That question was answered after watching a Nas documentary titled “Time is Illmatic.” This documentary chronicled the beginnings of Nas’s career up to the completion of his first album ‘Illmatic.’ While I watching this I heard a line in one of Nas’s earlier features with Large Professor from the song ‘Live at the BBQ’. In Nas raps he states “Kidnap the President’s wife without a plan/ And hanging niggaz like the Ku Klux Klan.”
I must admit I didn’t feel the same way I felt after hearing Nas lyrics as when I heard Dej Loaf lyrics. I was thinking I am biased because Nas is one of my favorite rappers, but also maybe because Nas’s rhymes were cleverer. This is the filter I was referring to when I said that artists could police themselves. You can convey attitude and thoughts in a more tasteful manner sometimes, even when the message has to be delivered raw and uncut. Or once again does my rationale surface from favoritism towards Nas?
What do you think? Do you think Nas’s lyrics are just as offensive as Dej Loaf’s? Do you think they are offensive at all? Can we hold artists and public figures accountable for the behavior of their people? Feel free to answer back and leave your comments below.
In that video, they’re flashing “kkk” (the sign language fr\or “k”, @ 3:02) and some other hand sign the klan uses too, in that video. the kkk is probably funding it…pays for mentioning their organization, foe “re-branding.”