Should Black Artists REFRAIN From Using the N-Word? (Discussion)

[GMFlop]

Black people are racist too but nobody calls them out of it. These are the same people who calls the white people a trash and nobody blinks an eye about it. But hey, black lives matter. 

[DearBritney00]

They should censor it / don't use it when it comes to public things like music, films ect. It's their fault if you sing it as a non-black person. I try to change it to ****er so it basically has the same meaning (being angry at an ex) but sometimes it's really hard to change it (e. g. Nicki Minaj, she raps so fast that you are not prepared when the word drops). Other then that I don't use that word at all.

[Endlessstan]

4 hours ago, Stefani said:

I mean, I never understood why African Americans took a degrading word (the original n-word) and altered it slightly to begin with, much less why many still use the abridged version to describe themselves and others if it's still considered a taboo word in some instances.

I'd love to find out why the word entered the lexicon of many African Americans so casually, although I don't think any word should be banned; maybe cancel culture should just **** off. 

I guess you’d have to be black to understand. This conversation always comes up when a white person faces the consequences of their actions. Try harder.

[The Greatest Show]

I mean if i was a black person i would refuse to use that word because when they use it to describe each other they sound uneducated and dumb as hell. Kind of like adding "you know what I mean" after every sentence.

But I dont believe in banning words and filtering language. Culturally I think it would be best to drop that word but it shouldn't be a law and old historic books that have the n wird with an -er in it shouldn't be banned either. Its part of history and people should be able to see how people used to talk and what used to be considered normal.

[jordeezy river red]

This is such a complex argument - censorship is not good. We have a word that only a certain segment of the population is allowed to use but it is also used in some of the most popular music in our country. Rap music shapes society - it is powerful. I don't know the answer to this one besides telling people not to say the word. Don't support music with the word in it if you do not support the word. I do think it's time to phase the word out of mainstream art. 

[NachoCheese]

Yes, only black people should use the N word but...

the N word kind of looses it's impact/importance when it's spewed so often in every rap song these days.  

which is weird since historically it's an offensive word

[DearBritney00]

43 minutes ago, jordeezy said:

This is such a complex argument - censorship is not good. We have a word that only a certain segment of the population is allowed to use but it is also used in some of the most popular music in our country. Rap music shapes society - it is powerful. I don't know the answer to this one besides telling people not to say the word. Don't support music with the word in it if you do not support the word. I do think it's time to phase the word out of mainstream art. 

If we would go by that logic most POC artists wouldn't have a career because most of them use this word in their music.

[CindyTheTVisLeaking]

sick and tired of the blacks' complaints on how they should be treated and now called

call me racist or whatever, just giving my honest unpopular opinion

[THE_MIKY]

I do think a word like this should be banned yes, for everyone. Considering the use of this word can get you in trouble. The same goes for the word F within the gay community. Here an example:

When I was living in London, my friend arrived and was learning english there from zero, alongside black people from the city. Her friends used the N word all the time, and so she, innocently, picked it up and used it with one of her friends (the one who taught her that word) to call her at work (friendly) and the black girl complained and had her fired.

If a non black person can not say it and can even have her/him fired from work, black people should not normalise the use of it between them but then get so offended if someone else says it, specially cos this word in contemporary society its being popular because of them!

[girl_bye]

as someone whos not from the us i dont get why a word can only be said if ur the right skin color... t just doesnt make sense to me

[conceptuel]

in spain negro means "black", they don't have that problem

tbh idgaf about what black people are using in their songs

i understand where the controversy is coming from, I'm always laughing at white people singing rap songs and suddenly shutting their mouth when that word is coming 

reading some comments like 'glad that he didn't say that word!!!!' like c'mon guys, when ur singing ur not even paying attention to the lyrics most of the time, that doesn't make u a racist

8 hours ago, danny1994 said:

Yeah and it sure as hell shouldn’t be up to white people who can and who can’t say that word. I wish white people were as uncomfortable about the word during slavery, Jim Crow, etc.

white people in the US*********************

'cause eastern europe doesn't have anything to do with it, btw we've been colonised by the turks for some centuries lol 

just reminding that outside the US, it's not a White vs Black issue, it's much more complex than that dichotomy 

There's been three major slave trades in history:

1. the African slave trade, from the VIIth to the XIXth century (it all started with African rulers, during ethnic fights the winning group would enslave the other and sell them to the rest of the tribe as slaves). Estimation: 14 million slaves.

