Controversy about the word nigga

YouTube · Unread post by **alexalonso** » June 6th, 2003, 3:00 pm

In the last few years I have observed a double standard with the reaction that non-blacks have received when using the word nigga. I am not talking about whites who have used the word but other racial minorites such as Hector Camacho, Jennifer Lopez, and Lt. Governor of California Cruz Bustamante. I wrote an article entitled Won’t You Please Be My Nigga: Double Standards with a Taboo Word with all the details and created this forum for those that want to discuss their views.

Alex Alonso
site admin.

Unread post by **wcrockets** » June 23rd, 2003, 4:54 pm

I think everyone should be able to use the word from a legal sense. I also think that in a perfect world, no one would.

thesoulsedge · Unread post by **thesoulsedge** » July 22nd, 2003, 3:08 pm

I like to use the word "nigga" and I have the word tattooed on my chest. I identify with the word and draw power from it.

But I hate it when whites call me a "nigger" or refer to "niggers". Here in Israel, I've been called "nigger" more than a few times. Most of the time it's out of arrogance and ignorance. Because I'm far, far from my hood and have no backup, I cannot do much to defend myself. I can't defend the entire black community against people who look down on us.
But sometimes I want to just lash out with vicious hatred. Sometimes I want to "flip" and just kill muthfuckaz.

Nigga is a good word, but "nigger" is an invitation to death. Sometimes I just boil with hatred when I hear a white person refer to "niggers"...those dirty peckawoods.

Unread post by **wcrockets** » July 23rd, 2003, 2:25 pm

But you just did the same thing you hate by referring to white people as "peckawoods."

thesoulsedge · Unread post by **thesoulsedge** » July 24th, 2003, 10:25 am

You're right but I'm black...why do I care if peckawoods are offended? Be offended. Stay offended. And die for what you did to my people.

The crimes they committed against us is one of the reasons they gettin' carjacked now.

You doubt me. What is the most violent country in the world in terms of crime? Answer: South Africa. Why? Niggaz gettin' revenge for Apartheid (the word means Apartness in Afrikaans/Dutch). Crime is like jackin' the slave massa's for money he should have paid to his slave.

All plantation owners should die slow.

DOH · Unread post by **DOH** » July 24th, 2003, 11:57 am

thesoulsedge wrote:You're right but I'm black...why do I care if peckawoods are offended? Be offended. Stay offended. And die for what you did to my people.

then your a hypocrite

thesoulsedge · Unread post by **thesoulsedge** » July 24th, 2003, 1:48 pm

No, I'm legitimately angry. And if I'm hypocritical--I must say that I'm willing to accept my own hypocricy. I can live with myself.

Whites put down blacks all the time...and they have the power to enforce it. My power is only words.

"Words are hotter than flames/Words are wetter than water"
--Ani Difranco

Unread post by **bgcasper** » July 24th, 2003, 11:03 pm

well souledge you and me are really different ,i don't blame today white boy over things my ancestors went thru ,no way ...and i don't fuckin judge a guy cause of his color ,i got homies that are mexicans samoan asians and white i love them and to me they my niggas those guys grew up and went thru the same stuff i went thru ,so i rather have them calling me nigga then houseboy like you souledge ,don't you ever call me a nigga in front of me cause i'll show you the meaning of respect ...you can dis my city do whatever you want its in the net and you know your ass is in isreal anyway is it your words:

""(You're right but I'm black...why do I care if peckawoods are offended? Be offended. Stay offended. And die for what you did to my people)

, this comment you just did prove that your a disgrace to our race and the comment die for what you did to my people is just a nazi way of thinking ,i don't relate to people like you,seems that you have a problem of double identitie in the getto we call you guys transformers . the racist blackman who just wrote that racist coment ,can't be the same buster who gave props to the white house and said he was bush lover ,you even stated that bush are american royal famili and just claim we should bow down in front of israel the strongest hood in the world? boy you should be slaped i wish one day i meet your lil house ass ...

