Wale, a rapper from DC who was recently named one of Hip-Hop’s Freshmen by XXL, has a song called “The Kramer” from his Mixtape About Nothing. It’s a great song to analyze because in one song it features a lot of the different views that people have on the n-word. It has hypocrisy. Wale says usage of the word is bad but then uses it more than 30 times in this song alone. He talks about the idea of Black people taking the word and making it ours, taking the power from it. He talks about why is it okay for Black people to use the word but not White people. In the end I think Wale condones using the n-word and he is on the side that we have taken the word and made it into something positive. While I don’t agree with everything Wale says, it’s still an interesting listen.

Warning. There are explicit lyrics. This is a fan-made video the song by Wale. There is no official video right now.

Wale – The Kramer (Unofficial Fan Video) from McFaddenisDead on Vimeo.

“Nigga ain’t bad, see, niggas just had/ A clever idea to take something they said/ Into something we have/ Something we flipped into something with swag/… A nigga write nigga in a lyric/ Expect the white boy to omit it/ The white boy spit it like he spit it/ Recite it to his friends who, by the way ain’t niggas/ And say, ‘Nigga, nigga, nigga, my favorite rapper did it’/ … Until a black friend kinda hear it just a tidbit/ He thinks, “Aw forget it./ It’s so insignificant and little.”/ The white boy sees this as a clearance/ Now it’s “Nigga, nigga, nigga” every single day/ And that little nigga nigga thinks it’s okay/ And he’s the only nigga in his particular grade/ And it begins to phase him more each day/ The things they say went a little too far/ He couldn’t tell the difference between an a or e-r/ So they keep going saying nigga in his face/ There’s nothing he can do, he let it get away”

Like I broke down the Jay-Z “Lost+” song, I’m going to do the same here. I’ll go line by line with the lyrics and talk about the argument of using the n-word.

“Nigga ain’t bad, see, niggas just had/ A clever idea to take something they said/ Into something we have/ Something we flipped into something with swag.”

This is the main argument you have probably heard when hearing someone explain why they use the n-word. “We took it and made it ours.” Jay-Z recently argued this point when he appeared on Oprah. Wale reiterates that point here. Black people tried to take a horrible word and flip it into something positive – a term of endearment. I think this argument is slightly hypocritical because to use this argument you’re acknowledging that there is a history behind the word and there is a deep-seated hatred. Yet once you ask them about the history, they say oh it’s just the past and it doesn’t mean anything today. This tells me that they must not truly know the past because we are still living in the effects of slavery, and that time period today.

” A nigga write nigga in a lyric/ Expect the white boy to omit it/ The white boy spit it like he spit it/ Recite it to his friends who, by the way ain’t niggas/ And say, ‘Nigga, nigga, nigga, my favorite rapper did it’.”

Here’s where the problem lies. Whatever your stance on the n-word, if you think black people should say it or not, here is usually where most people agree – non-blacks should not use the word. So if Sean says the n-word all the time around his white friends. Are we supposed to believe that his white friends aren’t going to pick up on the word and use it? Some might say that common sense should tell them not to use it. But humans like trial and error. So a white person will try it once and as soon as you ignore it that one time, they will take it as approval; as if you condoned their usage of the word.

“Until a black friend kinda hear it just a tidbit/ He thinks, “Aw forget it./ It’s so insignificant and little.”/ The white boy sees this as a clearance/ Now it’s “Nigga, nigga, nigga” every single day/ And that little nigga nigga thinks it’s okay/ And he’s the only nigga in his particular grade/ And it begins to phase him more each day/ The things they say went a little too far/ He couldn’t tell the difference between an a or e-r/ So they keep going saying nigga in his face/ There’s nothing he can do, he let it get away”

This is my favorite part of the song. Like I said earlier a black person will hear someone say it and not like it but won’t blow up and make a big deal out of it for whatever reason. Maybe they think it’s okay for them to say it or maybe they just think it was a slip and they won’t say it again. But then the white (or any non-black) person sees that as “a clearance” or an okay to use the word. Then they start using it all the time and that passes it on to their non-black friends and now everyone is using it. The issue comes in when Wale says, “The things they say went a little too far/ He couldn’t tell the difference between an a or -er.” Those who think it’s okay for a white person to say nigga instead of nigger have a problem with this. Personally I’m not okay with a white person using any form of the word so I don’t have to deal with this. However, I have seen this happen. One day they don’t like the tone a non-black person used the n-word in. They couldn’t tell the difference between if they said nigga or nigger and it offends them. This discrepancy in their ideology and their emotions confuses them and “there’s nothing he can do, he let it get away”.

