Friday, March 29, 2024

Nas Pens Letter To America About Racial Inequality

Rapper Nas attends the 9th annual Keep A Child Alive Black Ball at Hammerstein Ballroom on October 30, 2014 in New York City
Rapper Nas attends the 9th annual Keep A Child Alive Black Ball at Hammerstein Ballroom on October 30, 2014 in New York City

*Rapper Nas has always been vocal about social issues and using his music to raise awareness on issues that affect the black community, so it’s no surprise that the hip-hop icon posted a passionate statement on Instagram about the ongoing racial inequality in America.

He took to Instagram in the wake of last week’s shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where he posted a passionate plea to his fellow Americans to continue to have “conversations around how to improve as a nation,” adding that “we owe it to the past, present & future to come together and move this country in the right direction.”

“This is BIGGER than BLACK and WHITE. This is about America selling a false dream,” Nas wrote, for his 1.1 million followers to see. “Now we’ve obviously progressed since the inception of this nation but we took our eye off the ball and it feels as though things are moving backwards. As a black man, I find it difficult to understand that our biggest export (our American culture) comes from us.”

The New York-native went on to add:

“I don’t have all the answers nor do I believe anyone does, but we need to have conversations around how to improve as a nation. How do we show any ounce of progress that keeps hope alive. This is too big of a problem to be solved overnight but there needs to be some questions answered to get things back on the track of righteousness.”

His message is an extension of comments he made to Vibe (via The Fader) about the Charleston shooting as well as mental illness and the roots of racism in America. “Racism is rotting America,” Nas said. “It’s been rotting America since America’s inception. So this is a very serious time that we’re moving into in 2015.”

Nas’ Instagram post comes after rapper Lupe Fiasco posted his own poignant open letter about white supremacy.

Read his full statement below:

America has spent so much time, money & resources fighting wars abroad and completely fell asleep at the wheel of the war brewing within our cities, neighborhoods & blocks. We are supposed to stand for freedom & equal opportunity. That’s supposed to mean MORE than just words but the actions of late just don’t speak to what we are supposed to stand for. This is BIGGER than BLACK and WHITE. This is about America selling a false dream. Now we’ve obviously progressed since the inception of this nation but we took our eye off the ball and it feels as though things are moving backwards. As a black man, I find it difficult to understand that our biggest export (our American culture) comes from us. The people in the streets… The way the world dresses, talks, what they listen to, what they watch… That all comes from us. How can we be the ones responsible for America’s biggest export & fear for our lives like we shouldn’t belong here. I don’t have all the answers nor do I believe anyone does, but we need to have conversations around how to improve as a nation. How do we show any ounce of progress that keeps hope alive. This is too big of a problem to be solved overnight but there needs to be some questions answered to get things back on the track of righteousness. Amazing people died for this country. We owe it to the past, present & future to come together and move this country in the right direction. This is my home just like it is anyone else’s. RIP CRISPUS ATTUCKS. FIRST MAN TO DIE IN AMERICA’s FREEDOM WAR & HE WAS BLACK! GOD BLESS EVERY OUNCE OF INNOCENT BLOOD SHED FOR THIS NATION & MY FAMILY.

A photo posted by Nasir Jones (@nas) on

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