For some reason I really thought Paula Deen was a cool, older lady. On her Emmy winning show, “Paula’s Home Cooking” she was adorable, relatable and she loved butter.

But today, we’re seeing a realer, more disgusting side of Ms. Deen.

According to RadarOnline, in a May 17 deposition that was taped, Paula Deen was asked if she used the N word. The 66 year old responded: “Yes, of course,” and proceeded to give examples of the ways in which she’d used the word.

“It’s just what they are — they’re jokes…most jokes are about Jewish people, rednecks, black folks…I can’t determine what offends another person.”

During the deposition Paula was questioned for three hours because of $1.2 million lawsuit that was filed against her in 2012 by Lisa Jackson, the General Manager for Deen’s Savannah, Georgia restaurant. Jackson claimed Deen used the N word and her brother Bubba Hiers sexually harassed her thereby inflicting distress.

Deen also admitted that she wanted the black waiters to play the role of slaves for a wedding party she was catering.

“I mean, it was really impressive. That restaurant represented a certain era in America…after the Civil War, during the Civil War, before the Civil War…It was not only black men, it was black women…I would say they were slaves.”

After further questioning, Deen revealed that her brother, the one accused of sexual harassment was addicted to coke, pornography and alcohol.

Later, Bubba took the stand using the N word to refer President Barack Obama.

More revelations from these two during the deposition will appear in tomorrow’s issue of National Enquirer.

Historically, the National Enquirer hasn’t always been the most credible source, but if the testimony is recorded, it’s only a matter of time before Paula and her brother are exposed for what they really are. Either way, racist is not a good word to have associated with your brand. Personally, I’m disappointed. For whatever reason, I assumed Paula was above the Southern racist cliche. It’s all so predictable.

I would say that this recent testimony is going to hurt Deen’s empire, but she wouldn’t be the first, successful white person to express blatantly racist sentiments and continue to operate a successful business. People really just don’t care, especially if she can rationalize her behavior under the guise of jokes. As for me and mine though, I can honestly say we won’t rock with Paula or her little stankin’ recipes anymore.

And apparently, I’m not the only one, several people on “Black Twitter” have started a trending topic detailing some of Deen’s best (read: racist) recipes. Beware, you must understand satire to appreciate these recipes.

I’m not really into gospel music. In fact, I only know a handful of gospel songs by heart; the two most prominent are “Oh Happy Day” (courtesy of Sister Act 2) and the jawn from The Color Purple when Shug Avery burst into the church and was like,“See daddy, sinners have souls too.”

Basically, I live a pretty secular life, but I can still appreciate Christian artists like Amisho “Sho Baraka” Lewis. From CNN:

“DuBois wrote in an essay titled “The Talented Tenth” the “best, or the talented tenth of the black community, must be elevated and cultivated, to in-turn guide the mass away from the contamination of the worst in their own race and other races.” Though DuBois used Christian principles in his calls to uplift the black community, he was widely considered to be either agnostic or an atheist at the time of his death, as Brian L. Johnson writes in his biography “W.E.B. Du Bois: Toward Agnosticism, 1868-1934.” Lewis makes it clear it’s the Christian principles DuBois championed and not his beliefs about God that inspired his album. Still, the DuBois connection isn’t what has ruffled feathers among some Christian listeners, but the subject matter of his song “Jim Crow” aka “N*gga Island.” On the song, Lewis addresses the negative effects of racism and ignorance. He uses the “N” word and profanity to get his point across, a move too close to secular hip-hop for some Christian rap enthusiasts.”

Yeah, I bet.

Based upon the few tracks I’ve listened to, Baraka’s stuff isn’t half bad. In fact, if you were in the car and this song (Chapter 6: Ali) came on, you would think you were listening to a song by Drake with John Legend on the chorus. And I’m not just talking about his flow, but also the emotion and introspection, which appears to be really big among the rappers today. At the same time, I can see how some of the more saintly fans of the genre might be a little put-off.

In addition to the “praise-Him” gospel, which tends to associate with the musical genre; Baraka clearly takes a more secular approach to Christian music. Think Kirk Franklin meets Kanye West, circa the “Jesus Walks” time. He might be too raw for some of the more truist fans of gospel music, who see the musical genre as an extension of the real biblical gospel. And the chorus to Jim Crow – “I guess I’m stuck here on N***a island/Where n***as be wildin’/And color is violence/Moment of silence...” — doesn’t exactly help the cause.