G bka C.rum · Unread post by **G bka C.rum** » July 24th, 2003, 11:26 pm

Ni66as need to stop trippin off the word ni66a anyway. Ya'll need to find out its origin and it wont be an issue. Heres a quic lesson Nigga or as whites used to say nigger actually is a Latin word pronounced Niger you pronounce it Ny-Ger it means black in Latin. If you research history the europeans the 1st came to this Crooked ass country were the uneducated white trash of britain the couldnt pronounce the word Niger correctly so they said nigger which just means Black. The later tried to say it means ignorant to make it offensive but it really means black its no different then sayin Negro. Dont get it twisted though let a whiteboy call me a nigga though its on an cracken. Casper you got a big heart I still blame white people for the conditions of my people 2day cause they aint doin a damn thing to really help us and soulsedge you need to be slapped for givin George Bush the president of the New age Klan any props after all them niggas he executed in Texas NIGGA you trippin wake Niggas it not a war on terror its a war on whoever doesnt agree with this Country.

Unread post by **bgcasper** » July 24th, 2003, 11:42 pm

no c rum i'v said :i don't blame today white boy over things my ancestors went thru ,no way ...and i don't fuckin judge a guy cause of his color

i totally agree with you ,i don't blame for yesterday cause i got enuf to blame today and thats the reason i say fu-- bush and his white house but i will never say fu-- all white people no i don't wanna be a kkk buster in black ,no way

Unread post by **wcrockets** » July 25th, 2003, 1:12 pm

I was just pointing out the hypocrisy. Now that we've done that and the G's have weighed in on the subject (and pretty well too!), hopefully soulsedge will consider the reality of that truth.

As long as your not trying to assasinate my character with a gossiping tongue, I personally don't care that much if you call me a peckawood or not because I know I'm not one. A peckawood is a white boy that deals drugs. I assure you, that is not me. If you call me a white devil, honestly I'll probably laugh at that too. If you call me the incredible hulk or any other cartoon character I might laugh at that too. I don't really care.

If peeps are having a little fun with me cause I'm different that's fine. I do have a sense of humor and am not easily offended at all. If someone is a bit hostile about it, I'll try to defuse the situation with some humor (even self effacing) because I am not a hostile individual and desire peace with people. If someone is just dumping their hate or racisism on me as a prelude to attack me, then that is something very very different. I've been there before as I'm sure many of you have.

If I came alone and it's not my home or work, I'd probably just try to leave. Sometimes that works wonders. Only as a last resort would I start using my self defense against what I would be viewing as a socially crippled individual whose failed personal development was driving their evil inappropriate behavior.

Still all the jiu-jitsu, grappling, and striking arts won't help you against a mob, knives, or guns really.

I don't care what the ads in the back of those magazines you've been reading say. lol..

Unread post by **BIG DUSTY LOCO** » July 25th, 2003, 2:17 pm

wcrockets,
You should check how much your comic books are worth now, especially if they have that old comic strip ad...with the guy getting dirt kicked in his face...LOL.

Unread post by **wcrockets** » July 25th, 2003, 2:34 pm

Haha! You mean Arnold right? The next Governor of California.. oh man I can't even believe he may run. Crazy if you ask me. The terminator running California. I can just see him turning and looking at Davis during his acceptance speech: "You have been terminated!"

thesoulsedge · Unread post by **thesoulsedge** » July 31st, 2003, 10:37 am

The bottom line is "a nigga" is "a nigga". I'm a "nigga" and that's all to it. It's not a bad thing or a good thing. It just is: so there is no real controversy.

civil_thor · Unread post by **civil_thor** » August 5th, 2003, 12:31 am

I think the double standard goes farther than the word "nigga"... Somehow words like cracker, white boy, spic, gook and beaner have slipped through the cracks and fail to bring the same level of stigma, though they're similarly ignorant.

