Malcolm-Jamal Warner may have a point … “The Cosby Show” actor, recently expressed concern about the excessive use of profanity in Hip-Hop, particularly the frequent use of the words “ni**a” and “bi**h.” Discussing his perspective on his new podcast *Not All Hood*, Warner revealed that his love for Hip-Hop has waned due to the gratuitous use of these terms in rap lyrics.
“I think why I’m more against it now is because it’s used so gratuitously,” the 53-year-old actor stated, according to HipHopDX. “It’s used without regard. At this point, for me, in Hip-Hop, I think there should be a moratorium on ‘ni**a’ and ‘bi**h.’ It’s low-hanging fruit. It’s so easy. Everybody fu**ing does it to the point that it’s corny.”
Get this, Warner, went on to single out rapper J. Cole as an example. Although he once admired J. Cole’s music, Warner found the frequent use of these terms off-putting. “There are MCs who I love, who I cannot listen to anymore. I love J. Cole but I had to stop listening to J. Cole because I got tired of hearing ‘ni**a’ and ‘bi**h’ every two sentences. Because he’s proven himself to be such an incredible lyricist, [so I hate] the regularity that he does [use those words].”
Warner is not on an island and his concerns echo sentiments from others in the Hip-Hop community. Earlier this year, rapper Saigon criticized Sean “Diddy” Combs’ song “All About The Benjamins” for promoting capitalist values in modern Hip-Hop. “This negro Puffy flipped Hip-Hop culture into all about worshipping nothing but $$$,” Saigon wrote on social media. “That’s why I’m kinda glad they got his a** up outta here,” he added, referencing Combs’ recent legal issues.
Even rapper Xzibit expressed his discontent with the current state of Hip-Hop, despite still loving the genre. Erick Sermon also stated, “I just think that Hip-Hop is just not Hip-Hop. I just think that they should change the name,” though he clarified that he meant no disrespect. Nikki D also critiqued the industry, suggesting that the increased presence of women in Hip-Hop marks the “prostitution era” of rap.