N.E.R.D.

"N.E.R.D."Song by Lupe Fiasco
Released	December 12, 2016
Genre	Hip hop
Length	1:57
Songwriter(s)	Wasalu Jaco
Producer(s)	J. Cole
Media

"N.E.R.D." is an unmixed song by American rapper Lupe Fiasco, released on December 12, 2016 around a week after J. Cole's industry diss track. It samples J. Cole's "Everybody Dies" and A Tribe Called Quest's "Lyrics to Go." Fiasco recorded it live in Lincoln, Nebraska, and published the track to SoundCloud.

Controversy

The track sparked controversy, where DJBooth's Brian Zisook reported how the antisemitic lyric—'Artists getting robbed for their publishing by dirty Jewish execs who think it's alms from the covenant'—was "dangerous." He added, "I'm not ready to completely be done with Lupe—my connection to his music and my appreciation for his skill set are immense—but as a proud Jew, and as someone who stands for love and peace, not for hate speech, I won't stand for anti-Semitism."

There had been mixed responses from fans. It was pointed out how Fiasco didn't need to say "Jewish" but rather, stick simply with "dirty execs." After various Twitter exchanges, where Fiasco deemed it as "poorly interpreted," he declared that he was quitting music.

On December 13, The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) also publicly called Fiasco out:

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today strongly condemned anti-Semitic lyrics in a newly released song by popular rapper Lupe Fiasco. In the song, "N.E.R.D.," Fiasco rhymes about, "Artists getting robbed for their publishing by dirty Jewish execs who think that it's alms from the covenant." In response to a tweet from DJ Booth -- a resource for DJs and fans on Twitter -- questioning his lyrics about "dirty Jewish execs," Fiasco reportedly responded "Oh Please" with an expletive, clearly indicating that Fiasco is either unaware or unconcerned with the impact of his offensive statement.

"The lyrics about artists being robbed by "dirty Jewish execs" are offensive," said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. "These lyrics reinforce the anti-Semitic myth of Jewish control of the music industry, a stereotype that has been exploited in recent years by well-known hatemongers. It is irresponsible for a recording artist to perpetuate the hateful anti-Semitic stereotype of the "greedy Jew." Even if Lupe Fiasco has concerns about exploitation of his artistic output, it's deplorable to stigmatize an entire group in response. Fiasco has a well-earned reputation as a highly respected hip-hop artist. At a time when there are significant divisions across the country, we are disappointed that he has not chosen to use his platform and voice to promote a more inclusive message."

Past ADL surveys of anti-Semitic attitudes in America have shown that the notion of Jewish control of Hollywood and the music industry is a pervasive stereotype. In a 2013 poll, ADL found that 18 percent of Americans believe that Jews have too much influence over the American news media, and 24 percent agree that the movie and television industries are "pretty much run by Jews."

However, the post was sometime later removed. Fiasco had responded, "I've walked inside the ovens of Auschwitz. I've been inside the dorms where workers starved to death to [sic] frail to move. I've seen the showers & the rail cars where millions died. I've been in the Ghettos of Warsaw. Ive seen [systemic] genocide. I've studied the Hebrew bible. And the stories of the Maccabees and the traditions of old Judea. I've swayed to the songs of Roshanna & eaten pomegranate seeds and Kibbeh with beets with Israelis who can't fly on Emirates. I've sat in fellowships & watched Israeli Jews accuse American Jews of being not really Jewish becuz they wont live in Israel." He directly replied to Greenblatt's statement, "I didn't [call the execs] dirty becuz they were Jewish I called them dirty becuz their [sic] horrible fucking human beings."