I am reminded of the time I had a college friend visit Philadelphia and I took her to one of the open mics we have in the city. She was (and probably still is) a gospel singer, so I figured she might enjoy being around some other artists. I was wrong. From the minute we sat down and heard the first poem, she was making faces and talking about how profane the lyrics were. In the midst of all that gesturing, she missed how the poet was making his own testimony to how dissatisfied he was with the condition of his community and what inspires him to change it. I found her instant dismissal of him odd, considering that she had been boasting to me earlier about how she saw her music as ministry to the everyday-folk. But, I guess some saints really are more comfortable only hanging out with the choir.

In the same song where Baraka drops the “n-word,” he also says this:

“’C’mon son why you always ruin the mood?
Race talks happen every time you enter the room.’”
Cuz there’s ignorance in the masses
Too many people think racism is past tense
We fight for blackness
But we don’t know what Black is
I know it ain’t the zero sum of white men
They wanna know how to reach the hood like there’s magic
Like we’re all the same
Like we’re not dynamic
Hollywood wants to pimp us to get dough
Exploit us, but give us money
Somebody say “Ho!”
Let’s thank them movies and them TV shows
Be a token or I’ll play an Uncle Tom role
Or be a magic negro until the day I’m gone
Help the white man reach his goal
But never reach my own
Or an oversexed male
Even a c**n
A young man who loves ignorance
Praising his doom
Until then…”

Then the chorus happens.

You know, context is everything. Who cares how he says it? I’m just glad someone is saying it, especially when many of our secular rappers are not saying very much. And if it is his Christian faith that is leading him to speak truth to power, well than, I say God bless him!  I swear, some folks probably wish that Richard Allen, Absalom Jones and the African Methodist Episcopal Church had just stuck to worshiping and not been as involved in the often dirty work of merging theological beliefs with the social realities. But shouldn’t these things go hand and hand?

You know how some argue that people who swear lack the vocabulary necessary to have an intelligent conversation? I’m starting to think comedians who rely solely on racial epithets to cause controversy lack the comedic talent to garner that same attention otherwise.

Lisa Lampanelli the same comic — term used loosely – who famously — term used loosely again — commented on Larry the Cable Guy’s catch phrase “Git R Done, during a 2009 roast,” saying ”You’ve beaten that concept so hard it’s now dating Chris Brown,” again has people’s PC panties all in a bunch, and for good reason in my opinion. Two days ago, she tweeted the above photo with the caption:

Me with my n*gg* @LenaDunham of @HBOGirls - I love this beyotch!!http://say.ly/oKP5chO

(Oh and FYI, the asterisks are ours, she shamelessly spelled the n-word out)

I don’t know much about Lampanelli outside of her routine comedic controversies that always seem to involve black people for some reason and, truthfully, I don’t have much desire to. I honestly wouldn’t care if Lampanelli really did look at all black people like n*gg*rs, in fact I’d probably prefer that she was a 51-year-old Connecticut-bred racist. See racists, I can deal with. What bothers me here is Lampanelli isn’t talking about black people at all, she’s referring to a white girl of all people, and asserting her white privilege to refuse to be banned from using the n-word like all those other n-words, I mean black people do. You mean we’re back on the rules of the n-word debate again? Yup, I’m taking it back there.

Firstly, though, I should explain that I’m sure all that didn’t go through Lampanelli’s head when she captioned this pic two days ago — evidence of white privilege itself — I’m quite certain, disappointingly so, that at 50-plus she still thought being able to type the n-word and post it on social media was cool like a 13-year-old smoking a cigarette for the first time. But her refusal to take the caption down and the boastful nature of her Twitter timeline as it relates to the controversy that has erupted as a result screams, “now I’m even more cool because black people and socially conscious whites who otherwise wouldn’t care that I was breathing are now googling my name, go me!”

I guess — not. The only thing funny about Lampanelli’s move is that she thinks she’s winning, when in reality her name will soon fall to the bottom of Google’s analytics very shortly and once again no one will care about her or her n*gg* whom she enthralled in this mess with her. And considering the drama that has already plagued “Girls” and their lack of diversity, Dunham might want to reconsider who she associates herself with. But then again maybe not, after all in the infamous words of Jen the Pen, she’s white and it will get done — it possibly being the Golden Globe she won just a few weeks ago.