This post wasn’t to convert anybody. If you use the n-word, you use it. If you don’t, you don’t. I have an opinion on whether or not I think the n-word should be used but this wasn’t the venue to express that. I just liked Wale’s song and thought it was an interesting angle to look at the debate over the n-word.

Who can use the n-word? What’s your stance on this subject?

-Michelle Huxtable

November 10, 2009 was a huge day for the District. It was a huge day for the entire DMV.[1] Two vastly different events happened that evoked two extremely different responses. The first, which if you were on twitter you most definitely were bludgeoned over the head with, is Wale releasing his debut album, Attention Deficit.

When talking about Hip Hop, one huge aspect is where you’re from. “ATL born and raised./ Too many claimin it and ain’t really from the A./ Just saying what I feel/ Rep where you from, not where you live baby keep it real.” (c) -Keri Hilson

Now for those not from the DC metropolitan area, I have to break this down for you. You know Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys? You know how that Yankee pride is felt through that song? You know how when you throw on that song people randomly claim different boroughs? Brooklyn this, Queens that. That’s all good and well but believe it or not the DMV has just as much, if not more, (shots fired) pride in our area.

The problem is, we have yet to establish ourselves in the Hip Hop arena. New York has Jay, Nas, BIG, 50, Fab, Diddy, etc… They have a lot.  Atlanta has Ludacris, Outkast, Jermaine Dupri, and Young Jeezy to name a few. Pretty much any major city/area has someone to rep them. DC has nobody that has made it on a national scale. Until now. Wale represents our city finally making it. When one person makes it, the whole city blindly follows them.

That’s not just with the DMV. Everywhere. When you find out someone is from your area you represent them proudly. This is good and bad. It’s good because we take pride when one of us makes it. It’s bad because honestly blind faith isn’t the best thing ever. For instance, with Wale’s album you’re going to find two kinds of people.

First, there will be people who will give Wale no credit and say that there are plenty of other rappers from the DMV who are as talented if not better. He’s cocky and arrogant and won’t go gold.  Second, there are the people who are going to say Attention Deficit is a certified classic. It’s better than Reasonable Doubt, All Eyez On Me, and Thriller combined. I’m not okay with either of these people but whoever supports Wale is cool in my book.

He's kidding. Mostly. He's just illustrating my point.

The point is, we support Wale. I don’t think Attention Deficit is a classic. I don’t think it will propel Wale to Tupac status. But it’s about time our city got some positive attention.

And then John Allen Muhammed happened. For those of you who don’t know, John Allen Muhammed aka the DC Sniper was executed that same day. He terrorized literally the entire DMV [He shot people in DC, Maryland (Rockville, Wheaton, Aspen Hill, Silver Spring, Bowie, and Kensington), and Virginia (Fredericksburg, Manassas, Falls Church, and Ashland)].

I’m from the DMV and so I know the effect he had on our area. People were afraid to pump gas. Kids were scared to walk home from school. Outdoor activities were cancelled. It was rough.

In the same day the city experienced two extreme emotions. We felt extreme pride (most of us anyway) in Wale for releasing his album. Sure nobody knows his numbers yet but that’s not the point. Seeing us come together to back a common man is huge for us. And in that same day nobody wanted to claim the DC Sniper.

Not only were we ashamed of a black man for committing a horrible crime but some were ashamed at how the justice system so expeditiously moved to execute him.  Most inmates on death row spend a decade if not more waiting to be executed and filing appeals. Not the DC Sniper. He’s spent less than 7 years waiting.

This isn’t in remembrance of him or to chastise the justice system.  It’s just interesting how in one day there are completely opposing emotions from the people of DC and opinions towards the people of DC. There’s the pride. Then there’s the shame. Two tales. One city.

How do you feel about Wale’s album? Crap or Classic? Is Wale’s release as monumental as we claim it to be? What about the DC Sniper? Did you feel any pause that day that a man was executed? Speak your mind.

[1] For the second to last time, DMV stands for DC, Maryland and Virginia.

Rihanna had a song on her CD Good Girl Gone Bad called “Question Existing”. I’m not a fan of the melody but I love the words. I feel like a lot of people can relate to it. You can hit play and listen while you read the rest of this.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0jOONpuP3c

“I put in work./ Did more than called upon, more than deserved./ When it was over, did I wind up hurt?/ Yes, but it taught me, before a decision, ask this question first:/ Who am I living for?/ Is this my limit? Can I endure some more?/ Chances are given, question existing. Who am I living for?”-Rihanna, “Question Existing”

With her position in the entertainment business it’s easy to understand what she’s trying to say. She works hard and maybe didn’t get what she expected. But this can be related to everyone. You work hard on your job. You work overtime, miss your kid’s soccer game and don’t get home in time for dinner and in the end you don’t get that raise.

