everything but the burden, eh?

just got in from hip hop karaoke in toronto. exactly what the name is – karaoke for hip hop. the idea sounds like a hoot, a celebration of rap’s most fun songs performed in loving tribute by people who would never otherwise bust a rhyme. 70s and 80s kids reminiscing, nobody’s up on a stage without a grin on their face. this is what their teenage bedroom rehearsals have been preparing them for.

but we have a problem.

apparently, there’s a no n-word policy. which, for the short while i was there was not enforced. i’m not comfortable in a space where a white guy on stage with a microphone can intro with “aight my niggers and nigerettes?” (it caught me so off-guard, i swear i thought he said nicorette, and was confused for a split-second as to why he would advertise his gum). then, to make things worse, this cat (we’ll call him Wrong) chose to perform to wu tang’s triumph. i counted three lurid “niggers” (there’s actually six occurrences in the song).

i really thought this night was all about the love of hip hop, a tongue-in-cheek tribute. i’m not condoning the use of the n-word in hip hop, and there’s been enough discussed about the social value of the word. but i didn’t feel comfortable in that space.i felt excluded, disrespected, and unwanted.

i started grabbing my stuff to leave, and stopped by the dj box; Wrong was still performing.

“you need to cut this guy off right now,” were my exact words to dj dalia, one of the organisers.

“we will. as soon as he’s done,” was her reply.

“not good enough. unplug his mic. now.” was my response. that didn’t happen, and Wrong finished his track.

i was vexed. i still am, and i don’t know how to process it. so many questions go through my mind: is this what white kids do when nobody calls them on it? are people still raising their children to be unaware? what the fuck was going through that guy’s head? why didn’t the organisers stop it? and why the hell didn’t everyone walk out?

there’s complicity in inaction.

after Wrong got off the stage, the emcee, abdominal, mentioned something about it being the longest set ever, and for the sake of the jewish new year, would people please refrain from using the n-word?

what. the. fuck?

i’d love to know the reason for not unplugging Wrong’s mic. i’d love to know why the dj just didn’t stop the track. (for those keeping track, at least three people were in a position to stop Wrong. none of them were black). i’d love to know why people should please not use the n-word on jewish holidays – is the rest of the year all right?

but most of all, i’d love to know why the crowd stayed.