**This is a picture of the shirt that Nas wore at a public event, not an endorsement for the t-shirt or word itself.


Since it's black history month, I figure this would be a perfect time to get real and bring up the subject. And although what I mention is not specific to just to hip hop, hip hop has "taken the reigns," if you will, in defending the use of the word and trying to strip the word of power. Before we start, it should probably be noted that personally I don't use the word, but not because of any sensitivity to race relations. It really is because before fully understanding the meaning and power of the word, I saw it simply as a curse word (or when we were really young, a "bad word"). As has gone on, "cuss words" just haven't become a part of my vocabulary, along with the "N-word." As I have gotten older, I have become much more sensitive to the word and although I don't flinch when I hear it and I have heard it so often that it usually doesn't offend, there are times when I wonder why it has to be used.

With that said, let's try to break it down. It has been said, especially within the hip hop community, that the use of the word is good because it strips the word of its power. We hear it in just about every hip hop song, in African American movies, and in everyday speech. Obviously, with the presence of hip hop being so great, the word has been heard, and said, by people of all races and cultures. There are few that are uncomfortable hearing or saying the word anymore. However, has the power really been stripped?

Before we answer that, I want to give you my theory and about using it in order to take away the power of the word. I actually came to this conclusion when talking to my brother. While we were discussing this very topic, he said that he broke it down in a very elementary way. He gave the example that as a little kid, if you were called a name, in his example he used "egg face," the only way to really get people to avoid calling you that any more and turning it against them is to accept the term "egg face." Take on the name, make it your own, and once people believe it is not offensive, they will stop using it. This is the mentality that hip hop has taken on and it sounds good on the surface, but one thing is left out of this theory that causes it not to work.

The thing that's missing is the behavior of the person actually taking on the derogatory name and if they actually live up to the word. If somebody calls you and "egg face," it is fine to turn it on them and accept it if you are not in fact an "egg face" (whatever that may mean). If you are given the name, but do not act out the description of an "egg face," then it this strategy could definitely be effective.

African Americans were labeled the "N-word" based upon nothing but racist, false beliefs and they fought to prove this description untrue. However, now, too often, we find ourselves in the news and media acting in ways that may very well describe exactly what we are not: Niggas. This is not who we are or what the majority of us represent, yet this is the image that is portrayed in the media because, as unfortunate as it is, it sells and it is still the believe of many people. The loss of content and fixation of material items and violence within hip hop has also helped to fuel these believes.

Now, there are mentions of violence, drugs, and other socially unacceptable things that those outside of hip hop community won't understand the mention of them, so that is not what I'm describing. If you listen to many true MCs, violence may seem very prevalent in their music, but without listening, the message in the songs will be missed. There will always be some negative images portrayed in the music as long as their are negative experiences in the neighborhoods that we come from (in Naught By Nature's "Ghetto Bastard," one line goes "say somethin' positive/well positive's not where I live). However, most of what is seen in the mainstream doesn't have a message. It is violence for the sake of being violent. It is selling dope just to sell dope. It is pimping just for the sake of pimping (although exploiting women is never acceptable). These images are what fuel the controversy behind the N-word and the belief by many that we are nothing more than an uneducated, under-privileged people. Of course these people are ignorant themselves, but why would we even give them a reason to believe these things?

This leads us back the original question of whether or not the word has lost is power. The answer, is no! The one reason I know this is because if anybody outside of the black community, especially a white man/woman, called you the N-word, you would be offended; more offended that if they had called you any other word (incompetent, stupid, ignorant, etc. etc.). They could call you any word that would describe and N-word, but that word still carries so much hurt, that it will still be a while before it loses its power (if ever).

I understand the want to turn the word around. This behavior is nothing new and much of our slang is taking what was once considered bad and turning it into a positive. It is part of our culture and another form of defiance and rebellion against the "Establishment." A girl that is "bad" is a pretty girl. A song that is "the sh*t" is a good song. We even now refer to somebody as "my boy" when boy used to be a derogatory term as well. But the N-word has proved to be too strong, powerful, and hurtful historically to be categorized with any of these other words. We know that as a people we are not N-words, but there are still far too many of us that act in a manner that allows people to point at us and use that as a base for justifying the use of the term. We are under a microscope. While many can look at a TV show and see somebody of a different race act crazy, it is the unconscious belief that the person is acting as an individual; that is just their personality. However, one black person acts up on television and it is believed that all of us are the same way. As wrong as it is, until that belief has faded away, the power of the N-word will stay.

Hip Hop's presence is so powerful that it has to take the lead on this image makeover. The environments that the majority of artists come from have many negative aspects and making mention of these things is alright. We understand the notion of keeping it real and if there are those that can't understand the point that is being made, then they're not important. At the same time, we need to make sure that violence and materialism is not the only way that we are represented. Then, and only then, will the power of the N-word not have its power.

Let me know what you think. Do you use the word? If not, do you mind when people use it? Has the word truly lost its power? Will it ever? I want it to be understood that this blog is not trying to encourage nor discourage people form using the word, but simply give another perspective. Leave a comment or email at straightouttahiphop@gmail.com. To top everything off, I'll leave you guys with Mos Def's song "Mr. Nigga" (which I think proves that too often we are still viewed in that way) and Nas' "Y'all My Niggas" (this is off of Nas' "Untitled" album which personally I think was a great album and I would have loved for it to have come out with the name that it was originally slated too simply for the topic of discussion and because I think he did a great job on both the song and album itself covering a range of topics).