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Emily Hanna

Professor Granillo

English 101

19 January 2020

The Good And the Bad About the N-Word

When listening to music, people usually sing the song because of the catchy beats and not

really for the true meaning behind the lyrics, so why should anyone be afraid to sing the lyrics?

In the book called, “They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us” introduces many chapters with

concert settings that elaborate the good which is the feeling to be at the concert and the bad

which is the feeling from the brutal past. Each chapter has a way of clearing that bad air. The

chapter called “ScHoolboy Q Wants White People To Say the Word” starts off with the author at

ScHoolboy Q’s concert. Before Q starts rapping he asks everyone to sing the lyrics word for

word even if there may be words that are provocative to say out loud. In writing, writers use

rhetorical devices to get their argument across to their audience. All round, Author Hanif

Abdurraqib, in “ScHoolboy Q, Wants White People To Say the Word”, effectively convinces his

audience that the word is a particular type of love all citizens should love each other in public.

Coming from a person of color, he feels the desire to let everyone including white people that the

“N-word” will not have its effect as the harsh past. Even though some may differ and agree that

it is not a word to be said at all, he begins to persuade his audience by the use of the rhetorical

appeals of ethos and pathos, combined with his sensitive tone and emotional diction.

Abdurraqib did not know what to expect when going to a ScHoolboy Q concert and being

asked to say provocative words. To feel comfortable in public letting like the one Abdurraqib
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was in, he wants his audience to have that comfortable feeling at some point as well. Us as

people who enjoy his music type, will have to compromise for him, “It’s an exchange for him it

seems. If you can afford entry to his shows, and you’ve offered him a way to work himself into a

distance from that which he raps about, you have earned a pass…” (Abdurraqib 32). Letting

everyone specifically white people to say words that shouldn’t be coming out of their mouths in

the first place. Many people will disagree with this argument and say how it should not be said

by anyone period and how there are, “some measures of anger behind the word” (Abdurraqib

33). This argument sounds incomplete because of the fact that many people should love each

other as a whole and there is no reason to hold grudges from the past of violence and beating. To

the author, it is his motivation for, black people in general to love each other in public. Not

meaning to say the word constantly, but enjoy the fact that they are in a setting where the rapper

is also comfortable with the word is being said by people of other races, including white people.

Abdurraqib appeals to his audience through the use of emotions and personal experiences

with how the word affects him to engage his audience with his argument. Throughout this

passage he brings up little moments in his life with music and how hard it was for him to hide

certain songs so the word was only heard by him as well as other experiences with the public as

well. He begins to address how, “When singing along to rap music, snuck in headphones, I

would self censor the word, feeling [his] mother over [his] shoulder” (Abdurraqib 34). The

reason behind covering up the word was because of how much background the word has. He

thought of violence when the word is said or mentioned. The audience feels sorts of sympathy,

having to cover up song lyrics that are enjoyable just for others sake is difficult. The author then

realizes how grateful he is to be at a concert where everyone is comfortable with each other
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enough to sing the lyrics loud and clear is what brought the audience to see his argument spot on.

He uses this specific story to bring in some life to his passage. Introducing his personal

experience to the table for his audience brings a more likelihood that they will support his

argument of bringing people closer together in public settings.

The setting of ScHoolboy Q’s concert is one way that the author uses credibility in his

writing. The author being ScHoolboy Q’s his concert specifically is what made him realize the

people around him and how great they are, which is his main point of this passage. “ScHoolboy

Q can certainly do whatever he wants and doesn’t need my permission. When, in other

interviews, he says, “It’s not like these white people are racists, they’re at a rap show’”

(Abdurraqib 38). This is when the author came to the consideration that the word is not meant to

harm anyone at the concert. It is only to enjoy the music as a whole. The author used this as a

way to show credibility in his writing which strengthens his writing as well as gave his audience

a better idea of where the author is exactly.

When writing this passage the author wants his audience to side with his argument and

the way that the author did that was by setting a sensitive tone. The use of this rhetorical analysis

is for the author to give the reader an emotional feel after reading their passage. As the author

finishes his last words he states, “ I consider, today, the importance of black men loving each

other in public. Of black people, in general, loving themselves in public” (Abdurraqib38). As he

starts this paragraph the audience can begin to think about how they will use the word when

signing songs. Not really mattering what color you are, ScHoolboy Q wants everyone to sing the

music like they don’t have a care in the world, and that is what the author is trying to get to his

audience as well. By using this tone he has the audience feel sympathy for everyone and the
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audience will take the authors advice which was his goal in the first place. By adding this

rhetorical analysis he grabs his audience even more so. He starts to describe how the world has

changed and how it has a different perspective nowadays. The audience has a sensitive spot

which is almost guilt because the audience realizes how this society has changed for the better.

The author has had experience with the word being used plus the friends he had, so giving a tone

of sensitivity in his passage has given his passage meaning.

The use of diction is in many writings to make sure that the argument is received by the

audience. Emotional diction is used by the author to knowledge and impresses the readers. The

author wants to, “imagine that I can keep at least these moments to myself and not have them

given back over to other mouths” (Abdurraqib 39). He used these phrases such as, “containable

night” “men loving each other deeply”(Abdurraqib38) to indicate that moments like the ones at

the concert are memories to keep forever having a realization that he will be okay using the word

around the public. He implies that the word isn’t defined how it was back in the day. He caused

an emotional reaction from the audience because of how he explained the words definition now.

The great word choices like, “keep at least these moments…” (Abdurraqib 39). Had the audience

feeling as if that is now a core memory for the author handing of an emotional reaction. The

author has used this to bring his passage to life to give the audience a memory of when they had

a great time and to remember how great they felt, connecting to the author with his argument of

being okay to use provocative language in public settings.

Society can now move along from its history and forget about how and where the word

originated from. By the use of ethos, pathos, sensitive tone, and emotional diction, Abdurraqib as

given his audience a sense of mind to love each other in public settings. We can conclude that
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throughout this passage, the author has expressed his happiness and sadness through his

experience. The specific phrases mentioned gives his passage a more “alive” feeling. The

audience can change the way the word is used today in songs to appeal to more people in public

areas. The importance is that we should understand that no one is out to get each other. Everyone

is simply listening to music that is given to them by talented artists.

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Work Cited

Willis-Abdurraqib, Hanif. ​They Can't Kill Us until They Kill Us.​ Melville House UK, 2018.