Nas, The Slave and the Master | Controversial Tunes

On the 6^th edition of Controversial Tunes, we explore the controversy behind the song, “N.I.*.*.E.R. (The Slave and the Master)” by Nas. 

Bring on the controversy, won’t you? Controversial Tunes is a column that provides background information and insight into songs that raised eyebrows and totally stirred the pot.  The records that grace Controversial Tunes are old and new alike, with all genres of music welcome.  On the 6^th edition of Controversial Tunes, we explore the controversy behind the song, “N.I.*.*.E.R. (The Slave and the Master)” by Grammy winning rapper, Nas. 

The Album & Artwork

It should be noted that Nas’ 2008 album, Nas, is controversial overall.  The original title of the album, of course was a racial epithet – the ‘hard’ n-word.  That, of course, would never fly.  Ultimately, the album that materialized often referenced as Untitled or self-titled.  Beyond the title of the album, the cover art is also controversial.  There is a picture of the rapper’s back with scars from being whipped as a slave… Even with the album and artwork being controversial in their own right, it is the song “N.I.*.*.E.R. (The Slave and the Master)” that ‘takes the cake.’

The Lyrics

Rappers often use the ‘soft’ n-word, which is debatable in its own right, but even approaching the ‘hard’ n-word with the -ER is another level.  That, of course, is exactly what Jones does, though he censors it in the title and merely spells it out on the chorus.

“They say we N-I-double-G-E-R, we are
Much more, still we choose to ignore
The obvious, man this history don’t acknowledge us
We were scholars long before colleges
They say we N-I double G-E-R, we are
Much more, but still, we choose to ignore
The obvious, we are the slave and the master
What you looking for? You the question and the answer.”

If you can put aside the shock value, you discover the rapper actually has more of an uplifting message for blacks.  Essentially, he’s saying even though they were treated horridly, blacks have always brought more to the table than they’ve been acknowledged and properly credited for. Beyond the chorus, the rapper serves up heaping doses of real talk, hard truths, and wordplay. Again, it’s controversial, particularly the ties with the hard n-word, but should it really be controversial?  Verse two in particular is intriguing, starting with the beginning:

“Do I mean it like a slave master, nigga
No, I’m gangsta, gotta eat rappers.”

That particular line has nothing to do with slavery but rather Nas’ lock on the rap game.  That’s deep… sort of.  There are more interesting, controversial lines like “My chest still cut up like a bag of dope / Though patterns consist of boss matters,” which makes anther slave reference, yet is clearly more gang-related.  It doesn’t stop there, with “They [white men] used to string us up ,, we wanted everything / But the one bring us cake be the snakes / Like the New Jack City wedding scene…” Woo! That’s merely excerpts of the second verse, and there’s more on both the first and third. One highlight from the third that Nas nails: “‘Cause anytime we mention our condition our history or existence / They calling it reverse racism.”

Final Thoughts  

“N.I.*.*.E.R. (The Slave and the Master)” is a great record – definitely a highlight from Nas.  Still, it’s controversial because of how the rapper navigates a truly infamous, racial epithet.  Yes, there are accurate, hard truths, but even to this day, “The Slave and the Master” raises eyebrows.

Nas • Nas • The Island Def Jam Music Group • 2008

Nas, “N.I.*.*.E.R. (The Slave and the Master)”: Controversial Tunes No. 6 [: Aidan Feddersen on Unsplash, Brent Faulkner, The Island Def Jam Music Group, The Musical Hype]