You could say why even dignify Lampanelli with a response, and I would half agree with you there. Except I feel it’s only right to spread the message of just how much her antics prove she’s really losing, that is before she fades into obscurity once again and another white person who wants to be down — or try to come up — goes the “lets offend an entire race of people to gain fame route again.” Honestly guys — and gals — it’s played out.

Source: Shutterstock

From Slate:

“Dear Prudence,

My boyfriend and I have been dating for six months but have known each other for more than two years. I am black and he is white. This has never been a problem and our parents, families, and friends are fully supportive of our relationship. Amazingly, we have had precious few arguments or problems. Until now. In a moment of extreme frustration, my boyfriend used the “N-word” in reference to one of my friends. We were alone so no one else heard the comment. I was stunned, shocked, and appalled. I immediately left the room because I was so disturbed. It is a word that neither I nor my family or friends use in any sort of context because I have been raised to view it as incredibly offensive. He came to me and apologized profusely and had tears in his eyes while doing so. I accepted his apology because it was completely out of character for him, but I am now questioning our relationship. What do you think?- Unspeakable

In her advice to Unspeakable, Prudence suggest that despite her acceptance of his apology, she is not quite over his use of the N-word. However, since she cares for the man, which is evident by her not breaking up with him instantly, Prudence says that she must re-raise the issue with the boyfriend, giving him a chance to better explain his reasoning for using such derogatory language and give herself time to not only gauge his sincerity, but determine if she can fully accept his apology and move on.

Full disclaimer: Date whomever you want to date – not that you were looking for my permission, but I mean this sincerely. I am past that point in my life where I give two craps about what anyone does sexually. However, this situation, right here, is probably my biggest personal hang-up on interracial dating: what to do when your significant other says, or God-forbid does, something racist. And it wouldn’t have to be something awful like the N-word. It could be something casually racist like calling things “ghetto” or assuming that I would want a slice of watermelon. I can see this creating a whirlwind of confusion and hostility inside of me. With that said, I can imagine the pain the letter writer in this situation must be feeling right now. Not only would I be filled with self-doubt, particularly trying to work through what made him feel comfortable enough to drop the N-word around me, but also trying to figure out why hadn’t I noticed it sooner. Two years is a long time to devote to someone, only to find out that your man is a bit of a racist.

And in case she had any doubt, let me clear it up: your boyfriend is a racist – or at the very least, has anger management issues. No way should he be THAT “frustrated” at your friend that he is dropping N-bombs, especially behind your friends back (and I do assume this “friend” is male?). And as Chauncey Devegas, of We Are Respectable Negros writes of this Dear Prudence letter:

“On these matters, my decision-rule is a simple one. People are what they do. People who say racist things are racists. People who say homophobic things are anti-gay. People who say sexist things are sexist. Of course, there are ranges of behavior here. A person who calls someone a N-Word, and is then apologetic about it, is a different type of racist than someone who holds a K.K.K.K.Klan card. However, both party’s attitudes and beliefs flow from the same fetid waters. In many ways, the latter is simply more honest and direct than the former about what is a basic disrespect towards the humanity and dignity of black and brown people.”

A few days after September 11th, one of my best girlfriends called me and told me about how she had been pulled over in her car by police for no reason. Nothing unusual about that. However, this story takes a weird turn when she shares that one of the cops started asking her about her “head scarf” in her driver’s license picture. All of a sudden, they wanted to know about her Islamic background and her land of “origin.” I was beyond shocked. This was not some hillbilly town in East Jablip of America. This is Philadelphia, a city where a very significant portion of the black and brown population in the city practice within the Islamic faith. We don’t get down like that. And that’s what I told the guy I was dating at the time.

He smirked, rolled his eyes and said, “Good I’m glad they searched her. They need to send all them bean pie eating terrorists back to the middle east.” If I was shocked before, I was totally rendered speechless then. Here is someone, who I had been with for a good year and who had spent significant time around my good girlfriend before. As far as I was concerned, there was nothing about him, which gave me any indication that he had problems with Muslims. Worse, even after I told him how disrespectful, offensive and ignorant his comments were, he had the nerve to double down on his xenophobia.

I officially broke up with him after that conversation. And while his anti-Muslim hatred wasn’t the full reason, that incident definitely helped me to see this guy in a new light. The events of Sept. 11, 2001 were horrible. And the blatant ignorance and hatred, which spawned from such tragic events is also shameful. And I didn’t want any parts of that. Besides, my best girlfriend is like family to me, and her faith is a pretty big part of her. Therefore, if I had to choose between my boyfriend and my best friend, well, bye hater.