I personally think that all of the above words CAN be accurate representations of someone, if attributed to behavior. Lets face it-there are walking stereotypes in every race and none of us are proud of them. That being said, I think we should remember that our own character is gonna be judged any time we use those words and we should be prepared to be marked as an idiot if we allow our verbage to invite that judgement upon us. The most intelligent, relevent statement can be lost completely if spoken in the language of trashy racial militancy.

As an afterthought, we all can make claims to having been dealt a crappy hand in one way or another. If you want to blame somebody else for that, you're doing yourself a disservice. Better to nut up and do what you have to do to be an example of success (by whatever measure) than to whine and blame and be a victim of your own mindset. That applies to everybody, regardless of race.

thesoulsedge · Unread post by **thesoulsedge** » August 14th, 2003, 9:45 am

CAN EMINEM USE THE WORD "NIGGA" TO DESCRIBE HIMSELF? THIS IS A SERIOUS QUESTION. IS EMINEM A "NIGGA"?

Unread post by **bgcasper** » August 14th, 2003, 10:16 am

no fuc--kin' way homie he ain't a nigga ,and he better not use this word in front of one of us cause he gonna end like james dean .
the fact he rap doesn't make him a nigga ,i 'm a thai boxer but i stay a nigga i'm not a thai fuchk no . even if he do like jackson but the revers i mean put some silicone on his lips and ass and change his skin color and get an afro even then it doen't make him a nigger ,i mean jackson may be grey but he still a nigger ...

intramix · Unread post by **intramix** » August 14th, 2003, 11:31 am

thesoulsedge asks:

CAN EMINEM USE THE WORD "NIGGA" TO DESCRIBE HIMSELF? THIS IS A SERIOUS QUESTION. IS EMINEM A "NIGGA"?

Seriously I don't even give a fucc mayne'

But I have seen the interviews with Busta - 50 - Obie sh*t everyone west of Vegas say'n he a ni66a - I don't bump his game - so I don't know if he
say'n that sh*t or not. But damn if this fool ain't got everyone trippin'
bet his ass will soon... just to stir sh*t up...

I did catch this interview with him... saying cali ain't as hard as Detroit... but I only caught 1/2 of it...

like bgcasper say's Feminem lol .... he gonna get twisted up in his own sh*t pretty soon - he a mark mayne.

thesoulsedge · Unread post by **thesoulsedge** » August 16th, 2003, 11:52 pm

I agree that Em ain't a nigga...BUT in the LBC cambodian and vietnamese gang members call each other "nigga" all the time. My cousins walked past some asians...one of them called out nigga...he turned around to confront them...but when he turned around, he realized that they didn't call HIM a nigga...they called EACH OTHER nigga...then these cambodians started swingin' on EACH OTHER callin' each other "nigga".

casper...i think the "nigga route" spreads to certain other groups in the hood...no Eminem aint a nigga...but some other groups do adopt a "nigga identity"...

i don't know if it's legit or not...i think that a true nigga is black...other people can maybe "borrow" the nigga route...as for me...even though i've been in different environments, i'm a nigga and can't be anythin' else...

pico · Unread post by **pico** » August 18th, 2003, 6:35 pm

casper...i think the "nigga route" spreads to certain other groups in the hood...no Eminem aint a nigga...but some other groups do adopt a "nigga identity"...

moonstomp · Unread post by **moonstomp** » August 18th, 2003, 8:17 pm

I think it's ridiculous that this controversy exists. First of all, I think it's obvious when someone is using the word "nigger" or "nigga" offensively, regardless of color. If someone says "damn niggers, la dee the" or even "damn niggas, la dee the" that's offensive. When someone in Israel or Europe or something calls someone a nigger or a nigga, it's in ignorance of the history of the word here. That too offends me. Regardless of color, when someone's like "so me and my niggas were walkin' down the street" it's not meant to offend and it shouldn't. As for the "difference between black people and niggers" argument, I both agree and disagree. I disagree in the sense that while that may be what some people are using as THEIR definition of the word nigger or nigga, it is NOT what the word was intended to mean. I also, however, am bothered when I hear people say they don't like that, especially people who lead the gangbanging life, or are just generally the stereotype people are refering to when they point out the difference between a black guy and a nigger. Hate to break it to everyone, but the reason a lot of white people today like "black people" but not "niggers" is because the ones they don't like act a certain way, which fits in with stereotypes of how blacks act. If you don't want to be stereotyped and if you don't want racism to exist, quit fulfilling the dumb white people's image of what black people are all about.

