No worries children, I have descended to assuage your concerns. So lets talk about it...
hmm where to begin? Like a lot of Black American culture, Hip-Hop stems from oppression and exclusion. Black People not allowed to partake in mainstream white entertainment therefore having to create their own similar to HBCUs or Jazz Music. Hip-Hop is the product of a Disco industry that loved to prop up black entertainers as popular acts regarding the music/culture, but had far more contempt and exclusion in regards to black audiences actually participating within Disco Culture or in Nightclubs of the sort.
The core base of Hip-Hop has always been and always will be open expression. The voice of the unheard. The voice of the ignored. Its the foundation of the art form, for black people to express themselves without scorn and to foster a culture that belonged to them wholly.
This is why posters look absolutely foolish to come and try to tell artists what they should and shouldn't put in their music. It goes against the entire ethos of the art form, unbridled self expression. Not only that, its just ignorant as fuck coming from a white person in regards to US history (White America loves telling us what to do)
But lets get into 'The N Word' and its nebulous history and relationship with Black Culture.
Plain and simple, Not all black people even agree on the usage of the word. And that simple reason alone is a big reason why non-Black people shouldn't even think to be using it. Black People have reclaimed the slur, a slur that was used for generations as an act of dehumanization. Lets really think about this for a sec, I know black people claim the word as 'ours', but we didn't originate it. We didn't come up with it. That was a word used by White People against us to justify their inhumane and evil treatment.
"You aren't human, you are a nigger and that gives us the right do whatever we want with you". You can easily say such a sentence was the reigning sentiment of American History, and shit still rings true to this day.
If we get really based, Nigga is just the southern dialect of saying Nigger. Southerners didn't finish their words due to their regional dialect. When it came to reclaiming the word, Black People chose to go with Nigga probably because it sounds less harsh, and it can be differentiated from the original slur, which sounds ugly and is so rooted in hatred.
But again.... Think about the psychology behind this.... Think about why reclaiming such a word would even be necessary... Because its usage was so damaging and stigmatizing, it creates an almost Stockholm Syndrome effect that easily evolved into a vain attempt of power dynamics. Of restoring confidence and establishing Black Pride. Sometimes, i see the usage of Nigga to be somewhat of an ironic statement in a sense.
"Well, you call us niggas, so okay ill be that nigga. Ill be a nigga and still be successful. I'll still be worthy. I'll still be human. I'll still be great. I'll still be dignified"
End all be all, There is a different relationship with the word between blacks and whites. The time White People had with the word is over. There is no positive way such a word can be expressed from white people. To whites, it will always be an attacking slur. Only remaining a facade of camaraderie until the anger shows up and then the tone switches to be used as a weapon. And while blacks can used the word negatively as well, there is undoubtedly an equal and arguably even stronger bond of camaraderie involved with its usage. Its a bond, a recognition of struggle and oppression that we share while navigating life and the world around us. Acknowledging the history that set the foundation of our current world and just how much hasn't changed at the same time.
White People will never share that. They will never have that. And as a result, the word is simply posh. Its window dressing. They don't recognize the struggle thats uniquely coded into our culture and treat it lightly as a characterization of blackness. Hip-Hop Culture is popular, its World Wide and its cool so saying Nigga should be cool too? Right?
But there's no bond there, its empty... To them its as vain as turning your hat backwards, curling your fingers up, and saying "yo yo yo nigga yo". Its a caricature.
I have a second thought that deals with respectability. With any diverse society comes with a social contract on how we all interact with each other. We all recognize our cultural differences and with that we choose to be sensitive to ignorance in an effort to create harmony
When you speak with Asian people, I doubt you throw on a Karate Act. I doubt you start using your half ass Japanese words you picked from anime. I doubt you go into an ignorant "ching chong" chinese language mockery performance...
When you speak with Latino people, I doubt you say Ese to close your sentences. I doubt you assume their Mexican despite the vast amount of Latino countries present in the world, I doubt you assume their fav food is tacos...
When you speak with Arabic people, I doubt you make a terrorism joke to break the ice. I doubt you wax poetic about hijab and freedom. I doubt you put on some idiotic "hurkadurka" performance
So... can anyone explain to me.... why oh why... is the expectation that when you speak and interact with Black People that you should be able to call them Nigga? Why is the exception of common decency always targeting Black People? Why is it so difficult to ask non-black people to respect a social contract and not disrespect black people in their lives? We are always the exception for common daily social treatment. Clearly an example of lasting White Supremacy that we don't deserve respect or for our sympathies to be taken serious.
Damn anything we ask for because we're clearly being unreasonable.
In conclusion, A white person who means well and wants to have meaningful relationships with black people is not going to have interest in saying the word. They aren't going to get huffy about it. They not gonna look for examples to prove points. That doesn't mean they can't listen to Rap Music. It doesn't mean they are being divided ( thats some bullshit Bliman was talking bout) . And it damn sure doesn't mean they're being oppressed or discriminated against.
