More new Nas.

Radio rip with Ronson talking over it but I’m sure it’ll hold you beasts down.

Nas Feat. Busta Rhymes – Fried Chicken (Prod. by Mark Ronson)

Previously Posted — Nas – Heroes | Nas – Black President

Words By David D.

Let’s suppose that Nas changing the title of his album wasn’t a publicity stunt. Let’s suppose that all along Nas and Co. wanted to stick with the original title. Maybe I’m naïve, but I’m gonna go ahead and believe that Nas was intending to go forth with an album entitled Nigger.

After listening to the first two singles, “Be a Nigger Too” and “N.I.G.G.E.R. (The Slave & The Master),” there seems to be a perfectly sound reason for the title change. Maybe L.A. Reid realized Nas was not able or willing to construct an album capable of bearing the political and social responsibilities of being called Nigger. The singles lacked the approach necessary to affect any sort of social change in regards to using such a word.

Throughout the history of artistic attempts at social change, there seem to have been two predominant methods that have been maintained for the past few hundred years. One of these methods was popularized by Charles Dickens who would create stories of a singular family or even one or two individuals. But these stories would be so emotionally resonant, pulling upon real life events and situations, that the main characters would represent the everyman who could be associated with society as a whole. Lupe Fiasco’s narratives found on The Cool are perfect examples of this sort of approach. Read the rest of this entry »

Nas – N.I.G.G.E.R. (The Slave & The Master)

Props to Legend for the assist.

Previously Posted — “Back To Nas…” |Nas – Be A Nigger Too

Words By Contraâ„¢

Nasir Jones changed his album title in what is suspiciously beginning to look like just another sales gimmick. Read the rest of this entry »

Swiped from Eskay.

It’s with the infamous “-er” too.

Let’s begin the countdown before Greums reposts it in the comments lol.

Nas – Be A Nigger Too

Previously Posted — “The N”

Words By Contra^TM

“…The decent Negro.”

Hip-Hop’s wise soothsayer and village madman is at it again. When I stumbled on this video, like most, I wasn’t shocked at the least.

I think Nas has made a crucial error. He has lost his piercing edge and his abrasiveness, and rendered himself blunt, smooth and even soft. His message is no longer poignant, piercing and scarring, just barely bruising at best. Read the rest of this entry »

Nas decided to call his new album Nigger.

By now, you’ve read all the different takes on what could be the economical, social & cultural effects of using the word as the album title.

Fortunately, I haven’t read any of it. I didn’t want to cloud my take on it until I had a chance to write about it.

Nigger.

Say it as much as you want and it doesn’t really phase me. I’m not one of those that says “I’m taking the word back and taking away it’s power.”

Bullshit IMO. Let someone other than a Black person say it and you would probably hear me gasp & wince as if I just took a blow to the stomach.

I think those who grew up with N.W.A. are pretty much desensitized to it. Literally, N.W.A. totally changed both the connotation and denotation of the word for Generation X. The current generation, so far removed from the tension surrounding the word, is somewhat numb to it as well. But those of the Civil Rights generation aren’t, as the word still rings the shrillest of bells to them.

I’m numb to it, but I quickly regain a sense of feeling when I have to explain to a Asian teen why I prefer he didn’t say it. And I’m even more aware when I have to explain to my shorty why she’s not a “nigger” or a “nigga” when someone calls her that.

I’m a lifelong student of the liberal arts & love to see artists work & produce. I want to think that Nas has some greater purpose that will be unveiled during the course of the album. Perhaps he shot himself in the foot and hurt himself out the gate by letting the album name out so far in advance of its release. The arts should always work uninhibited because one of the first thoughts that came to me as this shit started stirring was “Imagine if someone had succeeded in convincing Dick Gregory not to name his autobiography Nigger?” For Nas, his art & message are being critiqued…and it’s not even out & available yet.

Nigger.

So as I try to come to terms with, I say let him name his album whatever he pleases. Let’s see what unfolds because I do believe Nas will do his best to his best to make audible what he had as his inspiration for naming the album Nigger. Perhaps it will have a similar impact as the song below had on me when I first heard it. And hopefully, like the song’s ending, one day “nigger” will die…so Black folks can take over.

The Last Poets – Die Nigger

Props to the homie Suave because it took us nearly half a day to find that song on mp3.