Hip Hop and the New Talented Tenth (Lecture/Discussion)

Dr. Teresa Gilliams

The Flyer

While directing attention to specific rap lyrics and videos, Dr. Teresa Gilliams of Albright College illuminated the intersections between hip hop and Black intellectual life, with specific attention to the legacies that resonate in Black literary and artistic movements of the 20th and 21st centuries during her lecture on Hip Hop and the New Talented Tenth.

Her Speech:

Looking at the issue from the Talented 10th perspective, it appears that we now spin our struggle, the struggle of the oppressed, where music, dance, and vernacular were used to mock the oppressed and now we the oppressed are using it to mock ourselves. There’s a historical perspective to it. Some would say what it meant then, is not what it means now, but there’s still a negative legacy, meaning and connotation to it. During his time, WEB Dubois was said to be too elitist because he didn’t like such negative black portrayals. However, even though people should be interested in transcending class identity, regardless of class, people shouldn’t demean their race.

Images are very important because they are prevalent and people often believe they are real and in many cases whether true or not, perception is reality. Perceptions can cause people to be stereotyped or even harmed. Even the way people talk is getting out of hand. Someone saying, “I wanted to beat his ass”, speaks volumes of the person’s sense of entitlement, and that the person’s thought process’s lack of civility.

There is power in words whether it is spoken or written. Saying, bitches, hoes, nigga or nigger is not right because the words have negative original context and power, but people like the rapper 50 Cent say people should use it. Some say if we use it among ourselves, it is fine. If that theory works, it would be fine, but it doesn’t. Nigga was equivalent to stupid. The word “Nigga” holds a lot of power and negative memories. That is why the NAACP buried it at their 98th Annual Convention.

From Jet Magazine: NAACP holds public 'burial' for N-word

The "N-Word," often seen with running buddies "you my ...," "you a ...," and "you acting just like a ...," was laid to rest in a funeral ceremony organized by the NAACP and its more than 8,000 members who descended upon Detroit recently for the civil rights organization's 98th Annual Convention.

A simple pine casket sufficed for the notorious word that moved with ease from the plantation to the trailer park, from the 'hood to Hollywood, from the streets to the recording suites, and had the ability to pick up one person, while putting another down--all at the same time. It was the ultimate comforter one minute, the ultimate denigrator the next.

It was befriended by Whites and Blacks alike, sometimes boldly venturing out into public, other times accidentally slipping out by way of the tongue, possibly because that's where it loved to rest, right there on the tip. But now it's dead!

Government officials, students, and religious and civil rights leaders took part in the mock funeral, complete with horse-drawn carriage, pallbearers, eulogy, and future burial at a Black-owned cemetery. A choir sang and a band played as young and old from every state gathered at Hart Plaza on the banks of the Detroit River in hopes of starting a new chapter of respect and self-respect across the country among Blacks.

"This is the first funeral that I've been to where people have been happy ...," said NAACP Board Chairman Julian Bond. "Some people deserve to be dead, and the entity in this casket deserves to be dead. We are here to celebrate this death and to say to the entire world that this is an unacceptable word. It was never a good word. It doesn't matter who says it, who speaks it, what the color of the skin is. It's an ugly word. It's a dirty word, and it never ought to be used again."

(AP/Black Press staff reports) -There was no mourning at this funeral. Hundreds of onlookers cheered Monday afternoon as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People put to rest a long-standing expression of racism by holding a public burial for the N-word during the NAACPs 91st annual Convention. Delegates from across the country marched from downtown Detroit's Cobo Center to Hart Plaza to say a long overdue goodbye to the N word. Two Percheron horses pulled a pine box adorned with a bouquet of fake black roses and a black ribbon printed with a derivation of the word.

The coffin is to be placed at historically black Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery and will have a headstone.

"Today we're not just burying the N-word, we're taking it out of our spirit," said Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. "We gather burying all the things that go with the N-word. We have to bury the 'pimps' and the 'hos' that go with it."

He continued: "Die N-word, and we don't want to see you 'round here no more."

