An Oakland-based rapper has come under fire for using the n-word.

I know, you are like, “So what, do we not hear this on every other MTV, BET music video and hip-hop awards show?”

The major difference with this young female rapper is that she is white.

Kreayshawn -- yes that is how her name is spelled; she might be white, but that is definitely some urban spelling…lol -- Kreayshawn is a 21-year-old, up-and-coming multi-media artist. Her career is taking off as her single “Gucci Gucci” has enjoyed more than 3 million views on YouTube.

Her n-word drama began last week after she tweeted the following:

“People are actin so funny omg lol---1 got 200K views...not 200K dollars...WTF YOU WANT FROM A N***A? DMX VOICE”

I have talked about the process of cultural appropriation in the classroom for years. I have engaged in many passionate discussions with students about the global influence of hip-hop and how many fans cannot appropriately distinguish between signifiers of a culture and their origins.

I remember walking on the University of Iowa campus as a graduate student and heard the booming base of Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power.” I got excited that I might catch a rare and Bigfoot-inspired glimpse of another African American, but I was blown away when I saw a jeep full of white guys jamming loudly.

Historically, I have tried to make the point with students that when they use the n-word so freely, others who do not share the same culture begin to associate that word with other signifiers of hip-hop, like sagging your jeans, bling and gold fronts. In essence, the n-word is reduced to a fashion accessory.

Kreayshawn has justified her use of the n-word due to her upbringing.

“But like I said, in Oakland...everyone calls each other that,” she was quoted as saying. “I feel like that word is used in the low-income community more than anything. ...I was raised around this... People call me that.”

I have heard this argument before, and it does not stick.

I was having a similar conversation with my colleague, Professor Cooper, the other day, and we agreed that many of us grew up with not a lot of material things, but we were still expected to conduct ourselves like we had some sense and home training. If anything, we were expected to over compensate, less we bring shame to our family and community.

Knowing when to exercise formal-vs-informal conduct and voice was always stressed.

I remember sitting in barbershops where black men freely used the n-word and talked about everything from politics to celebrities to local gossip. There was always the rare occasion when a white inspector would drop by and immediately the language and tone would change from culturally informal to formal.

It was like a secret alarm had been set off at a frequency that only those who shared a similar culture could hear and respond to accordingly.

Well, people, the alarm may be screaming, but we have a generation of youth who are culturally tone deaf.

Can we really hold mainstream artist accountable when we cannot come to a consensus between African American artist and youth? How many times have you been somewhere and heard youth using foul language and the n-word, maybe on a bus, school, restaurant or any public venue?

Why is this level of disrespect tolerated within the African American community? You will never watch the Country Music Awards and hear a country artist yelling, “This goes out to all my country n-words and h--s!”

The nature of the mainstream is to appropriate culture from marginalized groups and communities. The responsibility of those marginalized groups is to monitor what and how such signifiers are appropriated.

If we are not committed to monitoring our own cultural signifiers, do not be surprised when you get a knock at the door and two adorable white Girl Scouts say to you, “So what’s up n-word? You want the Samoa’s or Thin Mints?”

I’m just saying.

***
Professor Locs, aka Charles Easley, is an educator who explores race, class, gender, sexuality, media and popular culture with humor and insight. Click here to read his blog.

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