Trinidad James Battles Over The N-Word On CNN [VIDEO]

Trinidad James has seen his name surface in the headlines of late, but not because the southern rap artist is in the midst of a new campaign for an album. In the wake of the OU SAE video release, usage of the “n-word” in Hip-Hop is the topic du jour with the media of late with James in the center of a heated CNN debate.

Earlier Monday (Mar. 16) we reported on James seemingly defending the OU SAE frat mother, Beauton Gilbow, for singing the n-word as it appeared on his “All Gold Everything” hit. While James said that the criticism hurled at the elderly Gilbow should be relaxed, he wasn’t excusing the OU SAE frat brothers who spoke the racist chant as led by ousted student, Parker Rice.

James clarified his position once more with CNN’s Don Lemon Monday evening, stating that his issue was with the students and their hateful usage of the term. Joining James on the media panel were professor and journalist Marc Lamont Hill, and white conservative and CNN correspondent Ben Ferguson. Hill explained in his opening statements that only in Hip-Hop are artists expected to relax use of the word while directors like Quentin Taratino are never policed as heavily.

Ferguson challenged James on his usage of the n-word, even going as far to say that rappers make money because of it. James tried to gamely explain how the word is often used in the Black community, even noting the word’s nasty history. Before long, the discussion devolved into nothing more than a shouting match.

Watch the Trinidad James’ n-word discussion with Don Lemon, Marc Lamont Hill, and Ben Ferguson in the clip below. Hit the following pages to see another of the panel discussion and Lemon’s one-on-one chat with James.