A few days ago we reported about Gwenyth Paltrow’s controversial ‘N***as In Paris’ tweet. Well Russell Simmons and The Dream have come to Gwen’s defense! Click below to find out their stance on the situation.
Jay-z and Kanye West’s ‘Watch The Throne’ track, ‘Niggas In Paris’ is a worldwide hit that has managed to transcend past the cultural barrier of the African American community, so is it really a surprise when there is a stadium full of non-black fans in Paris that are singing ‘N-gga’ when the song comes on? Earlier this week, Gwyneth Paltrow, who is good friends with Beyonce and Jay-z, was torn a new one on twitter when she tweeted, ‘Ni**as in paris for real @mrteriusnash (the dream) tyty, beehigh‘ during the ‘Watch The Throne’ Concert where Jay and Kanye performed the track 11 times in a row. After a few folks checked her about it on twitter, she responded, ‘Hold Up, It’s the title of the song‘.
Days later, The Dream found himself defending Gwyneth on twitter while stating that the African American community is beginning to give the word too much power:
[unedited] Yall still on that s–t! Yall Give “N—a To Much power†somewhere the actual racist People are Laughing there asses off, so much energy. Let that Word hold power over me but yet use it as Power. Those same slaves Great,Great grands are Wiser now and Free! I’m not Saying don’t forget but be logical and use common sense. If it meant the Same as it Did then WE wouldn’t use it, that would make us ignorant We USE IT because Evidently it doesn’t mean the same if u really give a s–t u stop using it. Sure Attack her you know she’s not going to do anything, you know in your heart she didn’t mean it in anyway. The world is just full of Bull s–tters who act like they give a s–t haven’t did one righteous act in there lives. Its a Hot Topic because people aint got s–t To Do! Period. Say what u want. No one called Trayvon N—a before he shot him it was an action. Racism is an Action! What! WE GIVE THE WORD TO MUCH POWER! Any way N—az! What’s GOOD
Russell also came to Gwyneth’s defense in a blog posted on Global Grind:
In the case of “N*ggas in Paris,†it is clear that these two poets are celebrating the fact that they now travel the world and are literally ballin’ in Paris … it started as a badge of honor, something to be proud of, something to poke their chests out at. Because for them, when they were kids, Paris was a million miles away and now it’s a private jet ride. The idea of being in Paris with a movie star, whether she’s black or white, is incredible!
There is something truly inspiring about black culture and black music, hip-hop culture and hip-hop music. No matter what color skin you might have, there is an overriding good effect that this music has on you. It is contagious. It was this explosive expression that spread out of the inner cities of America into the walkmans of kids like Gwyneth Paltrow during their childhoods in 1980s and 1990s. It allowed white kids to begin to sympathize with the plight of many in black America. Having any Hollywood starlet at your concert was unimaginable, and having her quote your lyrics as a badge of honor that she was hanging out with you, you never would have dreamed of that – until your poetry hit the market and changed the world.
So, for Gwyneth to tweet out her excitement about hip-hop taking over the planet is a good thing. She didn’t mean any harm, she just was trying to ball so hard, and like Jay-Z says, “motherf*ckers can’t fine†her.
The other day, I was sitting in the back of a cab with a friend (our cab driver was not black) and the friend used the word, ‘N-gga’ at least 30 times throughout the ride and I cringed each time. How can a race of people get in such an uproar over a word but willingly and openly sling it around at each other and expect people outside of the culture to not get confused? As African Americans, we feel entitled to use the word in everyday language amongst each other and in music but what happens when the music goes Global. How do you explain to fans, who have never been exposed to African American history, that it’s not alright to say those words, even if it’s the title of your favorite song. Yes, Gwyneth knew better..but did she really?
The only real way to stop the confusion is to eliminate the word from our vocabularies [I agree with The Dream]. No one should be entitled to use it, and it definitely shouldn’t be in the title of your favorite songs. But even that suggestion is like beating a dead horse..