There is also something that needs to be said about boundaries and why it is important to not only define them, but follow through with them. I’m not going to say whether or not the letter-writer should leave her boyfriend of two years, but I will say that if she believes his apology to be sincere and decides to continue on with the relationship, she better make it clear that there will be no more N-bombs dropping out of his mouth. I don’t care if we are at a concert together, and Trinidad James hands my white boyfriend the microphone, and personally invites him to sing all the lyrics to “All Gold Everything.” He better stick to the radio edit.

But she should also consider the very real possibility that whatever bigotry he harbors will likely always be simmering beneath the surface. And generally, people don’t always monitor their mouths too closely, especially if there is alcohol involved. The last thing you want is for your racist significant other to go blurt out the “N-Word” at a public event such as a family barbecue. Now, you’re in the uncomfortable position of trying to not only ask for some understanding, but calm the nerves of those family members, who don’t give a hot damn about understanding. And now everybody starts treating you like Sandra Bullock…

So what do you think: Could you be an Edith to some man’s Archie Bunker?

Xlr8photo.com

I grew up with an Italian mother and a black father in a predominantly white town where the black population hovered just below 10 – including my sister, my father and I.

So by the time I hit my pre-teen years, I was not surprised when I heard racial slurs like “oreo,” “zebra” and the n-word, and even some I didn’t immediately understand, like “mocha face.” I was not surprised when some people griped I was “too white” and others complained I was “too black.” I was not surprised when my class took field trips into Boston and students shouted “Look at all the n—–s!” when we entered the city.

I had readied myself for these types of comments so that when someone called me a cruel name at lunch, or the boy I liked couldn’t like me back because his parents said so, it hurt a little less. I put my personal struggles in perspective and considered the plight and sacrifice of those who came before me, who endured much more than name-calling and forbidden dates.

But no matter how many racially-charged comments I faced with the most dignity I could muster, some statements — usually from people who were drunk or unaware I was listening — simply left me staring wide-eyed and speechless, simultaneously trying to pick my jaw up off the floor and process the nonsense I just heard.

As we all know, racism is powerful and pervasive, creeping into areas of life we are sure it can’t gain access to. And sometimes, people just say some crazy things:

“You know, looking at black people, you can really see how man evolved from ape.”

There I was, walking nonchalantly up the stairs at a family gathering when I heard a white relative blurt this out. He’d been watching a golf game and thought I was out of earshot, so he allowed his hatred to simmer above the surface, then smiled at me when I’d finally worked up the nerve to enter the room. I was 11 years old, and I was not quite ready to figure out that family is a seemingly protected boundary that racism can easily penetrate.

“Mick Jagger has a n—–’s lips.”

It was a middle school art class, and a girl at the next table over made this comment with an air of casual disgust. To no one in particular, or perhaps, indirectly to me. In a way, I wish she had addressed me specifically rather than ignoring the fact that I was 10 feet away, because by exclaiming this in my presence and pretending I didn’t exist, she made me feel both singled out and invisible.  And I spent the rest of the class trying to understand what exactly a “n—–‘s lips” were, and whether or not Mick Jagger had them.

Source: blacksnob.com

From The Grio

By T.J. Holmes

Debates about how journalists report stories with offensive language are nothing new.  Some say it’s OK when it’s in context and even necessary to report the story.  Others say journalists should use restraint and be able to get the point across without explicitly using such offensive words. For the sake of this conversation, let’s give the two CNN reporters the benefit of the doubt.  (I happen to know both reporters and worked with them for years, and they are good, decent people and solid journalists.) Let’s assume they were doing honest reporting and had the best of intentions to put the stories in graphic context.  That’s reasonable. And, that’s their justification for using the n-word. So, what’s mine? I’m black, so I can? That’s pretty weak.

Honestly, anytime I hear the n-word come out of any white person’s mouth (Gwyneth Paltrow’s included), I cringe. Whether I hear it from a white character in a movie or a white reporter telling a story, it makes me uneasy.  I can’t help it.  But, if asked to explain why they used the n-word in their reporting, the two CNNers could make their case, agree with it or not.  Ask me to explain why I used the n-word 20 times in a conversation with my best friend at dinner last night, I don’t have much of a case to make.

In fact, I don’t have any case to make. Yes folks, I too use the n-word, and I assure you I’m not using it in order to put anything in context.  I use it casually and sometimes constantly. I have no real logic behind using the word, but for whatever reason, I’m given somewhat of a pass by society because I’m black.