You study all day and night in school, miss some huge parties and fun chances to hang out and you don’t get the A that you anticipated. You run 5 miles a day, do 120 push ups every night and 200 sit ups every morning and still can’t lose that 5 pounds? It’s important to ask yourself, “Who am I living for?”

Yes, it’s important to work hard toward your goal. If you don’t work hard, it’s just a dream, not a goal. But when you’re working 24/7 and missing out on life’s pleasures like seeing your kid score the winning goal, having some fun in college, or enjoying a nice slice of cake, maybe you should rethink your priorities. I can’t in good conscience recommend passing out at 3, waking up at ten, going out to eat and then doing it again[1], but you should enjoy your life. I’m sure you’ve heard the quote, “It’s the journey not the destination” or some variation of it.

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

That sentiment is quite true. While you’re working hard to make money and provide for little Timmy to play soccer and to be able to afford that new Benzo, don’t you want to enjoy pulling up to Timmy’s game in that new Benzo? You gotta enjoy the journey to your destination.

Later in the song she says, “Entertaining is something I do for a living. It’s not who I am, I’d like to think that I’m pretty normal. I laugh. I get mad. I hurt. I think I suck sometimes. But when you’re in the spotlight, everything seems good. Sometimes I feel like I have it worse cause I have to always keep my guard up. I don’t know who to trust, I don’t know who wants to date me for who I am or who wants to be my friend for who I really am.”

So obviously she is talking about entertaining but you know what? Every single one of us entertains every single day. At work you’re entertaining your boss and coworkers, you entertain your friends, and you entertain everyone around you. I know plenty of people who can relate to this who aren’t even remotely in the entertainment field.

Especially the last part of her statement, “I don’t know who to trust, I don’t know who wants to date me for who I am or who wants to be my friend for who I really am.” There will definitely be people who’s motives aren’t pure but there are also people who truly just like you for you. You have to find a medium. Be careful with letting just anyone and everyone into your life. Use some judgment.

Quick summation: It’s the journey, not the destination. Enjoy the ride to your goal. It’s gonna be hard work but enjoy what you’re working towards. Be careful who you trust. You don’t have to be paranoid but not everyone has altruistic intentions.

[1] Who said this line? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

I was riding the metro the other day and my iPod was on shuffle. The song “The People” came on by Wale. All my DMV readers definitely know who he is. And a line came up,

“The lovers, the haters, the aSalaam Alaykums[1]. Saturday night sinners do they Sunday morning fakin”

And, of course, it got me thinking. The part about “Saturday night sinners do [their] Sunday morning faking” This isn’t to discourage anyone’s lukewarm religion but… Why do people fake at all? I understand when you’re young and you have to go to church with your mom and dad so you don’t have a choice. But at a certain point like when you go off to college or when you move out of the house, you’re on your own.

Tradition is one reason, sure. You’re used to getting up on Sunday morning and hitting that 8am 11am service. But then, slowly but surely, you start complaining. “Hey you want to come shopping with us tomorrow morning?” “Nah, man I can’t! I gotta go to church.” It becomes this thing you dread all week. Something happens on Saturday that you have to wake up early and you think to yourself, “Dang. I gotta wake up for church tomorrow too? I couldn’t sleep in all weekend!”

So why go? And don’t misconstrue what I’m saying here. I’m not discouraging people from going to church whatsoever. I’m simply expounding upon that line. “Saturday night sinners do their Sunday morning faking.” Now obviously neither Wale nor I are one to judge who sins and who doesn’t but… If you know you’re not really living the holiest of lives Monday through Saturday what is it that makes you get up on Sunday against your own will and go to church?

I’ve thought about this before, too. Last year on Ash Wednesday I had friends who put the cross in ash on their forehead and when asked why they did that, they didn’t know. That wasn’t what got me because there are plenty of things I do out of tradition that I don’t know the history behind it. Be that wrong or not, it’s true. What got me is that while having a cross in ash on their forehead they contemplated their plans for the weekend. Let’s just say it wasn’t all clean 7th heaven fun.

There are people who don’t go to church at all because they don’t believe it’s necessary and don’t believe in God or anything religious. Then there are people who go to church religiously every Sunday and live that life throughout the week. The people in between are the ones I really am curious about. I’m not judging. I’m curious.

This isn’t the kind of post that has a conclusion. I really want to know the reason. Is it guilt? You feel like you’re letting your parents down or your pastor from when you were 4? Is it that you feel God telling you that you really need to be in the house of the Lord? Is it hope that even though you might not be where you should be in your life, you’re hoping to get back to where God wants you? Let me know!

[1] pronounced ah-suh-la-muh-lay-kum