J. Lo and the "N" word

[DSTPRL]

I think the "N" word should not be used by ANYONE and everyone who are descendants of enslaved Africans should take offense. So if your African American homie from around the way call you out yo' name by using the word you should get JUST AS UPSET if not MORE upset than someone you perceive as not coming from the same ethnic background as you. Why use a word that was used as a weapon against our ancestors who shed their precious blood so we could have choices and pursuit of happiness.

I used to use the word FREELY and I called my boyfriend from HIGH SCHOOL that one day (years after we grew up.. moved away...went off to college..etc.). He corrected me quick, fast and in a hurry and reminded me that he is NOT a "N" and takes offense to me calling him that. I can't blame the brother and MORE of us should take offense when we call each other that b/c the word is NOT positive....cute or a term of endearment. It is a word created by enslavers used to degrade and dehumanize. There is nothing about the word .. whether you put an "ER" on the end or an "A" that makes it even 1/2 way more appealing.

That is why I have stopped using it. I offend each and every 1 of our ancestors when it is used. So I wish black folks would stop acting like we own that nasty word b/c we DO NOT!

Originally posted by tickledpink:

I understand where you're coming from with that one, but I still think the use of it is wrong. If you're down with me, then you should also understand how offensive that word is to me & respect me enough not to use it. I had a friend (white) once that used to freely use that word. She mainly hung around African Americans & thought she was "down" enough to say n***@ in the same context as when we say it. Yes, I went off. And yes, she stopped (at least in my presence), but she could never understand why it offended me so badly when she said it.

I haven't heard J'Lo's song, but I will try to see if I can. And if someone has that address, I will gladly mail my complaint (otherwise, I'll research it).

[DSTPRL]

I think the "N" word should not be used by ANYONE and everyone who are descendants of enslaved Africans should take offense. So if your African American homie from around the way call you out yo' name by using the word you should get JUST AS UPSET if not MORE upset than someone you perceive as not coming from the same ethnic background as you. Why use a word that was used as a weapon against our ancestors who shed their precious blood so we could have choices and pursuit of happiness.

I used to use the word FREELY and I called my boyfriend from HIGH SCHOOL that one day (years after we grew up.. moved away...went off to college..etc.). He corrected me quick, fast and in a hurry and reminded me that he is NOT a "N" and takes offense to me calling him that. I can't blame the brother and MORE of us should take offense when we call each other that b/c the word is NOT positive....cute or a term of endearment. It is a word created by enslavers used to degrade and dehumanize. There is nothing about the word .. whether you put an "ER" on the end or an "A" that makes it even 1/2 way more appealing.

That is why I have stopped using it. I offend each and every 1 of our ancestors when it is used. So I wish black folks would stop acting like we own that nasty word b/c we DO NOT!

Originally posted by tickledpink:

I understand where you're coming from with that one, but I still think the use of it is wrong. If you're down with me, then you should also understand how offensive that word is to me & respect me enough not to use it. I had a friend (white) once that used to freely use that word. She mainly hung around African Americans & thought she was "down" enough to say n***@ in the same context as when we say it. Yes, I went off. And yes, she stopped (at least in my presence), but she could never understand why it offended me so badly when she said it.

I haven't heard J'Lo's song, but I will try to see if I can. And if someone has that address, I will gladly mail my complaint (otherwise, I'll research it).

[DSTPRL]

I think the "N" word should not be used by ANYONE and everyone who are descendants of enslaved Africans should take offense. So if your African American homie from around the way call you out yo' name by using the word you should get JUST AS UPSET if not MORE upset than someone you perceive as not coming from the same ethnic background as you. Why use a word that was used as a weapon against our ancestors who shed their precious blood so we could have choices and pursuit of happiness.

I used to use the word FREELY and I called my boyfriend from HIGH SCHOOL that one day (years after we grew up.. moved away...went off to college..etc.). He corrected me quick, fast and in a hurry and reminded me that he is NOT a "N" and takes offense to me calling him that. I can't blame the brother and MORE of us should take offense when we call each other that b/c the word is NOT positive....cute or a term of endearment. It is a word created by enslavers used to degrade and dehumanize. There is nothing about the word .. whether you put an "ER" on the end or an "A" that makes it even 1/2 way more appealing.

