Why is Nas being attacked for Nigga?

[Rukas]

In launching our Opinions section on StreetHop.com; we've decided to blog our opinions regarding whats going on in Hip-Hop? Some of us will write about issues in the culture, some of us will write about releases, beefs, and whatever we feel like passing an opinion on.

To begin with I thought it would be fitting to address the current situation with Nas, after all, StreetHop.com is named after a Nas line.

Recently, God's Son came out and announced his next album would be called Nigga. Perhaps unsurprisingly this caught a lot of attention and has even lead Def Jam to deny the whole situation.

One of the loudest critics of Nas', apart from the usual Bill O'Reilly know it alls, has been Jesse Jackson.

"The title using the 'N' word is morally offensive and socially distasteful," Jackson said in a statement. "Nas has the right to degrade and denigrate in the name of free speech, but there is no honor in it. Radio and television stations have no obligation to play it and self-respecting people have no obligation to buy it. I wish he would use his talents to lift up and inspire, not degrade, making mockery of racism."

I have to wonder why Jesse, an intellectual black man himself, would have a problem with this particular release. Or for that matter, why would anyone have a problem with it, and not even mention other similar high profile album names?

Others you ask? Well, there was Tupac's Strictly For My N.I.G.G.A.Z, but 'Pac did cop a lot of negative feedback on that one regardless of the name, and we probably didnt pay that much attention to it; after all it was the norm for 'Pac back then after Vice President (of the United States mind you) Dan Quayle publicly denounced his 2Pacalypse Now album.

But what about Nigga Please by Ol' Dirty Bastard? The Nigga What Nigga Who single by Jay Z? Or Jigga My Nigga? Dat Nigga Daz? One Mo Nigga Ta Go by Yella from NWA (Niggaz With Attitude)? Still That Nigga by G.O.D?

You may be saying they are old news and not relevant, but what about Hood Nigga Diaries by Gorilla Zoe that came out this past Tuesday; right in the middle of the Nas controversy?

I cant help but feel, and I don't mean this with any offense to the other artists, that Nas is being punished solely because his musical content is anti-establishment and not just commercial or gangster. Not to take anything away from Jay Z or Gorilla Zoe, but their music has hardly dealt with the same social and political issues that Nas touches upon, or that Tupac touched upon.

Is Nas being singled out for using the word "nigga," or is it deeper than that? If Nas, like Tupac before him, didn't empower the word "nigga" with strong positive yet anti-establishment undertones, and instead was all about party and bullshit, while still making entertaining music, would he be enduring these attacks now? Or would he go unnoticed like those artists before him?

What do you think? Drop your feedback and discussion below.

 

[jflballer]

"But when I start to rise, get inside their children's minds/Now they give a fuck about us..."

Good questions Rukas...esp. seeing that you pointed out "Strictly..." and brought up the whole Dan Quayle thing.

Personally, I think nowadays people are absolute pussies. I'm sure there's a better way to put it, but I can't think of it right now. The 90s were all about rebellion and revolt and individuality. MTV helped push that envelope, and so did music, and the more extreme, the better. Nirvana, the grunge scene, tree huggers, gangster rap, NWA, 2Pac, they all helped it.

There were demonstrations and there was angst and Death Row vs. Bad Boy. Media coverage wasn't as extreme as it was now, people could actually do things without the paparazzi breathing down their necks. Stuff that would catch tabloid headlines was hardly people losing a few pounds or wearing sweatpants through the airport or smoking a few cigarettes.

HUGE ICONS were dying from entertainment beefs and drug overdoses. 2Pac, Biggie, Kurt Cobain...

So now Britney Spears shaves her head - oh, huge fucking deal. Nicole Ritchie loses a few pounds - oh, shit man, what the fuck is wrong with her. If somebody isn't totally glammed up and isn't playing their role correctly, it's a huge fucking deal.

Well fuck that. Doesn't anybody have some type of personal conviction that keeps their bodies and their souls going? MTV - the same force that helped push this personal and individual and team conviction, is now the force that is saying it's all about blending in, being inoffensive, and conforming - because, fuck, it's all about the hook up, all about tits and ass, and all about dating somebody and finding true happiness. Gag me. But look @ all these shows - Taildaters, Next, Date My Mom, I don't even know the dozens of others because I hardly watch TV, but I see kids caring so much more about appearance and fashion than I can possibly remember.

So with America so much more subdued, the biggest deal is now choosing which words artists should use to express themselves. What a crock of shit. People are so used to this now - playing by the rules. I am not into anarchy, but people go through struggle, pain, ups and downs, hardship and happiness, challenges, and a whole spectrum of things - let them fucking EXPRESS IT!!!!

It's all because they fear Nas, he spits about empowering oneself, and society is about keeping everybody in control. 2Pac was about empowering oneself. Jay Z, Biggie, these pop rappers nowadays, they just want to have fun. And there's nothing wrong w/that, but when you're held down, how much fun are you having?? You're not, you're being controlled by your circumstances, and you're working to make your living.

But when you get someone like Nas, who says fuck that, this is your life, be what you wanna be and don't just take what they give you, the red light goes off and these politicians and activists go, "Oh, shit, this stirs up the pot. This isn't good."

 

[MakavALi]

I think jflballer summed it all up

 

[Bhuddahhoodlum]

"House niggas don't like it when the niggas in the field talk back."

i realized this a long time ago.

 

[eXceL(FAM)]

you all are absolutely correct...especially on the point of nas not being a party and bullshit rapper...they are afraid that people will actually listen to him..i'm surprised they haven't assassinated him yet