Read more about T. J. Holmes and why he says he’s done using the n-word on TheGrio.com.

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Source: Eurweb.com

From Eurweb.com

When it comes to the N-word, rapper Nas is down for using it by any means necessary it seems.

So, it should come as no surprise he has no problem with actress Gwyneth Paltrow using it as she did in her world rocking tweet last week. He says she has free reign to use it because “she’s a real n***a.”

“I would slap the s*** out of somebody for Gwyneth Paltrow,” Nas told (Atlanta’s) CBS Local. “She’s the homie, she’s cool. Gwyneth gets a pass. Real people get a pass. We know what this s*** is. We don’t interrupt Italians when they say ‘Wop’ to each other. They gonna punch you in the mouth if you interrupt that. Don’t interrupt us. We pick and choose.”

Watch the clip of Nas’s defense of Gywneth Paltrow and read more about why he thinks she gets a pass on Eurweb.com.

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Source: dailymail.co.uk

As you know, Gwyneth Paltrow has been catching a lot of heat for tweeting ‘Ni**as in Paris for real’ during Jay Z and Kanye’s Watch The Throne concert in Paris. I’m here to jump up and down on my soapbox and throw the last bit of gasoline on that raging fire. I’m also going to light up a few of her co-signers in the process.

Russell Simmons recently wrote a blog about how we shouldn’t take offense to Gwennie using the “N” word because it’s a badge of honor. He wrote,

“And 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!

At the risk of sounding uppity, the life story of Josephine Baker never made Paris seem that far away to me. It seemed within my reach because of her. She was a woman of color living in Paris and broke down many a barrier during her lifetime. So as a little girl, the validation of an actress referring to me as a “n*gga for real” didn’t cross my mind. But Russell isn’t the only one who has given Gwen cover for her a** to fall on. Gayle King stated on the CBS Early Morning Show that the song “N****s In Paris” is the reason why she goes to Paris. Oprah’s BFF obviously caught amnesia and forgot about the time she and Lady O weren’t allowed in the store Hermes for literally being n****s in Paris. The-Dream, who was at the concert, even took responsibility for the offensive tweet and then promptly told Twitter to pretty much get over it because it was all about context. If it’s all about the way you say it, where did the “for real” part come from? That’s not in the song’s title.

The biggest offenders in this rush to defend Gwen for getting just a little bit too comfortable are her besties: Jay-Z and Beyoncé. Their silence is just as incendiary as the “N” word. It even speaks louder. They don’t have to denounce her, but friends check each other.

The Bible speaks on the power of the tongue. It holds life and death. Our history has left too many of us dead just because of the color of our skin. From the slave ships of yesteryear to the Trayvon Martin’s of today, we are being killed because our lives are being seen as having less value and that perception is built around the reality that we are just seen as “n****s” to many. Too many.  A single word has damned the black community, but yet a lot of us want to change the meaning behind it. I suppose, but I don’t see Hispanics in a rush to reclaim any of the slur people use against them. GLAAD will fly down like a pack of locusts against those who throw around offensive language to gays and no exceptions or context is accepted. There are repercussions for others when insults of this manner happen in their community, but there’s always one of us leading the charge to absolve those that offend. What’s that about?

The default rationale is that we use the “N” word and so it’s permissible for universal use. In this instance, it’s the name of the song and therefore it’s okay. The word is littered in so many rap songs that you’ve come to expect it after the first beat drops. The use of the “N” word has become so commonplace that people just shrug when they hear it and that’s a Joe Clark Code 10 situation!  It’s time to get out of the house and burn it to the damn ground.

Blacks who are in a position of power have got to use their influence. Their platforms shouldn’t be used to make a mockery as to why there is outrage over the flippant use of the “N” word. Their silence and apathy in lieu of some emotion shouldn’t be either.  A lot of these celebrities shouldn’t act too surprised when they hear crickets at the cash register. If anyone can be that removed from how potent the “N” word still is and always will be, I can keep my hard earned dollars to myself. And that’s for real.

