My thoughts on Nas and Nigga


After peepin' Rizoh's compilation of all things news-related inre: Nas' rumored Nigga album, I have to ask: why is there such a big beef about titling your album Nigga? We allow albums (with parental advisory stickers, no less) to be riddled with all kinds of niggas and bitches and ho's and gats and the like, we allow Urban Radio shows the opportunity to use the word DURING MORNING RUSH HOUR, we allow Don Imus to return to radio, but we want to beef with Nas over the title of this album? We praise Richard Pryor for his use of the word, as well as Paul Mooney, turning it on it's ear and making light of situations, but we hate on Nas for his choice? What's the content of the album - is it a dissection, ala Bill Cosby, of the Black American struggle, life in the hood, and a way to flip the word back, or decry its usage? Some of the best art is satire - was Nas working on something in that nature, ala "These Are Our Heroes" (even if the ending was a bit corny)?

The sad part is, I don't think the Nas of today has the BALLS to release an album entitled Nigga. Nasty Nas would put it out, but "The Artist" won't. He can't even put tracks like "Black Zombies" or "No Idea's Original" on his commercial albums, so why would I believe he could pull off something of this magnitude.

I asked Rafi his thoughts on the issue, and he hit me with this beautiful response: "you know what would be even better though? if Nas could make an album where the most note-worthy thing about it wasn't the title." Many of the blogging world, especially the Hip-Hop bloggers, heard about Nigga being the possible title of Nas' LAST album, last year, so this is not necessarily new news, but the fact that it's the same fucking story screams "publicity stunt"... and makes myself and others just go dust off Illmatic and remember the times...
Share:

No comments: