http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2FxZfPRrAU

KRS One speaks on the N word

 

This is a very interesting subject and one, which my opinion is still forming.  KRS One, talks on a panel (I am unsure of the panels representation and the topic of the event).  Beginning with the analogy of dog meaning rice KRS gives a good brake down of language and how it is conceived and understood by different people.  He has a very deep harsh voice that is well-pronounced and slow in terms of speed.  He raises his hand when taking of the image in one’s head being rice, as if putting it in front of him or showing him it’s there.   There is a slight pause, this allows the words he is saying to be absorbed, but it is more for himself to gather his own words and thoughts.  His confirmation of the meaning of this analogy had him sit back, but still leaning forward with his upper body, and appearing unsure whether it is completely enough, as he nods as he confirms the meaning while pushing his arm out gesturing to you – being the individual who he is responding to, there are some chuckles from the crowd, due to it’s illogic and incorrect in terms of association, but if there is someone who does not speak a language very well, or even a person with dyslexia that muddles up letters, syllables or sounds, they can easily mistake one word for another no matter how dramatically incorrect it might be.  “If I say nigga” there is slight hesitance before this, possibly as he is considering the analogy and understanding and working through the theory whether sub / consciously.  He spells it out to emphasis and clarify the exact word / term of which he speaks.  His head while he says this nods as if in completely agreement with his verdict.  “Yo Nigga wasup, my nigga?” at this point his voice takes on a deeper tone emphasising the question, and “my” is dragged out slightly to stress, that you are mine, meaning we are a unison. His right eyebrow rises slightly as if further posing his question upon them.  This is a greeting many have greeted myself with, and I know their intention is not referring to me as a slave – rather my boy, my friend.  “If we thinking brother up lift meant, love, we joined each other, where is the wrong in that?” his posture straightens as his arms rise to do the action of up lift meant, which is important, as he is emphasising the action of unison and strength, his hand also gestures outwards stressing the we, and head shakes at the end of the question, gesturing wrong, but also saying he does not see the wrong.  From his perspective there is no wrong, as nigga is a word, it’s a word like rice, and it depends upon the speakers intention when saying this word and the receivers perception of this word, the body language and manner in which it is said also plays a major factor, as someone can refer to another in with rude insulting words, but their intention and manner is that of love and honesty. “Bitch nigga hoe…” he looks around as if there is many different phrases and possibilities he can say, and he does say “whatever” emphasising whatever one says to greet another it does not matter as long as they perceive, as it’s intended.  Talking of the respect, he points to his head, repeating himself many times, reordering the words, and shaking his head to emphasis them not seeing the disrespect.  His hand then goes out into the air, with the image of a black man and a tree, but his gaze stays directed towards whom he’s concentrating the answer to.  “That’s linguistics in its simplest form” his hand fingers lye on his thumbs while shaking his hand, like he holds linguistics in his hand, his expression is serious and straight, looking as if it’s very easy to grasp what I am talking o, but also I am explaining it and braking it down so you understand it’s simplest form.  “It’s ridiculous it’s stupid” his voice goes up emphasising the absurdity, his shoulders rise – gesturing why bother, and his hand goes forward – possibly to brush the idea away.  His head shakes refusing the proposal, while his mouth contorts to his left, and briefly he blinks, all subconscious but the blinking in that moment is as if he is trying to clear himself or his vision of this proposed notion.  “None of the linguistic people are stepping up” his hand gestures out towards the ‘people’ saying no one is coming to talk on this matter, his shoulders and upper back straightens slightly from the slouched position, to emphasis coming forward, as one who is willing to come forward would be confident and strong in there opinion and knowledge, and a straight posture with a straight back is body language for confidence and strength.  “Here’s the” his vocal tone increases a little emphasising something else I am throwing down, by using his arm he showing there is a division, and his arm rises to fall as if throwing down the ‘other’ part, his expression is that of a paradox.  “Other part to the argument” his mouth, begins to form a faint open smile, displaying irony.  “We created the term nigga” there is a slight pause, before, as he draws breath, but this pace and clarity of voice is important as it allows the words to sink in.  There is great weight put on we, stressing it’s from our community, not made by an outer body of sorts.  He puts an open hand to his chest, as he is a representative of the community of which h talks for, but to his chest also emphasises his heart, we as in those who are from my community or culture and in my heart in me.  His voice depends to say “nigga” emphasising the words pronunciation, but also the power of his voice and the word, potentially the community he talks of, as his voice represents that community.  His face remains earnest.  “Nigger, could be a racial…” this word I am unsure what he says his spelling out of the word does obliterate any possible confusion between the two words, his head turns to the right showing recognition to the controversy of the word nigger.  Could, is stressed suggesting he is going to interject the view, this phrase must not be used at all, that word I can not make out is probably meaning something insulting, and the pause at the end suggests the word is important.  Going on to affirm that no one should call another African nigger, his voice is very matter of fact, and decicive as if there is an agreement on that, he then says yes I can agree with that that is an insult.  But I wonder if it is okay to refer to another African as nigger – is that acceptable, if your intention is pure and sincere love and this is how it is perceived.  And as the words are so close in terms of lettering and pronunciation does how can one tell whether they are being called with an ‘a’ or ‘er’ and if the intention is pure and respectful does it matter?  He then says, “what if I call myself nigger”