I will def be posting my list again so people can have more understanding
hmm where to begin? Like a lot of Black American culture, Hip-Hop stems from oppression and exclusion. Black People not allowed to partake in mainstream white entertainment therefore having to create their own similar to HBCUs or Jazz Music. Hip-Hop is the product of a Disco industry that loved to prop up black entertainers as popular acts regarding the music/culture, but had far more contempt and exclusion in regards to black audiences actually participating within Disco Culture or in Nightclubs of the sort.
The core base of Hip-Hop has always been and always will be open expression. The voice of the unheard. The voice of the ignored. Its the foundation of the art form, for black people to express themselves without scorn and to foster a culture that belonged to them wholly.
This is why posters look absolutely foolish to come and try to tell artists what they should and shouldn't put in their music. It goes against the entire ethos of the art form, unbridled self expression. Not only that, its just ignorant as fuck coming from a white person in regards to US history (White America loves telling us what to do)
But lets get into 'The N Word' and its nebulous history and relationship with Black Culture.
Plain and simple, Not all black people even agree on the usage of the word. And that simple reason alone is a big reason why non-Black people shouldn't even think to be using it. Black People have reclaimed the slur, a slur that was used for generations as an act of dehumanization. Lets really think about this for a sec, I know black people claim the word as 'ours', but we didn't originate it. We didn't come up with it. That was a word used by White People against us to justify their inhumane and evil treatment.
"You aren't human, you are a nigger and that gives us the right do whatever we want with you". You can easily say such a sentence was the reigning sentiment of American History, and shit still rings true to this day.
If we get really based, Nigga is just the southern dialect of saying Nigger. Southerners didn't finish their words due to their regional dialect. When it came to reclaiming the word, Black People chose to go with Nigga probably because it sounds less harsh, and it can be differentiated from the original slur, which sounds ugly and is so rooted in hatred.
But again.... Think about the psychology behind this.... Think about why reclaiming such a word would even be necessary... Because its usage was so damaging and stigmatizing, it creates an almost Stockholm Syndrome effect that easily evolved into a vain attempt of power dynamics. Of restoring confidence and establishing Black Pride. Sometimes, i see the usage of Nigga to be somewhat of an ironic statement in a sense.
"Well, you call us niggas, so okay ill be that nigga. Ill be a nigga and still be successful. I'll still be worthy. I'll still be human. I'll still be great. I'll still be dignified"
End all be all, There is a different relationship with the word between blacks and whites. The time White People had with the word is over. There is no positive way such a word can be expressed from white people. To whites, it will always be an attacking slur. Only remaining a facade of camaraderie until the anger shows up and then the tone switches to be used as a weapon. And while blacks can used the word negatively as well, there is undoubtedly an equal and arguably even stronger bond of camaraderie involved with its usage. Its a bond, a recognition of struggle and oppression that we share while navigating life and the world around us. Acknowledging the history that set the foundation of our current world and just how much hasn't changed at the same time.
White People will never share that. They will never have that. And as a result, the word is simply posh. Its window dressing. They don't recognize the struggle thats uniquely coded into our culture and treat it lightly as a characterization of blackness. Hip-Hop Culture is popular, its World Wide and its cool so saying Nigga should be cool too? Right?
But there's no bond there, its empty... To them its as vain as turning your hat backwards, curling your fingers up, and saying "yo yo yo nigga yo". Its a caricature.
I have a second thought that deals with respectability. With any diverse society comes with a social contract on how we all interact with each other. We all recognize our cultural differences and with that we choose to be sensitive to ignorance in an effort to create harmony
When you speak with Asian people, I doubt you throw on a Karate Act. I doubt you start using your half ass Japanese words you picked from anime. I doubt you go into an ignorant "ching chong" chinese language mockery performance...
When you speak with Latino people, I doubt you say Ese to close your sentences. I doubt you assume their Mexican despite the vast amount of Latino countries present in the world, I doubt you assume their fav food is tacos...
When you speak with Arabic people, I doubt you make a terrorism joke to break the ice. I doubt you wax poetic about hijab and freedom. I doubt you put on some idiotic "hurkadurka" performance
So... can anyone explain to me.... why oh why... is the expectation that when you speak and interact with Black People that you should be able to call them Nigga? Why is the exception of common decency always targeting Black People? Why is it so difficult to ask non-black people to respect a social contract and not disrespect black people in their lives? We are always the exception for common daily social treatment. Clearly an example of lasting White Supremacy that we don't deserve respect or for our sympathies to be taken serious.
Damn anything we ask for because we're clearly being unreasonable.
In conclusion, A white person who means well and wants to have meaningful relationships with black people is not going to have interest in saying the word. They aren't going to get huffy about it. They not gonna look for examples to prove points. That doesn't mean they can't listen to Rap Music. It doesn't mean they are being divided ( thats some bullshit Bliman was talking bout) . And it damn sure doesn't mean they're being oppressed or discriminated against.
I will def be posting my list again so people can have more understanding