By Houston Williams
In a new song called “N.I.G.G.E.R.,” Nas lyrically explains his thoughts behind his 9th album, which he changed from the controversial racially charged word.
In the song, which was obtained by AllHipHop.com, Nas chastises the modern person for being fearful of taking risks in life and music.
“People [are] afraid of criticism/ But I always put myself in this sacrificial position/ …Anytime we mention our condition, our history or existence, they calling it reverse racism,” he raps.
Yesterday, the Queensbridge, New York icon revealed that he was changing the album from
N****r to an untitled work in order to give the fans his art in a more expeditious manner.
"It's important to me that this album gets to the fans," Nas told AllHipHop.com in a statement on Monday. “It's been a long time coming. I want my fans to know that creatively and lyrically, they can expect the same content and the same messages. It's that important. The streets have been waiting for this for a long time. The people will always know what the real title of this album is and what to call it."
The melodic, thought-provoking song discusses a myriad of issues ranging from social injustice to violations in privacy to the state of Black leadership.
Through song, Nas also suggests that his insight was beyond the norm.
"In the land of the blind, the man with one eye is the king,” Nas raps as he leads into the chorus, “They say we N-I-double G-E-R / We are, much more / but still we choose to ignore the obvious/ Man, this history don’t acknowledge us /we were scholars way before colleges.”
It is not clear if the controversial song title will be included on the next album for the Def Jam rapper.
Click here to listen to Nas’ “N.I.G.G.E.R.”