That is why I have stopped using it. I offend each and every 1 of our ancestors when it is used. So I wish black folks would stop acting like we own that nasty word b/c we DO NOT!

Originally posted by tickledpink:

I understand where you're coming from with that one, but I still think the use of it is wrong. If you're down with me, then you should also understand how offensive that word is to me & respect me enough not to use it. I had a friend (white) once that used to freely use that word. She mainly hung around African Americans & thought she was "down" enough to say n***@ in the same context as when we say it. Yes, I went off. And yes, she stopped (at least in my presence), but she could never understand why it offended me so badly when she said it.

I haven't heard J'Lo's song, but I will try to see if I can. And if someone has that address, I will gladly mail my complaint (otherwise, I'll research it).

[DSTPRL]

Hey DeltaQTE:

I agree we should be offended when J. Lo uses it but I feel like we have to start at the source because I can't control what she does. I can however not be hypocritical and yell and scream when she uses it in the same context we do. Ultimately the onus (sp?) is on us as black folks to stop using it and referring to each other as such. So I am saying I can't worry about her using it, Eminem, Beastie Boys, Big Pun, Cuban Link, Fat Joe or any of these other artists when DMX, Ja Rule and SHYNE all use the word heavily and in the SAME CONTEXT in their music. SHOOT Shyne's album have songs TITLED w/ the word. So we really need to check ourselves first before we run out there trying to check others.

Originally posted by DELTAQTE:
Hey Ivy,

We have all heard the saying two wrongs do not make a right, and if we are trying to get our own people to quit saying it, then we shouldn't let other races do it either.


I am offended because nigga is a word used to insult black people, so if black people using the word offends you, then it should with j.lo also.

Has J.Lo responded to this yet?

[DELTAQTE]

I agree also with that we need to stop using it, but J.Lo isn't some boriqua on 23th street, she is a national figure and should think about using words(or anything else) like that before she does that, not because ja rule wrote the song and said it was ok.

She did a concert on TODAY and Matt Lauer asked her about the heat about the "N" word. She said "It really hurts me that folks would think I am racist and I am not going to waste much time worrying about it" plus she had a huge diamond on her finger and Matt asked her if she was pregnant and going to get married and she said no she wasn't pregnant and as for the marriage part, we would have to see.

At the same time she was on Puffy was on GMA and said he knows she didn't mean anything by it and how puerto ricans in New York use the word also. Then he goes "I'ma let J.Lo slide this time saying the word" I was like whatevea.

Interesting enough, it was friday the 13th yesterday, and J.Lo twisted her ankle during one of her songs, and a light bulb in the GMA studio burst and sounded like a gunshot while puffy was there, hmmmmmmmmm.....LOL!


QTE

[luvsong1913]

Originally posted by DELTAQTE:
I agree also with that we need to stop using it, but J.Lo isn't some boriqua on 23th street, she is a national figure and should think about using words(or anything else) like that before she does that, not because ja rule wrote the song and said it was ok. QTE

Soror, is it safe to assume that you would be upset if ANY celebrity or "national figure" (African-American or otherwise) used the N-word, or is it just J-Lo in particular that perturbs you? Just curious...



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10-Lambda-SP00
Memphis Alumnae Chapter
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Lady of DSTinction

"Both tears and sweat are salty, but they render a different result. Tears will get you sympathy; sweat will get you change."

[DELTAQTE]

Hey luv,

Yes I have slowly turned that way, like I have said in my earlier posts, we all need to stop using it. I have slowly been doing that. Now I say "wassup negro!" or "wassup nephew/niece" just like snoop says he has started doing instead of saying nigga. Snoop probably does say it still, but even him making that little step is good IMO.


