Suge Knight sparked controversy recently when the former head of Death Row Records said he rather be called “n***a” than “African-American.” Public Enemy’s Chuck D was asked about those comments by TMZ and the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer expressed his feeling that “the N-word” is disrespectful to the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement and the Black struggle in whatever capacity it is used.
“Being called Black in America is the struggle to keep us moving and breathing over bloody water,” said Chuck. “Being a ni***r or [ni**a] without the context of history is like drowning in bloody water, dragging down those yet knowing to swim.”
Chuck did agree with Suge that “African-American” may not be the best word to describe black people in this country since a white African in America is by definition an “African-American.” He also takes aim at Hip Hop’s overuse of n***a, saying it is uncreative and lazy when rappers use the N-word more than three times in song without context.
Source: AHH