Follow Stephanie Guerilus @qsteph

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Source: newyorkgossipgal.com

I figured Russell Simmons would make a statement about this sooner or later, and sure enough the Global Grind founder wrote a post on his site yesterday asking, “Why Is Everyone So Cray About Gwyneth’s Tweet?” Uncle Rush essentially defends the use of the n-word by anybody—black artist, white fan, etc.—and starts with a little anecdote about white folks in Carnegie Hall singing “Ain’t No N*gga” in harmony with the black people in the audience like it was the 1900s and they were singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” while holding hands. For someone who was around at the start of rap’s entry into the mainstream I guess it might have been the equivalent of that to him, but anyway, here’s the full letter:

A few months ago, I went to the Jay-Z charity concert at Carnegie Hall. It was pretty exciting to watch hip-hop’s biggest star play the world’s most prestigious venue. However, there was nothing more exciting than him donating 100 percent of the proceeds to charity, including my $25,000 donation.

The third song that came on during the show was “Ain’t No N*gga”… the song I signed Jay to Def Jam on. Everyone in the hall was singing every word to the song. Every white girl (and there were a lot of them) was singing it to their man…“Ain’t no n*gga like the one I got!” EVERYONE was singing every word of every song for the entire set, which ended with “N*ggas In Paris.” White, black – everyone was singing along.

But a couple of nights ago, a similar milestone occurred in Paris with Jay and Kanye’s Watch The Throne Tour.  It was at this show that my friend Gwyneth Paltrow tweeted something that got me a little twisted. I follow Gwyneth on Twitter and when I saw her tweet about the “N*ggas in Paris” show in PARIS, I said ‘Damn everybody is there but me.’ I’m a bit older and I don’t get to jet-set to concerts like I used to, but when I saw Gwyneth was there, I must admit, I got a little jealous. The tweet she sent has since angered some in the black community, since she used the n-word. But when I saw it, it didn’t faze me – not even one bit.

I have to throw my hand up and stand up for Gwyneth. I know her intentions were not to be offensive … she was just proud of her friend, Jay-Z. My words are in defense of her.

I don’t have a permanent answer to the n-word controversy that appeases everyone. I remember when I tried to fix it and said we should maybe beep that word and a few others on the radio, Oprah quoted me as if I said not to use the n-word. However, for the record, I have NEVER told any artist not to use that word or any word in my life and I never will; a poet can choose their own words to describe whatever they want in their art.

And 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. And these kids have overwhelmingly become progressive in their politics and their social concerns. 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***ers can’t fine” her.

You can tell what era of rap Russ grew up in because he’s quite nostalgic about a time when the music was progressive and aired social and political concerns. You can’t deny rap is still contagious and explosive but white people are hardly sympathizing with any black plight these days. They just want to be n*ggas for as long as the three- or four-minute song their singing lasts and then go back to their inherently privileged realities.

What’s interesting about this whole thing is that it’s come out that The Dream is actually the one who sent the tweet from Gwen’s phone that night and had he spent more time explaining that from jump instead of that “context is everything” statement, this would have died out. But apparently he wanted to make a point like Russell Simmons: The n-word is fair game for any and everybody. I guess (not.)

What do you think about Russell Simmon’s post?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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It’s never a dull moment when Kanye and Jay-Z hit the stage to perform N*ggas in Paris. Over the weekend, they kicked off their Watch the Throne Tour in the French capital and since they were self-described n*ggas in Paris, they performed the hit song a record 11 times. Somewhere in the midst of all that, Gwyneth Paltrow, who attended the concert with Beyonce, Kelly Rowland, and the Dream, was feeling the energy and sent out a tweet with the picture above of her on stage saying:

And that’s when the beat dropped a bit. Blogger B. Scott picked up on Gwyneth’s tweet and retweeted it asking if it was OK or not, to which the actress responded:

I was surprised this was even up for discussion considering she didn’t exactly just throw the n-word out there without asterisks, but I think it’s the “for real” part that made some people say hold up, did she just call Jay and Ye n*ggas? The Dream came to the actresses defense quickly on Twitter saying:

“N[*]gga doesn’t have any power over me which is why this will be the last thing I say about it. A word means something when u react to it! Context is everything. Meaning it in the context as a Song which is how we Sold it to the world!!!!!! it is what it is. I’ve seen people not use the Word at all and have been the most racist people rather than use it in the context as the song it self. And Actually N[*]ggaz was in Paris! Lol stop wasting gods time Do something with your life! Love not War.”

Regardless of whether Gwyn got too caught up in the hype or not, I blame Jay and Kanye for this. The title of this song and it’s crossover appeal was just asking for this type of nonstop n-word controversy foolishness.

Do you think Gwyneth was in the wrong or are people overreacting?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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