The N-word has been used as a slur against blacks for more than a century. It remains a symbol of racism, but also is used by blacks when referring to other blacks, especially in comedy routines and rap and hip-hop music.

"This was the greatest child that racism ever birthed," the Rev. Otis Moss III, assistant pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, said in his eulogy.

"Seinfeld" actor Michael Richards, used it repeatedly during a Los Angeles comedy routine and later issued a public apology and talk show host Don Imus described black members of the Rutgers University women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos."

As you can see in those media reports such racially insensitive remarks are offensive and though language is dynamic and can be reinvented, the word still retains its oppressive and painful power. Even with Barak Obama, when all bets are off, could be called a Nigga any day. Nigga is being used in the home, among friends and associates, and it is being used as a curse word or a term of endearment. For many life is a cliff pontificating blurring the lines between academia and the hood. The sentimental attachment to the word, makes no sense.

There’s still concealed or subconscious racism and white racists still use such negative terms behind your back albeit not in your face. Referring to a person using the word “Nigga” takes away the person’s humanity. Why people would continue to use it leaves me befuddled. Violent racist deaths and many lynchings are tied to the word. Also, as people use the word in different spheres, what about the people who are not in college and Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCU) who won’t learn the unique perspectives HBCUs afford their students?

Everywhere we are and in whatever capacity or sphere of influence we are in, it’s our duty to uplift our race. In my opinion, Michael Eric Dyson has the wrong take. When you have the ear and pocket of white people, you have an obligation to your race. We can effect change by practicing what we preach. If you don’t want your business told, don’t tell anybody. “Hood” people have their way of looking at the world, and educated people have another way of looking at the world. However, it’s unfortunate that black people who have never lived in the hood now go out of their way to prove they are “hood” and it’s really sad. People’s attitudes are, I want to say what I want to say because I have free speech, but their words are racially loaded.

Suburban kids use such words to prove their blackness, the ghetto blackness they have never lived. Your mouth conveys negative or positive oral history and when you know the history of a negative word and you still choose to use it, that’s sad. Many kids now need history lessons, because they don’t really grasp what their ancestors went through. Many kids use of the word is because they can. Even lyricists who are creative writers don’t have a thorough understanding of the impact of their words.

Unfortunately, they are feeding these words to kids who days comprise of mindless reciting of these same words. They know good and well, that young impressionable kids will be blasting negative mess. When you recite something often enough, what’s deep in you comes out. When you call yourself a Nigga enough times, soon you’ll be acting like one. Just talking trash, such as “Nigga please” isn’t necessary.

A incident occurred at a golf game where a well educated, partner in a firm said something he shouldn’t have. It was a visceral reaction during a “trash talk” exchange, which was frowned upon. At low level jobs you can get away with a lot of trash talking, but with higher level jobs you need some cleaning up of your language, especially if you are in a predominantly Caucasian environment. Though current racism now is more subtle, the power of speech can be derogatory regardless of intentions. The history of the word can be far removed, but you can’t forget it with situations like Gena occurring.

Looking at rappers or lyricists with offensive lyrics, the difference between the artist and the person is often blurred. These artists believe they are “keepin’ it real” and representing hip-hop but their words often aren’t telling a narrative. They are often satires and a lot of what is being written now is ignorant rap. As a rapper or lyricist, you can be revealing, but don’t go too far. Misogyny, which is a lot of what is currently being written is negative and vile. It also reflects on you and your people. Artists are not created in nor live in a vacuum, so misogyny is now in our politics, churches and work places. White America hones in on that and says, this is what you call yourselves and how you treat yourselves, so that’s who you are and how we will treat you.

You have influence and a part to play in what white America thinks of you. Some say they don’t care what white America thinks, however, what white America thinks of you has its place. It translates into interactions in different spheres of life with them. How can you then confidently and positively engage in conversation with them when self hatred is perpetuated in our communities? For example, “Nigga” is now a term of endearment or otherwise derogatory. You use the word “Nigga” and put it out there and you have no control over it anymore.

