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Nas sparked controversy when he announced that his ninth album, out July 15th, would be called Nigger. Al Sharpton and the NAACP condemned him, while retailers promised not to stock the CD. But the 34-year-old rapper — whose last album was called Hip-Hop Is Dead — managed to stay focused and created one of his best albums. "Throughout the distractions, I would just remember the reason why I'm doing this album," says the MC, who ended up releasing the record without any title. "'I'm a black man. Let me say what's on my mind.'"
What did you expect would happen when you initially
titled the album "Nigger"?
I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if there would be
rallies in front of the record company. I was like, "Man, I'm on my
own mission." It's about me and how I feel about "nigger."
Period.
How do you feel about that word?
"Nigger" is from the African-American holocaust — and you
can't play around with that. It's probably going to make people
uncomfortable. It's definitely no disrespect to my people, or to
the people who fought for my rights in this country, and died for
us.
What do you say when someone like Al Sharpton says that
when rappers use the n word themselves, it reinforces negative
stereotypes?
It's just proof of people's ignorance. Change comes through art.
It's like Adam Sandler's Zohan, right? His movie has an
incredible message. He gave me a better understanding of his people
and of the Palestinians and all that bullshit going on — by
making fun of it. And nobody protested him, because they understand
the brilliance. With hip-hop, it's a lot more threatening. I'm not
even gonna act like I can save all black people, all white people,
all poor people, with an album — I'm not supernigga. But if I
can contribute to helpin' one person out through my experiences,
then that's everything to me.
On "Black President," you sample an Obama speech. You
think he'll win?
Everyone around me knows he'll be the president. Bush made everyone
feel like niggers. When 9/11 happened, everyone felt like they been
duped. I think people know that Barack is honest. I don't think
about McCain, because he's a part of the old world, the dead
America.
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On "Hero" you talk about kids looking for inspiration. Who were your childhood heroes?
James Brown, Bruce Lee, Muhammad Ali, Mr. T.
Do you feel like kids today look up to the wrong
people?
Look up to whoever. You could look to that guy that protected the
neighborhood who never finished school. There's qualities in him
that you can be inspired by. You don't have to be attached to one
way of looking at life. I see opportunity everywhere.
What in your childhood made you able to see
that?
I think it was my mom. She was always tellin' me, "Hold your head
up, you're better than that." Me and my brother were on the street;
that was hard on her, but she held us down, and I saw her strength.
That strength is in me.
Your dad is a jazz musician. How did he influence
you?
He was a man who controlled his life. Other kids didn't have
fathers like that. Either their father wasn't around or they were
in jail — they weren't musicians who traveled the world and
came back with stories. I grew up with my pops the jazzman. He'd be
in the house smokin' weed. He gave me weed when I was, like, nine
years old. That was cool.
What did you and your dad do when you got high
together?
Listen to music, talk, watch TV. I'd bug him for a hit, and on a
few occasions he let me hit it.
At the end of the day, why did you end up changing the
title?
It started to get the wrong attention, like from radio hosts who
don't know what the fuck is going on. I'm not talking to them. I'm
talking to the hip-hop family.
And those people know what it's called.
They know what it's called. It's the Nigger Album.
[From Issue 1056-1057 — July 10, 2008]