Tiffani Scott
MC301 Contributor
As black America struggles to regain consciousness after several blows to race relations, Kanye West, one of the modern-day Talented Tenth members, gives N-word pass to fashion designer.
On Jan. 28, the ‘College Dropout’ rapper found himself in another controversy after friend and A.P.C. designer Jean Touitou dropped several N-words while presenting his latest collection.
The 63 year-old fashion designer’s presentation of his “Last N*##*s in Paris” Fall/Winter collection was inspired by West and Jay-Z’s hit single, “N*##*s in Paris” and the 1972 Bernado Bertolucci film “Last Tango in Paris.”
Hollywoodrepoter.com reports that Touitou said, “I call this look “Last N*##*s in Paris. Why? Because it’s the sweet spot when the hood meets Bertolucci’s movie Last Tango in Paris,” Touitou explained as the males modeled the camel overcoats, gray sweats, and Timberland boots. He continued, “…it’s nice to play with strong signifiers. The Timberland here is a very strong ghetto signifier. In the ghetto, it is all the Timberlands, all the big chain.”
In a follow-up interview with In-Style magazine, Touitou revealed that West gave the green light for his use of the N-word, saying “Kanye wrote back immediately saying something like ‘I love this vibe.’”
Ye fans were disappointed as well as outraged at the Chicago native’s endorsement of the racial slurs and “signifiers.”
“I don’t think the name is appropriate because your first impression is always your last. That name will not represent me in a professional environment,” said Kierra Watkins, a sophomore biology/pre-med major from Jackson, Miss.
“I think that it would be very inappropriate. It would not be taken seriously in the professional setting. It would cause a lot of controversy because the N-word is very derogatory. Personally, I think it would be an immature and insensitive business move,” said Donald Chamberlain, a graduate student in the Master’s of Social Work program from Carbondale, Ill. Jay-Z and Beyoncé encountered a similarly compromising situation in 2012 when friend Gwyneth Paltrow tweeted “N***as in Paris for real” while attending the rap duo’s concert in Paris. Mr. and Mrs. Carter never defended Paltrow. The tweet, however, ignited a conversation of whether white people, especially white rap supporters could ever use the slang.
West’s endorsement of the slurs, however, comes as no surprise. During his acceptance speech at the BET Honors ceremony, airing Feb. 23, he expressed the dangers of a ‘slave mentality’ to cars, perceptions, and the idea of being cool. Yet, the ‘Gold Digger’ creator defended his wife, Kim Kardashian-West, after sharing the irony of his famous line “And when you get on he leave your a-s for a white girl.” He stated she has dated broke black dudes before.
In several interviews and speeches, West has shared the importance of focusing on love and not separation. The Yeezus rapper and father of biracial daughter, North West, often alludes to the racism, classism and bigotry, throughout his music and controversial lyrics.
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