2. the Arab slave trade, from the VIIth to the XIXth century (North Africa, which includes Berber populations + Libyans and Mauritanians and the Arabic peninsula). African rulers would sell slaves to Arabs. Estimation: 13 to 17 million slaves.

3. The Western slave trade, from the XVth to the XIXth century (Europeans would buy them for industrial purpose, and Americans for them to work in plantations). Estimation: 11 million slaves.

Eastern Europe (= half of Europe) is out of the equation. Therefore, outside of the US, it is no longer a White vs Black issue, when it comes to colonisation and slavery. 

[THE_MIKY]

9 hours ago, ThisMeowBiteback said:

Blacks took the N word & made it to a positive, whites don’t get to make it positive, when they the ones who came of with it & made it so Derogatory in the first place 

The white people who made it derogatory are not the white people who lives on earth nowadays.

I can understand they should not be allowed to do so. But white people who are not racist.. who have not slaved anyone.. then it gets more tricky.

[ThisMeowBiteback]

3 hours ago, THE_MIKY said:

The white people who made it derogatory are not the white people who lives on earth nowadays.

I can understand they should not be allowed to do so. But white people who are not racist.. who have not slaved anyone.. then it gets more tricky.

Doesn’t matter, have of America is still racist (Trump supporters) so just don’t say the word 

[BrittonJeanSpears]

I thought Madonna got in trouble for calling her BLACK son the n-word? She got in trouble for showing her white son's bulge on the 4th of July when he was like 13.

But no, Black artists should have the ability to use that word if they so choose.

White people like Eminem and Latinos like Cardi B shouldn't be able to use the word, though.

[kdub87]

For me I think it’s ridiculously childish even calling it “the N word” like it’s Voldemort, a word that just cripples people when hearing it. Yet it’s thrown around in every single rap song known to man these days. If the mere mention of the word triggers you so hard that we have to say “N word”, how come it’s not triggering you when you here it 100x in a song? Or amongst other POC?  People go on as if the mention of the word will turn someone into a quivering mess, but only from a white persons mouth.

You could say that the context is different and without malicious intent in music or amongst other POC, but then so is the context of someone using it in mature discussion or singing along to a song.

Its honestly the most pathetic thing about modern culture. Being so triggered over a word, REGARDLESS of the context or intent is just really so ridiculous. If you’re using it to deride someone, sure, you deserve the backlash. But if you’re having a grown up discussion or singing along to a song, don’t be so dumb to have a meltdown and label someone a racist for something so innocuous, you only make yourself look stupid, imo.

[TedTwice]

Either everyone gets to use every word there is or ban for everyone. It should be only fair, otherwise we've got a double standard. Easy as that. 

[aspect]

I wonder how many non-black people in this comment section feel so emboldened and empowered to tell black people what they can and cannot say! Words are reclaimed all the time. Think about the word "*****" for example. You wouldn't call your mother one (hopefully) but even she understands that being called a "boss *****" is positive and the contemporary meaning of that word has changed. That word is tossed around tons in the LGBTQ community. I call my friends "girl" or "*****" as a substitute for their names and feel comfortable doing so because I am a member of the INGROUP.

In the case of the "n word," I do not use it personally but don't believe in its censorship. And how dare white people say we can't use it?!  We took an ugly disgusting word and for better or for worse tried to turn into something less ugly. For those of you talking about history and not being slaveowners please go back to the drawing board and think up some other tired arguments that haven't already been debunked. You can be racist without having owned slaves and you don't have to say the "n word" to be racist and benefit from a racist society. The only context that you should worry about when it comes to using the word is if you are in the INGROUP or not. And if you're not, you probably shouldn't say it without expecting some sort of backlash from a black person. Seriously, white people have everything!!!! Stop trying to make us conform to your ideals and let us live!

And to the Latinx or Hispanic people talking about the meaning of "negro." 1) We already know that 2) Don't get me started on racism and colorism in some Latin communities.

[jennyj]

As a black girl myself, well half and who has a hubby who is 100% black.... we both HATE that word.  There is so much hate behind that word, and it has a much darker meaning than a lot of youth even realize.  Music is released to EVERYONE regardless of race, so when they hear that word in songs, they think it's ok to use as well. But then they're baffled why they receive backlash for using it?  If only one type of people can use a word, then release your music ONLY to those people and not on a public platform.  It's just like songs with cuss words, when parents listen and then get mad when their little kids start cussing?

No one should be using that word period. Just like no one should be using other racist words, even to their own community.

But of course the people who are angry about that are the ones who don't know the true extent of it, and believe in "rules for thee, but not for me".