marketing ploy? for those who don’t know, why don’t you shut up and do your homework. nas hasn’t even released a single yet and bombarded the airwaves like most of these rappers. most of his music was leaked. secondly he passed up on a reality show. refused to do beer commercials and sell out to mainstream. find out why they really changed the name of the record. one reason is that congress got involved and another is the city threatened to take away 81 million from the label’s retirement fund. if anything it would hurt his record sales because stores like walmart, target and family friendly stores would not carry it. if you can’t see and understand the message behind the record you’ll never get it so there’s no need to try to explain. oh by the way if it is a marketing ploy…so what, where have you been living. politicians are doing it now. networks do it. we market and sell ourselves everyday so more power to the brother. people will always find something to bitch about.

The album title really isn´t that controversial if the word is used in rap songs all the time. In fact, the title is almost like a parody of the hiphop genre. It would also be funny for white liberals to get all queasy when they ask for the album in the store by name.

You have an issue with this word in the US. In the UK it is far less controversial because we have less apartheid and racism than in the US. It is far more cosmopolitan here.

Does anyone know if the album is actually any good?

Nas has some good songs but all the title was meant to do was sell records. It wasn’t a statement. And for the record if the n word is such a bad word, then no one should be using it. How can it be both Offensive and empowering? That’s a contradiction. The word should be banned. ANd why is it that every race besides caucasion is allowed to use the word in with black people and can get away with it? If the word is offensive if it’s spoken by someone “not african american” then shouldn’t black people be offended when spanish and asian people use the word? Doesn’t make much sense. Point is no racial slurs should be used but if one is used You can’t say “that word is degrading and offensive but i’m cool with it because you’re not white” make up your mind!

RS has now deleted 5 posts telling folks that bad words are not good. You know, like the “n” word. Seems like thids is to controversial. What are you doing, Mr. RS blog delete person??

I think the title would raise a lot of curiosity and would boost the record sales. Nas fans are Nas fans and don’t typically go for the “main stream” so the album WILL sell reguardless. And on another note, words are what we make them.

So I guess people are still giving that word power… shame really. Mind you I didn’t care for the title but that’s just a bully tactic by the media and having an artist change something. Whatever happened to freedom of speech and unrestricted expression? If I were Nas I would fought to the death for that title if that’s what he wanted it to be.