Nas To Fox News: Shut It

noah | October 19, 2007 2:45 am
nassssssssssss.gif

Refuting the claims of those clowns at Fox News, Nas has told MTV that he’s not backing down from the controversial–and press-attracting!–title of his upcoming album, although he has decided to give it a bit of copyediting:

The name of the LP has changed slightly, though. He’s going all the way there: It’s now called Nigger, and it is set to hit stores December 11.

“I don’t know where that [report] came from and neither does Def Jam,” Nas said early Thursday morning (October 18) in a Manhattan recording studio when asked about a Fox News article published earlier this week. The story quoted a “source close to” label head L.A. Reid, who scoffed at the thought of the company supporting an album with such a title, and also claimed the album was not on the label’s release schedule. “None of us knows where that came from.”

Nas later takes on Fox News, which has been really serious about cherry-picking his lyrics for the purposes of hanging him out to dry ever since that Virginia Tech debacle, later in the piece:

“I’m a street disciple,” Nas responded, quoting one of his earlier album titles. “I’m talking to the streets. Stay out of our business. You ain’t got no business worrying about what the word ‘nigger’ is or acting like you know what my album is about without talking to me. Whether you in the NAACP or you Jesse Jackson. I respect all of them … I just want them to know: Never fall victim to Fox. Never fall victim to the sh– they do. What they do is try to hurry up and get you on the phone and try to get you to talk about something you might not know about yet.

“If Cornell West was making an album called Nigger, they would know he’s got something intellectual to say,” Nas continued. “To think I’m gonna say something that’s not intellectual is calling me a nigger, and to be called a nigger by Jesse Jackson and the NAACP is counterproductive, counter-revolutionary.”

Nas said he hasn’t talked to anyone outside his camp about the title, so he was upset to see that people are up in arms without knowing the story behind him choosing the name.

As well he should be, although really, that’s been the Fox News stock in trade lately forever. (And yes, I know I’m a blogger, pot/kettle and all, but come on.)

Nas Explains Controversial Album Title, Denies Reports Of Label Opposition [MTV.com] Related: AP wins the “worst lede of the week” competition singlehandedly. Congratulations, guys!

Tags: