or infamous depending on how you look at it, stream of consciousness events happened. Of course, like the overwhelming majority of hip-hop artists, Wale uses the word nigga in his lyrics. He is referring to himself and other people. I stopped and told myself, "wait, his parents are Nigerian. Interesting." Unfortunately, I listen to too much of The Max and Marcellus Show and Marcellus Wiley always says "innntresstinggg." It's rubbed off on me (smh).
Those that ardently use and defend the use of the word nigga mostly have no tolerance of people that are non-Black using the word. J-Lo found that out when she caused a backlash when she used it in her song I'm Real. We've heard the "that's our word" argument, but why do people choose not to do a little more work on this issue?
Going back to Wale, there is no outrage when he used the exact same word J-Lo used and so many other non-Blacks use (a number of non-Black Hispanics use the word). It is possible that both Wale and J-Lo share the same perspective with respect to the culture that uses nigga. Wale could be considered being non-Black. Yes, he looks Black, but being Black, the way I see it, does not necessarily mean Black skin. Black is a culture that developed in the United States of America with those that have African decent, but are purely American. Wale grew up in Chocolate City and was immersed in Black culture. Thus it is very possible that he views himself as Black just from being heavily influenced and cultured from the Black culture, in which nigga is used by many Blacks. What if J-Lo views herself in the same manner? Or anyone that is non-Black, but is purely immersed in Black culture? Why are they forbidden from using the word nigga if they feel the same connection to it?
Drake also provokes me to think about this issue. He is very much a [half] Black American, but no one that I know of has ever drawn the line that determines who is allowed to use the word nigga towards themselves or other people. Is it permissable if one is half Black? One quarter Black? An eighth? Three quarters? I've know plenty of people that are half black and many of them use the word nigga as part of their lexicon with no objections.
I haven't referred to myself or another person as a nigga since my freshman year of college due to just not being comfortable with using it towards others anymore. At the same time, I found the "funeral" for the word nigga to be a little over the top and downright wierd. I also choose not to tell people what to think and believe and tell them how they should interpret the word and the usage of it.
So, who can call who a nigga? Seems as though right now those that are at least half Black are socially permitted to use the word without controversy. All discussions of the use of nigga has been about the misuse of it and whether or not Blacks should use the word towards another person at all. Those that are in favor of the word have not yet explained exactly who gets to use it and who can't. Do you have to be Black? Do you have to be of Black culture? What if you are like Wale, a second generation Nigerian-American? What if you are like Drake, half Black? What if you are white and grew up in Black culture? While I don't use the word, people who support the use of it should, perhaps, dig deeper to figure out what types of people are using the word. One could be Black, but their ancestors were not subject to any of the racial strife suffered here for so long. That would put them in the same place as some non-Black people. What then? What if someone is white, but their great grandparents were Black and went through all sorts of racial strife? What then? Innntressstinnnggg...
-Spike Lee
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| Two niggas, of sort. Drake (left) and Wale. |
It's obvious from previous entries that I am a huge fan of hip-hop. While I remain a huge cynic of the future of the genre, I still express optimism by always searching for young hip-hop artists that will carry the torch since most of my favorites are old by hip-hop standards (Jay-Z, 41; Mos Def, 37; Talib Kweli, 36; Common, 39; Kanye West, 34, et cetera). The only one even close to my age is Lupe [Fiasco] (29), but he is noted as saying he won't be in the game much longer as a rapper. Recently, four up and coming rappers came out with albums, and like many rappers made their rounds through the mixtape circuit, J. Cole, Wale, Big Sean, and Drake. I was initially very disappointed with all of them, but I've gotten more lenient due to altering my expectations (this will be another entry soon). Two of them caused me to think with respect to the usage of the word nigga. One is probably fairly obvious, but the other not so much.
While listening to Wale's latest album, Ambition (the title track, Ambition is the only one that I really like *Rick Ross grunt*), one of my famous, or infamous depending on how you look at it, stream of consciousness events happened. Of course, like the overwhelming majority of hip-hop artists, Wale uses the word nigga in his lyrics. He is referring to himself and other people. I stopped and told myself, "wait, his parents are Nigerian. Interesting." Unfortunately, I listen to too much of The Max and Marcellus Show and Marcellus Wiley always says "innntresstinggg." It's rubbed off on me (smh).
 |
| J-Lo told them niggas to mind their business...ut oh. |
Going back to Wale, there is no outrage when he used the exact same word J-Lo used and so many other non-Blacks use (a number of non-Black Hispanics use the word). It is possible that both Wale and J-Lo share the same perspective with respect to the culture that uses nigga. Wale could be considered being non-Black. Yes, he looks Black, but being Black, the way I see it, does not necessarily mean Black skin. Black is a culture that developed in the United States of America with those that have African decent, but are purely American. Wale grew up in Chocolate City and was immersed in Black culture. Thus it is very possible that he views himself as Black just from being heavily influenced and cultured from the Black culture, in which nigga is used by many Blacks. What if J-Lo views herself in the same manner? Or anyone that is non-Black, but is purely immersed in Black culture? Why are they forbidden from using the word nigga if they feel the same connection to it?
Drake also provokes me to think about this issue. He is very much a [half] Black American, but no one that I know of has ever drawn the line that determines who is allowed to use the word nigga towards themselves or other people. Is it permissable if one is half Black? One quarter Black? An eighth? Three quarters? I've know plenty of people that are half black and many of them use the word nigga as part of their lexicon with no objections.
 |
| The burial of the Nigga...I guess... |
So, who can call who a nigga? Seems as though right now those that are at least half Black are socially permitted to use the word without controversy. All discussions of the use of nigga has been about the misuse of it and whether or not Blacks should use the word towards another person at all. Those that are in favor of the word have not yet explained exactly who gets to use it and who can't. Do you have to be Black? Do you have to be of Black culture? What if you are like Wale, a second generation Nigerian-American? What if you are like Drake, half Black? What if you are white and grew up in Black culture? While I don't use the word, people who support the use of it should, perhaps, dig deeper to figure out what types of people are using the word. One could be Black, but their ancestors were not subject to any of the racial strife suffered here for so long. That would put them in the same place as some non-Black people. What then? What if someone is white, but their great grandparents were Black and went through all sorts of racial strife? What then? Innntressstinnnggg...
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