Also, I didn't do a darn thing to any black person I've ever met. And yes, when someone calls me "honky" or I'm walking down the street with a chicck and a guy says "damn, that cracker ***** has a nice ***" I'll turn around and say "shut up, nigga." Don't perpetuate hate. Racism is racism. Not all white people are the same. If you want to say that we haven't done a thing to help black people out, what do you think gangbanging does to help black people out? Killing each other and giving your race a bad name isn't really helping anyone get their foot in the door. You can't kill hate with hate. Becase every time a white person hears a black person call them a cracker or a honky, or call someone else a beaner, a spic, a chink, a towel-head, they're that much more likely to become racist.

Also, do your research. Peckerheads were (are???) a white California prison gang. Bikers, I do believe. That's where the term started out.

thesoulsedge · Unread post by **thesoulsedge** » August 18th, 2003, 11:59 pm

Very interesting...I USED to believe there was a difference between "black person" and "nigga". Whites would tell me that I was "a black person" not "a nigger". But I now see this as "divide and conquer". I don't divide myself or my identity. My skin is black so I am and will always be a nigga. I even have the word tattoed on my chest.

As DMX says, "if you forget where you're from, someone will remind you." So blacks are niggas period.

But I don't like the word "nigger"...that's racist. But "nigga" (with an a) is ok.

Unread post by **wcrockets** » August 19th, 2003, 9:31 am

I prefer to call people by the name they give me. It can be a first name, or a new name, or a handle/nickname.

Now if, for some reason, someone ever wanted me to call them something I felt was derogatory (only Soulsedge has ever done that with his wanting us to call him a word that starts with n and ends with a), I'm not going to do that. I don't care if they have a well intentioned argument to go with it.

What they choose to call themselves aside from that is their own business.

thesoulsedge · Unread post by **thesoulsedge** » August 19th, 2003, 9:53 am

wcrockets...the problem is that you define nigga as "derogatory"...it's not ALWAYS negative...

"nigga please" (in jest)

"that's my nigga" (to a friend)

"nigga for life" (keepin it real)

"what's up nigga" (greeting)

"blacks are all niggers" (this IS racist)

SEE THE DIFFERENCE!!!!!

Unread post by **wcrockets** » August 19th, 2003, 10:54 am

Easy bro, and sorry about getting the names twisted on my other post I apologize for that, but what I'm trying to say here is that I'm just not going THERE.

Because I'm white, I'm not going up to a bunch of Blacks and calling them "my nigga" or my anthing else. I approach with respect and confidence expecting respect. Now it's true that I often find I get something less in return. But since I don't have a punk attitude (ie tude) I don't let it faze me. I have found this contributes to better relations and a better environment. If it starts to break down and it's best to leave then I leave. No reason to stick around if you're personal safety is in jeopardy unless you have a real gut feeling something good is going to come out of it. But as a rule it's best to leave at that point. Common sense you know. See, my worth and self respect as a person is not dependent on how others treat or view me.

What I'm trying to say bro, is that's fine for you as a Black man but I don't even go there. Not even with my Black friends who I know very well, trust, and love. It just isn't worth it. I would rather walk a higher path with them.

Now I think in addition to the psychology/sociology/anthropology reasons why people gravitate to those who look the same way they do, we need to address how this prison culture affects the community.

