Love and Hip Hop Cast on ‘Django Unchained,’ Use of N-Word in Movies #loveandhiphop

Rashidah Ali at the Season 3 Premiere Party for "Love and Hip Hop"Quentin Tarantino’s violent slavery western “Django Unchained” is shaping up to be his highest grossing movie yet -- one that could potentially also nab an Oscar for Best Picture. Despite all that has turned out well for this movie so far, there seems to be growing outrage over Tarantino’s excessive use of the n-word in Django. Opposing sides of the controversy are even debating whether he was justified in using it at all.

Since there is no shortage of platforms being created for community leaders, filmmakers, movie critics or historians to add their two cents on this matter, it would be more fitting to hear from those who actually represent an area of entertainment that possesses similar themes of violence and derogatory language: rap music. I recently caught up with rapper Consequence and reality TV star Rashidah Ali at the NYC Premiere bash for Season 3 of their hit VH1 series “Love & Hip Hop.”

Neither appeared to be familiar with all of the n-word drama surrounding “Django Unchained,” which is refreshing at a time when there is negative backlash over something so trivial, in a relative sense. Consequence was reluctant to speak on it because he hasn’t seen the movie. Ali, who also has yet to check out Django, however, insisted that -- no matter what the medium -- alternative language should be considered in lieu of what we have been accustomed to using for so long.

“As much as I would love for us to find another word to use as a term of endearment, it’s become second nature to us,” she says. Ali adds “I use it myself sometimes and it’s not ever in a negative format but it would be absolutely great for us as a people to come together and find another world to use because the n-word represents nothing but negativity. From time to time, when I’m angry, I have found myself slipping up and doing that -- we should certainly find another word to use when referencing one another.”

I think if more people were like Consequence and Ali -- waiting to watch the movie first before jumping to conclusions and being quick to condemn Tarantino for Django; and being mindful of one’s own language and/or behavior before critiquing someone else’s -- I bet there would be a lot less Django grief (n-word or not) among audiences and critics alike.

Season 3 of “Love & Hip Hop” premieres Monday, January 7 at 8pm on VH1