Niggas vs. Black People

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Niggas vs. Black People is the title of one of Chris Rock's most famous and most controversial comedy routines. This "bit," which appeared as track 12 on his 1997 album, Roll With the New, as well as his 1996 HBO special, Bring the Pain, is widely considered to be the breakthrough routine that established his status as a permanent comedy fixture after he left Saturday Night Live.

Essentially an eight-minute rant about behaviors that Rock sees within the black community; he describes "niggas" as a certain segment whose behavior is usually detrimental to the image of other black people. He describes the condition succinctly as being a "low-expectation muthafucka." The "Niggas," he said, glorify ignorance and sloth, and show excessive pride for any bearing of token responsibility. Rock rejects the view that this image of African Americans is purely cultivated by the media.

The controversy caused by Rock's constant use of the word "nigga" led him to remove the piece from his act, although the word was prominent in both of his subsequent specials. He has not apologized for it or distanced himself in any way, though he has stopped performing it live in an attempt to avoid any further controversy.^{[citation needed]} In the course of the routine, Rock's tone alternates between sarcastic glee at the idea of joining the KKK, and rage at people who refuse to educate themselves.

[edit] Excerpts

Who's more racist, black people or white people? Black people. You know why? Cause we hate black people too! Everything white people don't like about black people, black people really don't like about black people. There's some shit going on with black people right now. It's like a civil war going on with black people. And there's two sides: there's black people, and there's niggas. And niggas have got to go.
Every time black people want to have a good time, ignorant ass niggas fuck it up. You can't do shit! Can't do shit without ignorant ass niggas fucking it up. Can't do nothing. Can't keep a disco open more than three weeks. Grand opening? Grand closing!
I love black people, but I hate niggas. I am tired of niggas.
Niggas want credit for something they're supposed to do... A nigga would say some shit like, "I take care of my kids." You're supposed to, you dumb motherfucker!
"I ain't never been to jail." What do you want, a cookie? You're not supposed to go to jail, you low expectation-havin' motherfucker!
Niggas is singing welfare carols! "On the first day of welfare my true love gave to me!" "I wish you a merry welfare and a happy food stamp!"
The politicians are trying to get rid of welfare. Every time you see a welfare story on the news, you always see black people. Hey! Black people don't give a fuck about welfare. But niggas are shaking in their boots: "They gonna take our shit."
A black man with two jobs hates a nigga on welfare. "Nigga, get a job. I got two, you can't get one?"
A black woman that got two kids, going to work everyday, busting her ass, hates a bitch with 9 kids on welfare. BITCH, STOP FUCKIN'! STOP FUCKIN'! STOP IT! PUT THE DICK DOWN! PUT IT DOWN AND GET A JOB!
But you know the worst thing about niggas, the worst thing about niggas?! Niggas love to not know. Nothin' make a nigga happier than not knowing the answer to your question. Just ask a nigga a question, any nigga. "Hey, nigga, what's the capital of Zaire?" Ha-ha! I don't know that shit! I'm keepin' it real! Niggas LOVE to keep it real. Real DUMB.
I see some black people looking at me: “Man, why you got to say that? It ain't us, it's the media. The media has distorted our image to make us look bad.” Please, cut the shit, okay? When I go to the money machine at night, I ain't looking over my back for the media. I'm looking for niggas!
"eh I got got my masters! So what you my master now? You think you smart. I can count too, 1,2,4,5 so what? Countin these rocks BEOTCH!"