In “rapper mode”, a white guy says, “Nigga” and you don’t see “nufing” wrong with that, however, if another average non-rapper white guy says it, even when using it as a term of endearment, your response is, “Don’t come at me like that. You know me.” While you keep saying things like, “This is my nigga, my roommate, my friend, my buddy” amongst yourselves. Saying, “This is my Nigga,” historically was how masters demonstrated authority over their slaves and that’s a mental way for another person to take authority over you now. If you are black and uttering those wrong words you need to stop and if you don’t, then don’t blame the white boy who calls you a “Nigga.” He’s emulating what he sees you do, so you can’t take him to task about it.

Rap lyrics analyzed include:


Tupac Shakur’s “Old School”

I remember Mr. Magic, FLASH, Grandmaster Caz

LL raisin hell but, that didn't last

Eric B. & Rakim was, the shit to me

I flip to see a Doug E. Fresh show, with Ricky D

and Red Alert was puttin in work, with Chuck Chill

Had my homies on the hill gettin ill, when shit was real

Went out to steal, remember Raw, with Daddy Kane

when De La Soul was puttin Potholes in the game

I can't explain how it was, Whodini

had me puffin on that buddha gettin buzzed, cause there I was

Them block parties in the projects, and on my block

You diggi don't stop, sippin on that Private Stock

Through my speaker Queen Latifah, and MC Lyte

Listen to Treach, KRS to get me through the night

With T La Rock and Mantronix, to Stetsasonic

Remember "Push It" was the bomb shit, nuttin like the old school


Ice Cube’s “Us”

US ... will always sing the blues

'Cause all we care about is hairstyles and tennis shoes

But if ya step on mine ya pushed a button

"Cause I'll beat you down like it ain't nothin'

Just like a beast

But I'm the first nigga ta holler out {PEACE, BLACK MAN}

I beat my wife and children to a pulp

When I get drunk and smoke dope

Got a bad heart condition

Still eat hog-mogs an' chitlin's

Bet my money on the dice and the horses

Jobless, so I'm a hope for the armed forces

Go to church but they tease us

Wit' a picture of a blue-eyed Jesus

They used to call me Negro

After all this time I'm still bustin up the chiffarobe


“Slam” by Onyx

I'm a b-boy

Standin in my b-boy stance

Hurry up and give me the microphone before I bust in my pants

The mad author of anguish; my language, polluted

Onyx is heavyweight (Sonsee: And still undisputed!!)

He took the words right out my mouth and walked a mile in my shoes

I've paid so many dues, I feel used and abused

And I'm.... so confused

umm, excuse me, for example

I'm the inspiration, of a WHOLE generation

And unless you got 10 SSsssticky Fingers

Its straight immitation

A figment, of your imagination

But but but but wait it gets worse!!

I'm not watered down so I'm dyin of thirst

Comin thru wit a scam, a foolproof plan

B-boys make some noise, and just, JUST SLAM!


Cell Therapy by Goodie Mob

Me and my family moved in our apartment complex

A gate with the serial code was put up next

The claim that this community is so drug free

But it don't look that way to me cause I can see

The young bloods hanging out at the sto 24/7

Junkies looking got a hit of the blo it's powerful

Oh you know what else they tryin to do

Make a curfew especially for me and you the traces of the new world order

Time is getting shorter if we don't get prepared

People it's gone be a slaughter

My mind won't allow me to not be curious

My folk don't understand so they don't take it serious

But every now and then, I wonder

If the gate was put up to keep crime out or to keep our ass in


“Represent” by Nas

Yo, they call me Nas, I'm not your legal type of fella

Moet drinkin, marijuana smokin street dweller

who's always on the corner, rollin up blessed

When I dress, it's never nuttin less than Guess

Cold be walkin with a bop and my hat turned back

Love committin sins and my friends sell crack

This nigga raps with a razor, keep it under my tongue

The school drop-out, never liked the shit from day one

cause life ain't shit but stress fake niggaz and crab stunts

So I guzzle my Hennesey while pullin on mad blunts

The brutalizer, crew de-sizer, accelerator

The type of nigga who be pissin in your elevator



The speech was followed by a Q & A session.

The event was sponsored by the Sterling Allen Brown English Society & English Department and the Honors Program of the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University.