Kendrick Lamar, the US music star and Pulitzer Prize winner, halted a recent gig to call out a white fan for rapping the “n-word” from his own lyrics.
The woman, who gave her name only as Delaney, was one of several fans reportedly called on stage to perform Lamar’s 2012 hit “M.A.A.D City” at the Hangout Festival in Alabama on Sunday. But Delaney failed to self-censor and repeated several times the “n-word” from the lyrics to the song.
The word, while co-opted by black artists, remains the most derogatory term in the United States to refer to African Americans. Uttering it is a taboo for white people.
“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,” said 30-year-old Lamar, who comes from the historically deprived Los Angeles community of Compton, cutting her off and stopping the music. The fan was initially baffled.
“Am I not cool enough for you? What’s up, bro?” Delaney said.
“You gotta bleep one single word though,” Lamar replied.
As realization dawned, she apologized, saying, “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I do it?”
“Yeah you did it,” Lamar said. He asked the audience whether she should remain on stage. They yelled back no, but Billboard magazine reported that Lamar allowed her to perform the song once again, anyway, this time without the slur.
The Breakfast Club reasoned out the situation and reprimanded both the white fan and Lamar for the stir. Chalemagne the god also asked black rappers to be “more responsible” with their lyrics.
