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Hasan Malik is a master of awkward moments and creating unnecessary pauses... being normal is so boring. Trust me I've tried being average it's just not for me. So please join in moments of awkward platypusness and itchy souls because it's good for your health. Random is the name of the game. Internet, Check ✓

Saturday, January 2, 2010

The Kramer

Ok so I'm back, I hope that you enjoyed the Hawaii Chair, and have had a splendid soul tickling day thus far. But anyway on to more pressing matters. I wanted to "revisit" (as my mother would say) an issue that is not new to being visited or revisited, but I feel as though in 2010, a new decade we should know where stand on this topic. Now this is the only sort of disclaimer that I'ma probably ever give because I feel as though disclaimers take away from the awkwardness of a situation, I mean by preparing people for what's ahead it no longer awkward (how the hell can you be prepared for an awkward moment?!?! That defeats the whole purpose of the moment!!). But anyway I want you to know this might be a rather touchy post for some and I say that because I hope that we can all approach this topic with an open mind, and willingness to new ideas (come on it 2010!). I'm not aiming to hurt any one's feelings or anything of that nature so I hope that you don't receive it that way.
Okkk, so with that out of the way lets talk about the topic of the evening...

"Nigga"

This word right here has been the spark of many discussions, rallies, campaigns, etc. I would like to take a brief look at the word and it's history (not too in depth because we all obviously know where it came from) and then I wana focus more on what it's been up to lately. And lastly explore options for the future of the word, is it here to stay? Is it's once cute infant appeal now turning into a pimply faced, braces wearing teenager who needs to learn how to start using deodorant because they're starting to grow hair in certain places (you get what I mean right?).

So "nigga" is a word that is widely used today among the more hip youth. But it's origins trace back to an uglier time in our country's history when it's not yet evolved version "nigger" could be found on plantations, or being shot out of the end of fire hoses at protest, or being tied to a fan and thrown in the Tallahassee River, and so on and so forth. This word was hate. This word was the power that one group of humans had over another group. But we all know how this story goes.

So let's fast forward, to I guess what we can call the birth of hip hop times. By then the word had already found its way into the black community and found itself getting new meaning. Even though your mama would still smack the black off of your ass if she caught you using it in her house. But we black folks, the creative folks that we are, decided to drop the "er" (which is too damn proper anyway) and put an "a" in, and voila! Nigga!! So now we've got our own piece of the racist apple pie. This is our thing, the white man thought he'd gotten the last laugh but naw dog we the gona take this shit and run with it (it's really silly actually if you think about it. It's like me picking on a group of lil kids, and every time I see them I push them around and call them "shitheads". And after awhile they decide they not gona take it no more so the form a lil gang and get jackets and stuff made and the name that they decide to go with is the "shitzheads". And they laughing at me like yea this is our thing son! and you can't be apart of it!). So because of that it almost just seemed like "nigga" belonged in hip hop. I mean hip hop was all about the struggle, and life around you, and being a "nigga" was a part of life. And consequently if rappers are saying it the youth in the black community are almost sure to embrace it. And so on and so forth another tired story that we all know.

So fast forward to the new millennium. Where racism has become a thing that is frowned upon, and Klan members are made to trade in their hoods for badges to make it look prettier. And we as black people feel as though we've come so far since slavery. I mean look we can go to college now, vote, and marry white women (and if that ain't freedom idk what is). So whats our lil troublesome word been up to you may ask, what's he been getting into? Well hip hop (and please by no means think that I am blaming hip hop for the word "nigga". there are many factors that play a role in this words existence, but if I tried to cover all of them this post would take longer than my little fingers can stand to type) has blown through the roof since its birth. The glamor and the glitz, the money, fame, and power reach well outside of the borders of this country around the world. Trust me I know first hand. I was in Egypt about five years ago, in my hotel leaving my room and getting in the elevator. I had on a du-rag, and upon entering the elevator was greeted with looks of shock and amazement because the two girls in the elevator had no idea that Lil Bow Wow was staying in the same hotel as them. Down on the street I was constantly being greeted by the youth at the mall with "yo my nigga" and "what up doggie dog" (true story). So with hip hop being so mainstream naturally so was "nigga". And over the past years there have been several major occasions where racism has showed it's ass (see the funny thing about suppressing something, is that it finds it's way to the surface, and when it does it sticks out like the retarded bastard child that you thought you'd flushed down the toilet so many years ago, now showing up to the family barbecue [that was very disturbing I know]). You've got Katrina, Sean Bell, Jena 6, Oscar Grant, Don Imus, and my personal favorite Michael Richards better known as Cosmo Kramer. (please if you don't know what any of the names refer to take the time to google them, it's good for your health). Yea times have gotten crazy, and the thing about it is that none of those situations were actually that drastic in comparison to whats happened in the past. But since we've tried to sweep racism under the rug and just ignore it, the smallest things can set off the biggest response (in no way am I implying that Katrina or any of these situations weren't serious. Just saying that gentrification ain't just come out yesterday...)