Here he emphasis is on myself, and the spelling of the word, as his finger moves as he spells the word as if pointing out the letters as he says them.  When giving the example his body language means what he says, and his voice depends emphasising the importance of it, as if saying yeah that’s me.  At this point he leans to the side, and back, to then sit forward, as he asks “why are you mad?” his glare intensifies, as if becoming very intrigued into hearing a response, there is a brief pause, as if there could be one.  “I’m not calling you a nigger” this does answer part of my question that you would not call anyone a nigger, and when saying one could say don’t say that to me, he is respectful of their position, to then refer to them as brother sister, but it does bring it back round to it the bracket that it is a word and it depends upon the context and intention when this word is used as to it’s meaning.  “I’m a real nigger, straight up nigger right here” this is said with a sense of confidence, as he seats back, which also suggests an air of belief, and him looking and pointing downward to himself, emphasises “right here”.  “Why are you mad at me?   The person next to him nods very slowly as if beginning to see the perspective and argument.  “If I say I’m a bitch, all my real bitches get together” he says it with a slight smile, expressing some form of release due to his words, but him looking around and the tone suggests it is said with joy and sincerity rather than insulting disgraceful reference, and this is displaced in his voice, as it has an air of kindness.  He stresses I am defining myself with this term, so why should someone else be angry for my definition of myself, for example if he called himself a poet, why should someone else be angry, they may disagree, and state there case of refute, but it is not the arguers decision to label the ‘poet’ with this term.  He emphasises define and myself, as they are the most important words, and he points downward when referring to himself, and to the audience when referring to other people.  “And that then becomes the other argument” he shows this through his arms bouncing in the air, showing the drifting into or connection with the next.  “Do you respect my intelligence?” emphasis being on do you, as it is those that oppose the use of this word that must respect ones decision in defining themselves with this word, after they know it’s history, meaning and association.  His face, takes on a slight frown, as he puts the question to him, as if truly considering whether he is respecting his intelligence.  His voice stresses, “I’m telling you” as he is making the poser of the question and others understand and possibly believe he is not meaning disrespect with the use of nigger or nigga.  He turns to RZA, beside him and gestures while saying “my nigga”, this is done with a clenched fist, softly into his arm, the clenched fist has now got strong associations with ‘Black Power’ ‘Black Unity’ ‘Black Panther’ because of the original salute in the 68’ Olympic games.  This clenched fist is now used as a form of embrace and greeting as one would a hug or hand shake, it symbolising strength and unity, is important in today’s context of it being used within the Hip Hop and Black communities and cultures, as it is greeting and showing someone that unity and strength.  This greeting is doen by to fists meeting together.  KRS then confirms we know this word, and us talking amongst ourselves using it, is fine as we respect each other, and for this he turns to RZA, next to him gesturing between use with his hand, and entire upper body facing him.  But you – here he turns back to the audience addressing the questioner saying you on the outside of our interaction should not be offended, and if you are then you are illiterate in our culture, as in OUR, culture this can be said with respect and sincerity.  Respecting ones intelligence is probably the centre of this argument once it is conceived and accepted that, one does not approach another and refer to them as nigger, but one may refer to them selves and possibly even those from his culture as nigga, certainly himself as nigga or nigger.  One can refer to themselves as nigger, and a person from their culture as ‘nigga’ but they cannot refer to them as nigger (unless they are accepting of this) because that is considered an insult, and that was not the term made by those in their culture.

 

I must assert that I referred to Styles P’s character in the recording about the BET cipher as negro, which is one of the earlier uses of the term, and I am aware that in the 60’s certainly in America their were black people referring to other black people as negro’s.  I should have suggested the character be referred to as nigga rather than negro, as this pronunciation is not said any more.  I took the liberty in assuming Styles P would have said and did mean nigga instead of “figure”, as in other music he has recorded he often uses nigga, but as this was on national TV it needed to be clean.

 

This video is in many ways is a response to Julian Curry’s poem about young men’s use of the term nigger or nigga.  And if the deceased slaves were to hear this term being used by a black person towards a black person, firstly they might not realise (or immediately it would not be easily recognised) it stems from negro the derogatory term used as a reference to slaves, due to the change in syntax, the manner in which it is said, the speakers gestures and the receivers response.  Secondly, it is interesting that Negro the word given to slaves has now been changed and used roughly a hundred years after slavery.  The English language as a whole was forced onto slaves, as was that name, and English has adapted, to how blacks want to speak it, i.e. Creole – Jamaican broken English, and people who speak this form of English also speak standard English, while many Americans or people of English heritage do not understand any other language of any form.  Therefore this word can be seen as an adaptation of English to conform or suit the culture that uses it.