Jimin receives backlash for saying the N-word during cover

AOA‘s Jimin is getting heat for a video she uploaded, a verse from Nicki Minaj and dropping the “N-Bomb” while doing so.

Jimin was heard rapping to Nicki Minaj’s part in Nelly‘s track, “Get Like Me.” In the verse, she says the “N-Word” while covering Nicki’s lines. The lines are as below:

Pull up in the ghost, East Coast like me<br> My nigga spend money like the coke price free
― Nelly (Ft. Nicki Minaj & Pharrell Williams) – Get Like Me

Here’s the video that has been since deleted by Jimin. It was immediately re-uploaded to various sites, with fans debating over the line.

 

Jimin immediately deleted the video and sent an apology to her fans when she was informed by her fans of the controversy. The conversation went as follows:
Fan: Nuna!!! You can’t say the N-word!! It’s a very bad and hurtful word to black people
Jimin:
– Apologizes – 
Fan:
Yes…it put you in a terrible position…please be careful what you say, I love you nuna~
Jimin: 
– Apologizes –

However, fans have shared their doubt in the Instagram DM. It’s rare for idols to respond to DMs and even rarer for them to respond in English. Especially when the person interacting with them is using Korean. However, it could be very likely she recognized her fault and apologized immediately.

Jimin’s latest Instagram post is being flooded with comments about this controversy. 

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jimin(@jiminbaby_18)님이 게시한 사진님,


This incident has brought to light the bigger problem of race ignorance within K-Pop and K-Pop fans. The big question being asked is, “Is it okay to drop the N-Word, if it’s a part of a song?”

Here are a few quotes from hip-hop artists who have spoken on the issue in the past:

Ja Rule offered some insight on this matter saying, “It’s Hip Hop, man, the kids listen to Hip Hop. They use the n-word. Point blank, period. There’s no way around it. You know what I mean? I’m at a concert the other day. Nothing but white kids at the concert. Metro Boomin is deejaying and shit, right? What does he throw on? ‘All day, nigga’…And he’s fading the ‘nigga’ part. And those white kids are singing that ‘nigga’ word like a mothafucka. You know what I’m saying? I’m up in the balcony dying laughing because I’m like ‘Yo, what do you expect them to do? What do you think they’re gonna do?’ To them it’s a song. They just singing a song, having fun. So, now what do you do? Not play that song when you have a white audience and you deejaying? I don’t know—I really don’t know how to combat this.”

Schoolboy Q explained in an interview that he forces people of other races to say the N-word during his shows and why he does. Check out the video below.

The dilemma of the N-word in songs is such a relevant topic that it’s not uncommon to see videos who display the problem in a very comedic manner. Check out this clip from Jeremy Lin and Steph Curry who talks about using the “N-Word” in a song.

The song in question is YG’s ‘My Nigga’

Here’s an even better discussion about it on Reddit’s hiphopheads community. Read the full chain for rebuttals on why it could be racist and why it could not be:

This is definitely the most hilarious video in the world. Here’s what happens when you “Ask White People To Say Nigga In Rap Lyrics Out Loud.”

 

We’ll end this with a conclusion from Snoop Dogg himself.