So now on to the reason why I even began writing this post in the first place. The word "nigga" has come a long way, since it's birth and then transformation. And at least in hip hop it's become this accepted norm. So I was placed in a peculiar situation the other day, where I was playing spades with some friends of mine. Well actually I was out with my boy and we was chillin with his friends. So me and my boy are spades partners and the other two guys are partners. The layout of the night is cards, kitchen table, three black guys, one white guy, and laughter for days. I was having mad fun, these dudes was funny and it was a good time. Now the white guy as my friend later pointed out was a cool enough guy but "sometimes he crossed the line" as my friend put it. And I began to wonder where exactly the line was and who drew it. Ok so we all have a rather vague understanding about white boys and the word "nigga". It's like if they cool as shit then they can only use it around other guys who know that they cool as shit and in turn won't beat they ass. But if around guys who might be unaware of how cool your shit is, you must first receive your cool as shit certification before using the word in the vicinity of said individuals. And it get's tricky cuz even if you around cool as shit niggas who have already certified your cool as shitness, if one new individual appears then the process starts all over (cuz if not, it's gona take a whole lot of convincing on the part of your already cool as shit niggas to let the new comer know that you is cool as shit, before he puts his foot up your ass and really cools yo shit [pause]). So that's the vague break down of the situation. And it got me to thinking why is that shit so complicated? I mean personally I think that it's rather ridiculous of us as black people to invite white people in as friends but then hold a gun to their heads the entire relationship as if waiting for them to fuck up. Then I ask myself well why would they even want to say "nigga" in the first place? And I see that as a simple two part answer. One. ok so if you somehow had the ability to morph into any animal that you wanted to, and you came across a pack of wolves and said to yourself "hey I'd like to be friends with these wolves" what would you do? Well first I'm pretty sure you'd probably observes the wolves behavior, like notice if a kitten happens to stroll by and you seen how all the wolves attacked and ate it for dinner. That would then tell you that it's probably not best idea to turn into a cat, right? Then you'd observe how they interact with each other the way the communicate their body language and all that. And finally I'm almost certain that you'd probably come to the conclusion that the best way to befriend this pack of wolves is to become a wolf yourself, develop a taste for cats as well if you don't already have one because that's obviously whats for dinner, and then learn how to use their language and mannerism as to make them feel the most comfortable when around you...right? And that all white folks do, they just wana join the black club, so they dress like us, go find black chicks wit fat asses, and then start talking like us because they want to fit in. Is the so bad?? Idk maybe it is. But then I think about the second part of that answer and realize that they almost have more rights to the damn word than we do. White people buy the most hip hop music and practically feed the damn culture. And shit I know me personally if I'm funding the muthafucka then you best believe I'm saying the shit...but that's just me.

So it's 2010, where are we with the word "nigga"? Well I'll say personally I've used the word through most of my younger years and not up until very recently questioned why I did. It was just apart of vocabulary. But being at the place that I am in my life, and being surrounded by the people who do, other words have started to surface. I'm about progress and moving forward and I believe in using positive and productive words. And no matter how many times you try to flip the meaning of it, there is nothing positive about the word "nigga". So instead when I go to greet my brothers and sisters who I respect and care for I refer to them as King and Queen. It just makes sense that way, uplift the people and you uplift society. Try it, trust me you'll catch people off guard. Just be like "whats good King?" or "Hello Queen". That shit will blow people away. But why not? I mean we've tried this "nigga" thing for some time now, and it's gotten us nowhere. Now let us stop being insane and try something new maybe...
But don't get me wrong I in no way shape or form think that "nigga" is gona disappear over night. Nor do I think that it should, because as long as you've got niggas running around you should be able to have something to call them by. But I think more than anything else this is about personal reflection, just because niggas are out there don't mean that I have to be one, ya dig?

So it's 4 in the morning, and I've failed to make my deadline and I do apologize. But I'm tired as shit and I really have written all that my brain will allow me to make sense of, anything after this will just be letters of nothingness. So in closing I'd like to leave you with a song that I think just about sums this lil topic up. I hope that you enjoy it, and that it makes you rethink why you do and say certain things. Remember it's 2010 people, let us make this a year of moving forward.



He said nigga, nigga, nigga, my favorite rapper did it, signing off
till next time
stay random

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