Update: Nas Adds to Controvesial LP Title

Ever since Nas announced the title of his upcoming LP, the hip hop community has been in an uproar; with several civil rights activists, such as Rev. Jesse Jackson and representatives of the NAACP, stating their distaste for such a decision from the rapper.

As we previously reported, foxnews.com had released statements from a supposed close source to Island Def Jam Chairman, L.A. Reid. Saying that they had no intentions of letting Nas release an album with that title (Nigga) and that there wasnt even a scheduled release in the 4^th quarter for the Queens emcee, outside of his Greatest Hits (in stores November 6^th).

Nas recently spoke to MTV and had a few things to stay. Saying that everyone shouldnt believe reports about Def Jam shutting his record down and that the album title has slightly changed. He is now calling his new album Nigger.

"It's now called Nigger, and it is set to hit stores December 11 ...  I don't know where that [report] came from and neither does Def Jam. None of us knows where that came from, Nas told MTV while at a Manhattan recording studio early Thursday (Oct. 18) morning.

Nas went on to say that he is roughly two weeks away from completion on the new LP and had worked mostly in part with long time collaborator and friend, Salaam Remi. And also claims that Jermaine Dupri, Diddy & DJ Toomp are expected to provide backdrops.

Salaam me and him have some real chemistry. He can go from Amy Winehouse to Spragga Benz to come fuck with Nas. The other cats, some of us have somewhat of chemistry, some of us dont [People] shouldnt trip off the title, the songs are crazier than the title, Nas reveals.

Just days after Nas announced the title of his new album during a concert in NYC, Rev. Jesse Jackson as well as representatives for the NAACP have been quoted to saying they are against the title and calling it morally offensive and socially distasteful.

Im a street disciple. Im talking to the streets. Stay out of our business. You aint got no business worrying about what the word nigger is or acting like you know what my album is about without talking to me. Whether you in the NAACP or you Jesse Jackson. I respect all of them. I just want them to know: Never fall victim to Fox. Never victim to shit they do. What they do is try to hurry up and get you on the phone and try to get you to talk about something you might not know about yet, Nas says, upset that people are so disturbed about the title without speaking to him or knowing the story behind the title first.

If Cornell West was making an album called Nigger, they would know hes got something intellectual to say, Nas continued. To think Im gonna say something thats not intellectual is calling me a nigger, and to be called a nigger by Jesse Jackson and the NAACP is counterproductive, counter-revolutionary.

"I wanna make the word easy on muthafuckas ears. You see how white boys ain't mad at 'cracker' 'cause it don't have the same [sting] as 'nigger'? I want 'nigger' to have less meaning than 'cracker.' With all the bullshit that's going on in the world, racism is at its peak. I wanna do the shit that's not being done. I wanna be the artist who ain't out. I wanna make the music I wanna hear Were taking power from the word.

With little to no marketing push for the new album, Nas isnt worried and just wants the record out there.

You cant wait till everybody is ready. I used to wait. Now I have that shit in me where it is, what it is, buy it or dont but it, its cool. Whoever likes it, cool. Whoever dont like it, cool but its gotta come out now.

This Nigger album is bigger than an album. This is for my daughter, when she looks back and sees all the chump niggas in the game, shell say, My pops was a man. When I have more kids, theyll see, He was a man. That will inspire them to be real in their life. Some people say Im conscious, some say Im a gangsta rapper its just me doing me. Im stomping in my own lane. Im doing what I do.

Nas Greatest Hits hits stores November 6^th and Nas plans to release his first single from Nigger a few days after. HipHopDX will keep you updated.