Don Imus Done In Radio, But Can I Rap With Jay-Z About His Hos? - Page 2

Author: Dawn Olsen
Published: April 12, 2007 at 6:11 pm
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So my question is, if I am singing a Nelly, Jay-Z,  or 50-Cent song, am I allowed to sing the parts where they are talking about their "n*ggas" or their "hos" or their "bitches" without being considered a racist or a sexist? What about if my daughter's in the car and we hear a song come on and they are using those terms (and trust me, if you listen to the rap stations, this is an issue) what if she uses those phrases? Am I just not supposed to enjoy the music I like because I am white and can't appreciate the subtle nuances of an Afro-centric culture because I was born a different color? Don't get me wrong, I have no rhythm and I can't dance, but I like me some "black" music, including the kind whose culture is somewhat foreign to me as a suburban white person.

I am not trying to cause a problem or suggest that people be allowed to use hate speech. Quite the opposite. But how fair, and I mean fair as in equal, is it to have a subculture in our society that speaks at least for a segment of the black population that uses these terms (and certainly "nappy-headed ho" is a term that's Afro-centric) but then complain when non-blacks use it. Again, not talking about Don Imus saying stupid crap about Rutger's athletes, I'm talking about our society as a whole being infilitrated with lingo and references that are used primarily by African-Americans about African-Americans. How are we supposed to know what's okay and what's not? And no, it's not black or white, it's gray.

I know there are a billion stories about the double standards of rap and Don Imus's flare-up. But that's not my issue or my question, my question is may I sing about my "n*iggas" and my "ho's." Because I like to sing. Loud. And sometimes I drive by people who aren't white. Does this mean I am a racist?

 
 

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Article Author: Dawn Olsen

A veteran blogger since 2002, Dawn has written for many different blog incarnations ranging from parenting, politics, popular culture, music and everything in between. Her writing can be found Blogcritics.org and her celebrity blog, Glosslip.com. }

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