There seems to be unnecessary confusion surrounding the use of the N-word, especially when it comes to crafting lyrics. This moved Jhené Aiko to give a deep explanation as to why she removed the word from her music.
On Monday, a fan asked Aiko what she was "mixed with."
"Whispers, cat hair, slauson asphalt and sand from venice beach," she said in a now-deleted tweet. Aiko went on to acknowledge her racial ambiguity.
"I am less black than someone half black, but also less white [than] someone half white… and asian is the least thing i am," she continued. "So at this point, it’s whatever they want me to be."
When this exchange made it's way to The Shade Room's Instagram page, Aiko jumped into the comments where she gave a more detailed breakdown of her race.
"I have a japanese grandfather and a creole/dominican grandmother on my mothers side… and both of my fathers parents are black and white. my dna results came in 25% asian, 33% african and 34% european," she said. "So that is what i was referencing in the tweet. also, those dna sites update and change from time to time so who actually knows. Ok now im done explaining, promise i am human and i see you all as family regardless of how u view me."
Although her ability to look like multiple races has undoubtedly been beneficial to her public persona, Aiko doesn't want to abuse a privilege that she didn't ask for. So out of respect for herself, friends, and fans, she decided to stop using the N-word in her music because it could make people uncomfortable. Aiko explains that she eradicated the word from her writing process years ago, but this discussion made the news relevant.
"Actually wait! lol. i would like to say one more thing that hopefully simplifies this statement," she said. "The discussion stemmed from the use of the n word in my music, in the past… and i let it be known i haven’t in a while and chose not to use it anymore moving forward out of respect and consideration to my ancestors and the individuals who feel uncomfortable when i say it."
