Politician Request Universal To Lose 84 Million Over Nas’ Album Title
Behemoth record label Universal Music Group must change the name of rapper Nas’s new album, “Nigger,” or risk losing $84 million in state investments, a Fort Greene assemblyman said this week.
“[They are] profiting from a racial slur that has been used to dehumanize people of color for centuries,” said Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries (D–Fort Greene), a former entertainment industry big-wig.
“It is time for Nas and other hip-hop artists to clean up their act and stop flooding the airwaves with the N-word.”
Jeffries called on Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to withdraw the $84 million that the state pension fund has invested in Universal and its parent company, Vivendi.
Full Story @ The Brooklyn Paper
I don’t know if this politician even has power like that, so this may be all hype. There is plenty more controversy to come from this album.
Suggestion Box
October 26th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
i aint gon do the 1st shit,its for lames.lol
damn 84 million thats alot,i think its gon be a great lp tho
October 26th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
this is exactly what nas wanted free pub good job def jam when they want to be they are the best hype machine company in the world.
October 26th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
nas should jus call the album “The N Word” and he can play it off like “the most controversial ‘n’ word is really Nas” especially after all this or whatever. Much more creative than calling it “Nigger”
*smh*
October 26th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
WHAT KINDA HEADING IS THAT REALTALK….”REQUEST TO LOSE”?GET UR GRAMMER UP HOMEBOY
October 26th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
Crackers dont care .. and they have the $$$
Its other fellow black people who are at arms about the title.
Where was this guy during the ‘Kramer’ incident, should threatened to boycott any and every venue that allowed him to perform. Or James Watson, the scientist who’s imfamous for saying that “Us Whites are naturally smarter than Blacks”. Why cant I find any articles with threats like this?
Nas is 100% right for doing it, and this only validates why.
Now we have ONE Black Man, threatening and questioning the integity of another Black Man.
The world’s waiting Nas .. pull the trigger, and stand up for the culture that represents our color.
October 26th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
IT’S ‘GRAMMAR’ ^
October 26th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
I still hope he names his album that not cus of its racial term of it and not for promotion but I think someone like Nas his album that if there wasn’t something positive to come out of it or something logic.
October 26th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
one word “Desperate” time Nas…he still aint selling
October 26th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
one word “Desperate” times Nas…he still aint selling
October 26th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
I guess Nas is going to have to find a new title. Ain’t no way Record execs are going to let 84 mill go, like that. Nas needs to stick lytics instead of shock value.
October 26th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
First: I’m not sure an Assemblyman has that kinda pull either. Second: if he does, all that hes asking for is for the state to sell the $84 of investments they have in Universal stocks/bonds – which is not the same as the company loosing $84 mil. Its definatly a hardball tactic on the part of the state but as long as the company has a profitable outlook someone else will be happy to grab those investments at a discount.
October 26th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
1st question is , is that politician a black man?
2nd maybe its a good thing.leave it to the politicians to force rappers to clean it up. but how come they didnt do these hardball tactics when it came to bitches in music videos or content of lyrics.
i know its a freedom of speech, i know this.
but if it is for the well being of our people than that should be a good enuff cause dont u think.
but then again if we let them take our freedom of speech whats next.
i wish we could do this ourselves and not need the slavemaster to force it on us.
good job nas, he knows how to create a stir.
thats why hov signed him
October 26th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
nas should change it to cracker
October 26th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
man nas need “let dat bitch breathe”
October 26th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
i swear its way more important shit to be worrying about than racial slurs.
dont nobody say shit about, “uncle cracker” or “skinhead rob”.
shit, let the nigga use nigga. its our word aint it?
it’s not like the label making him do that shit.
on a serious note, politicians need to be focusin on way more important issues, like health care, the war, the forever rising deficit, etc.
October 26th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
That’s a big move right there, if & when NAS changes the name of the album every other inversment firm will be looking at threatening to withdraw funds for some other word… This will be the start of censorship in HIP HOP….
October 26th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
DOES ANYONE ELSE SEES IT….BUT I THINK JAY-Z AND 50 CENT IS ON A COLLISION COURSE…I THINK THERE IS SOME UNDERLYING TENSION
October 26th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
one word “Desperate” time Nas…he still aint selling
^^^^^^^^^
900,000 for his Last album aint selling??? he did 350,000 first week for hip hop is dead, plus almost everyoen one of hsi albums including Streets disciple went platinum. SO what are you talking about??
In this day and age in rap 900,000 total is a great number for a rapper.
October 26th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ it aint platinum tho lmao……..its been a whole year and he aint reach platinum lol jay did 2mill in 3 months like #8 said one word “Desperate” time Nas…he still aint selling
October 26th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ it aint platinum tho lmao……..its been a whole year and he aint reach platinum lol jay did 2mill in 3 months like #8 said one word “Desperate” time Nas…he still aint selling
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yeah but thats the only album he’s made that aint plat yet and that was domestic, if you add the european numbers he’s at plat.
And Jay did 2 mil in 3 monthes but he had a 70 something percent sale decrease in the second week too. You gotta understand 900,000 is a good number for someone whos been in the game since 96. Rappers hardly sell records these days. I can name a handfull of rappers that sell and it stops there. 50 cents sales are declining too, he just went platinum domestically, last time eh was like 2 x plat in one week.
The sales dont make the music, thats why you look at 50’s mixtapes and they are always fire.
Even the south aint really selling outside of TI and previous luda. How much has soulja Boy sold? You here the south on records all day, in videos but when you look at most of their numbers they dont even go plat but no one complains do they?
October 26th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
He doesnt have the power. Just like the Duke lacrosse case, dude just trying to get some hype so he can get results when people google his name.
October 26th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
nas betta deliver tha heat wit this album. i hope nigger is just an abreviation for a long album title wit a good meaning
October 26th, 2007 at 8:16 pm
^^^^#20…not to mention the fact that Jay’s marketing budget was way more than Nas’. Remember the 24 hour tour he went on? He was all over TRL and 106nPark. Nas didn’t even make a video for what would have been his biggest single…Black Republican.
Industry sales have been declining for years…900K is decent.
October 27th, 2007 at 12:30 am
they are blackmailing freedom of speech and expression
October 27th, 2007 at 5:28 am
That’s a big amound. I like Nas. I like this man. I have to say Black people are gifted musicians. Come on. I have seen his pics on a celebrity and millionaire dating site named searchingmillionaire.com. Many people voted for him.
October 27th, 2007 at 11:00 am
nas always drawlin attention to himself with the albumm titles! every time! LOL
October 28th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
i dont belive you u need more lies peoples!!propaganda
surround the truth with lies n what do you get!!bullshit 4 retards to feast on.
October 29th, 2007 at 10:21 pm
i hope this album is good cuz u takin a word that has so much meanin behind it and usin it for music so i hope its worth the use of da word…
LAME MAKE ME SICK…