Marc Lamont Hill Challenges Fat Joe’s Defense of Using the N-Word, Arguing That His Deep Ties to Hip-Hop and Black Culture Do Not Make Him Black
Marc Lamont Hill says Fat Joe’s decades in hip-hop and longstanding ties to Black culture still do not give the Bronx rapper a pass to use the N-word.
Hill, a scholar, media personality and co-host of “The Joe Budden Podcast,” addressed the controversy during a recent episode of his YouTube series “Just My Thoughts” after Fat Joe defended his use of the word during an appearance on “The Joe Budden Podcast.”
Joe argued that his upbringing in the Bronx, where he grew up around Black people and became deeply immersed in hip-hop culture, shaped how he uses the term.
“I’m the Blackest n***a you’ve ever seen in your life,” Joe said during the interview.
Hill, who does not appear on the podcast’s Friday episodes and was not present for Joe’s remarks, later responded after viewers asked how he would have handled the discussion.
Marc Lamont Hill Says Blackness Is Not Earned Through Proximity
“If you use the N-word, you should be Black,” Hill said. “If you’re going to use the N-word, you should be somebody who could actually be called a n***a. That’s my position. That’s my belief.”
Hill made clear that his disagreement with Joe was not an accusation that the rapper is racist or hostile toward Black people.
He pointed to Joe’s history of supporting Black communities and causes, including attending events connected to the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center at the Audubon Ballroom.
“Fat Joe has love for Black people. Fat Joe is not racist. Fat Joe cares about Black people, but Fat Joe is not Black,” Hill said.
Hill also acknowledged the longstanding overlap between Black and Latino communities, particularly in New York, and emphasized that Latino identity does not exclude Black identity. Afro-Latinos include Black Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Cubans, Colombians and people from other Latino backgrounds.
But Hill argued that Fat Joe’s Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage, along with his closeness to Black culture, does not automatically make him Black.
“Being close to hip-hop doesn’t make you Black,” Hill said. “Loving Black people doesn’t make you Black.”
He summed up his position with one line: “There’s no honorary degrees in Blackness.”
Hill Says Cultural Acceptance Is Not Universal Permission
Hill acknowledged that non-Black Latinos in predominantly Black communities have used the N-word around Black friends for decades, particularly in cities such as New York.
“That does happen,” Hill said. “That doesn’t make it okay.”
He argued that acceptance from some Black people should not be interpreted as blanket permission to use the word, especially when many other Black people have repeatedly expressed discomfort with non-Black people saying it.
“If you’re a non-Black person and a whole bunch of Black people are saying, ‘Hey, I’d rather you not do this thing,’ then maybe you shouldn’t do that thing,” Hill said.
“Part of how you show your solidarity and love and commitment with Black people is to hear them when they say, ‘Hey, I don’t want you to do this.’”
Could Retiring the N-Word End the Debate?
Hill said the controversy also raises a broader question about whether the word should eventually be retired altogether.
“Maybe none of y’all should be using it,” Hill said, while acknowledging that he still uses the word himself. “There is an argument that is quite persuasive that maybe if we all stop doing it, if we all stop using it, then we wouldn’t have this problem.”
Hill stopped short of saying he personally plans to abandon the word, but conceded that doing so collectively “might be the ultimate answer.”
Despite the disagreement, Hill said there is no feud between him and Fat Joe and that he would be willing to discuss the issue directly with the rapper.
“It’s all love. There’s no beef,” Hill said. “I just disagree with him on this point. And brothers can disagree.”