I can walk up to people who aren't in gangs that are Black and find it rough going and they can experience the same thing outside of their neighborhood. I've had teenage gangmembers fresh in the church tell me they weren't supposed to associate with me in any way because I was white. They get over that of course once they see a responsible caring person being consistently rightous with them but this mentality trickles down to the street and communities from jails and prisons and has an effect.

I might do a search and see if there is a thread created yet about the impact of prison culture on the street among the community (both gangmembers and nongangmembers). That would be a good thread.

thesoulsedge · Unread post by **thesoulsedge** » August 19th, 2003, 11:45 am

i don't like being called "bro"...i consider it a hidden way to be offensive...what's this bro crap....what does it mean

Unread post by **wcrockets** » August 19th, 2003, 1:57 pm

I can clear that up easy. Bro means brother. It is not derogatory. Most white guys I know use it amongst each other when they are close.

I will refrain from using the term with you, however, since you do not like it. No problem at all. Peace.

thesoulsedge · Unread post by **thesoulsedge** » August 21st, 2003, 12:02 am

crockets...i'm beginning to think you are right about the word "nigga".

in my youth i learned to call myself a "nigga" from family members...my parents called me that...so it stuck with me. But historically the word goes back to the slave master.

so it could be a negative, self-hating habit...it could be a destructive word and image that has brought about sadness, hurt, pain and paranoia for me.

it could be time for me to go beyond "nigga"...time to enter a "post-nigga" period in my life...

perhaps nobody is a nigga...and that's the way it should be...

i need to think it over.

Unread post by **wcrockets** » August 21st, 2003, 12:37 pm

It's definitely a process of growth. The way I communicate today doesn't even really resemble the way I used to talk when I was in the military, for example, with just a high school education and mostly from the streets of SoCal.

When you are ready, you will transcend. But then you have to make a choice about that tat. Will you keep it as a rememberance of your youthful coming to terms or will you remove it as a barrier to future growth. I think you could go either way really. The tat doesn't define who you are although it can be an indicator to how you once thought.

thesoulsedge · Unread post by **thesoulsedge** » August 21st, 2003, 1:27 pm

wcrockets:

yes, i think that one day it will be a memory on myroad to growth...

first, i have to separate myself from bigotry...because it chokes me fromthe inside out.

second, i have to take a stand against bigotry and in support of justice. it's not enough to get away fromracism. i think i should do something positive to help others.

third, i think i need more time for me and less time worrying about other people andwhat they do and think. the older i get the more i'm attracted to quiet, meditation or yoga.

as lauryn hill says--correctly--"how you gone win/if you ain't right within"

i would add these lines: "not only will i win/but yet i will transcend/never ever again/will i give in/to the disgraces/ of hatin' other races/lovin' beautiful colored faces/the only hidden places/are holy spaces/ that sacrifice me inside/i won't hide/from my peace-soul's pledge/young man standin' on the soul's edge"

Unread post by **Snowman** » August 31st, 2003, 10:44 am

The few hispanics (mostly from el Salvador) that were in my school (my school was mostly black) used to call eachother and the black kids 'nigga' all the time. Over here you very rarely actually here a black guy call another black guy 'nigga' unless it's an insult. Most of the people over here who use the word are white kids in black neighbourhoods 'trying to fit in'.

Mosty of the rap CDs that I have who have hispanic rappers like Big Pun, Mr. Rob, Lil One, Cypress Hill, Kid Frost etc. use the word nigga all the time. B-Real from Cypress Hill is Cuban and has really pale skin but buses the word all the time.

I think it should be just as unnacceptable for Latino people to use the word as it is for whites.

The word itself isn't that bad but it's overused. Often you get poor white dudes reffering to themselves jokily as white trash, white working class scum or rednecks, but if a rich white dude was to use that word to them they would get a smack in the mouth, so in the same way that only white people should be able to use words like 'white trash', only black guys should be able to say 'nigga'.

thesoulsedge · Unread post by **thesoulsedge** » September 2nd, 2003, 10:22 am

the word won't go away...so the definition must change to give a positive image...my point of view

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