QTE

[DSTPRL]

No offense but I think the acronym for the "N" word is one of the MOST ignorant things someone can say. Regardless of what you say it means - it means just what we all know it means. But to go along w/ the never ignorant getting goals accomplished what is wrong w/ a white person or non-black using the word in that context if that is what it supposedly means now? Also if we as AAs accept the word then WHY OH WHY did the NAACP fight to have the definition of the word revamped to not include any reference to black people? Are we insane or what?

Originally posted by MaMaBuddha:
as usual i am late repsonding to this.

i dislike the word so much myself and i admit i have used it in my time.

people (my black folxs) use it when guards are down and the situation is relaxed. we use to for comaradry (sp?) i am not saying that this is right. i was talking to one of my friend who as he says is str8 from the streets... as he taxed the word nigga as "never ignorant getting goals accomplished"

see how black folxs turn some negative in some postive.

my whole thing is...don't jump on one person jump on them all. what makes her (j-lo) so dfferent then say nwa, tru, the whole wu-tang clan, i don't know one rapper that doesn't use the word nigga beside will smith.

[DSTPRL]

Originally posted by MaMaBuddha:
as usual i am late repsonding to this.

i dislike the word so much myself and i admit i have used it in my time.

people (my black folxs) use it when guards are down and the situation is relaxed. we use to for comaradry (sp?) i am not saying that this is right. i was talking to one of my friend who as he says is str8 from the streets... as he taxed the word nigga as "never ignorant getting goals accomplished"

see how black folxs turn some negative in some postive.

my whole thing is...don't jump on one person jump on them all. what makes her (j-lo) so dfferent then say nwa, tru, the whole wu-tang clan, i don't know one rapper that doesn't use the word nigga beside will smith.

[DSTPRL]

No offense but I think the acronym for the "N" word is one of the MOST ignorant things someone can say. Regardless of what you say it means - it means just what we all know it means. But to go along w/ the never ignorant getting goals accomplished what is wrong w/ a white person or non-black using the word in that context if that is what it supposedly means now? Also if we as AAs accept the word then WHY OH WHY did the NAACP fight to have the definition of the word revamped to not include any reference to black people? Are we insane or what?

Originally posted by MaMaBuddha:
as usual i am late repsonding to this.

i dislike the word so much myself and i admit i have used it in my time.

people (my black folxs) use it when guards are down and the situation is relaxed. we use to for comaradry (sp?) i am not saying that this is right. i was talking to one of my friend who as he says is str8 from the streets... as he taxed the word nigga as "never ignorant getting goals accomplished"

see how black folxs turn some negative in some postive.

my whole thing is...don't jump on one person jump on them all. what makes her (j-lo) so dfferent then say nwa, tru, the whole wu-tang clan, i don't know one rapper that doesn't use the word nigga beside will smith.

[dstbrat]

this is not pc or the culturally down thing to say, but, jennifer had no business letting anyone geek her up to let that word come off of her lips. if she were as down as she would like to act then she would have checked herself. makes no matter who she dates, she will never be black, ever. and it is not ok. i have real issues when artist try to play the cultural fence. she and mariah are both guilty of playing black when it benefits them and then they play mainstream when the they want to. i don't think it's cool.

[mccoyred]

Here is an interesting article related to this topic >>> http://www.eurweb.com/articles/colum...4607172001.cfm . Check it out!

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MCCOYRED
Mu Psi '86
BaltCo Alumnae

Dynamic...Salient...Temperate...Since 1913

[pebbles_6]

Excuse my nosey self, but I didn't see BET last night...how did J. Lo respond/react when Ja said that? Did Free or the other VJ say anything? Details, details!

I was actually thinking about one of the posts where someone mentioned, "I bet J. Lo doesn't think of herself as black" and I wanted to know how she would respond to that...

[skywalker20]

Can somebody please tell me exactly what "boriqua" means. I studied Spanish for years and never heard it until Big Pun came out.

[pebbles_6]

Originally posted by skywalker20:
Can somebody please tell me exactly what "boriqua" means. I studied Spanish for years and never heard it until Big Pun came out.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it signifies a female Peurto Rican born or descendant from my understanding.



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