…Does this brother realize that his attempts at diffusing the word "#**@%+" by making it some all inclusive colloquialism to represent all races is as weak as the beat he spit it too? Does he realize that when Robert Schwartz decides to stop being a #**@%+ all he has to do is change his look. maybe trade in the bapes and backpack put on a suit and he's right and exact. When Robert Yung decides he's no longer a $#!@+ he can be whatever an person of Asian decent can be in the country stereo types not withstanding. When Robert Rodriguez decides to stop being a #**@%+ he can become a proud man of Latin descent. However for Robert Jenkins who's grandparents where #%+$*+@, blown over by fire hoses and beat within an inch of their lives, when the term meant what it will always mean despite his attempts to make it a term of endearment. Whom despite his affluence or allegiance has to be as scared as a runaway slave when pulled over for driving black or shopping black, or standing in a group of more than 3 in his own neighborhood while black or any of the number of things blacks can do innocently while being black and end up dead because the cop who shot him 50 times like Shawn Bell or 42 like Amadou Diallo didn't consider himself a #**@%+…We're the only race that embraces our disgrace, and now you would have everyone else sing along with us in our shame.
http://nahright.com/news/2008/04/22/nyoil-on-the-new-nas-single/
theres more on the link
now i'm a fan of NYOIL and his music but it seems to me that the brother seems a little salty about the attention Nas' joint is getting while his flewunder the radar. i mean go back to NYOIL's song and he's basically trying to make the case that whites, asians, hispanics, etc etc try to act like a"N_" but when the time comes, they can take off that suit while someone like me or anyother black person in this country dont have that sameprivilege.
in all fairness, i think nas is intelligent enough to understand this and realizes this is a simple fact that cant be changed. i think he's trying todisarm this hateful word that has been used against us for so long. up until recently, i have been against the use of this word and it really hurt me and getme riled up when, for example, an angry white girl called me that. recently after re-evaluating the situation, i realized we give words their power. if i dontget offended when someone calls me a N_, then it has no power over me. its like when jeru the damaja said something to the effect of "when your mindcannot be moved from good or bad, then there is no good or bad, then there just IS" on wrath of the math. i basically gave the word that power over me. i know i cant change thesentiments of racism in this country that have been present for hundreds of years but its a start
i know that was a long analyis/thesis on a simple songbut i guessthats what good music should do, spark some thought.