On December 14, Fiasco addressed specific executives in the industry who had wronged him. He stated that Lyor Cohen, Warner Music Group's former CEO, told Lupe "he may not honor the terms of an existing contract unless i signed a contract which changed the terms of the existing one." In another tweet, Lupe named Atlantic CEO Craig Kallman, who "once negotiated a deal in secret which said I agreed to give away 85% of my pub rights to the song Airplanes to his producers." He also said that Kallman "brought me my 360 deal while I was half naked recovering from Pneumonia in a hotel room in LA. It was surreal." When asked why no one spoke about these issues, he responded, "Because the Jewish lawyer I hired to get me off Atlantic, was more interested in taking 5% of everything I did. He sent a bill for 100k." He added, "Because I didn't sign the 360 (which I offered to improve and make fair and less theoretical) I was personally punished ruthlessly by them. Lyor's exact words 2 me in regards 2 my 360 deal were "if you grow cotton, why would you want to grow grapes?" [...] I don't tolerate REAL anti-semitism But I will not stand by as injustices based on a doctrine of "chosen & divine" rights are perpetuated [...] I'm not gonna undo my reality for the sake of receiving a good boy pass because a misguided ADL thinks they can redefine truth as racism." At his show in Denver during the Tour for the Fans, he paused before the lyric and said, "I don't think we should say that. We might be called an 'antisemite.'"

Justin Joffe of the Observer wrote an article that gave an overview of the music industry and its "long history of dividing Blacks and Jews." He made note of the dangers of applying stereotypes from "some" to "all" and penned, "[A]s a proud Jew, I'm fascinated by the opportunity for dialogue that Fiasco has opened up. The historical reality is that Jewish label owners and producers have played a tremendous role in the shaping of the music industry, and much of that role has been on the backs of black artists. Another reality is that groups like The Nation of Islam and their offshoot The Five-Percent Nation have had a profound effect on shaping cultural consciousness in rap music, and much of that cultural consciousness has included anti-semitic generalizations about all Jewish people based on the landlords, pawn shop owners and record industry people that black folks were interacting with. [...] I really feel empathetic toward the narrative that has been presented to black America about my people, and I can't help but feel that my people bear a brunt of responsibility for nurturing much of the conspiratory-based anti-Semitism that has flourished in black communities."

Joffe stated of the importance to listen to Fiasco's "core message," where as Jews, they "need to isolate ourselves from the typecasting and stereotypes that have come to negatively define us, and not come at people with a lecture about inclusivity or anti-Semitism from the start, even if that's what it feels like we're responding too." He concluded:

We can isolate ourselves for acknowledging the historical foundations that the stereotypes were born from, and seeking to curb any present signs of such perceived exploitation that persist to this day.

Fiasco asks for some accountability from Jewish figures in the music industry to acknowledge this painful and ugly history we've been complicit in perpetuating, and wants to see a system reform itself from what he considers to be shiesty business-as-usual. And though the ADL's Greenblatt makes a point in noting that Lupe's means of speaking his truth drudge up ugly, long-held stereotypes about Jews by the black community, that should not render his stake in the discussion invalid. We can acknowledge that the behavior of certain Jews is not the behavior of all Jews best by looking at the ultra-Orthodox neocon contingent in Washington, a world away from the progressive, socialist foundations of a Jew like Bernie Sanders.

[...]

We can look at the history, all of it—from moments of division and exploitation to moments unity and solidarity during the civil rights struggle that still persist to this day—and look deep within to parse out what, if anything, we can be culturally accountable for. But most importantly, we can listen to the stories lived by those who are different from us.

Lyrics

"N.E.R.D."

[Verse]
Too many best-rappers, not enough best-rhymes, though
Guess I'm delusional, used to doing it all the time, so
Maybe I'm just jaded, out of touch and unrelated
Unable to connect greatness based on the person who makes it
Or maybe I just hate it
And that would make me hater
Maybe it is great but that don't mean it's greater
Having your profile raised doesn't make you a raiser
Being ambiguous with assertions, isn't making you safer
What you mean, though?
Line us up, paddling us on the back
Like we steamboat, you president of the frat
You goin' sling toast, like you Ringo
And you think Doc Holliday's
Just goin' tolerate and too sick to let that thing go
It's just a matter of returns
Ashes to ashes, scattered them from the urns
To start a fire shaky to gather them from the burned
And reassemble these ashes, the blackness is something firm
Then moving blackness backwards in the bread of some other shit
Any deep we spreadin' wheat seeds from a bucket shit
McDonald had a farm and he lovin' it
Rolls Royce of the scented voice against the arms of the government
Artists gettin' robbed for their publishing
By dirty Jewish execs that think his alms from the covenant
I'll retire when I'm tired, that's a Firestone death
Easy to say when nobody's there, like a microphone check
They wanna hear what I'm gon' say before the microphone check
Make me sign an NDA before the microphone test
'Less you face that type of faith, institutional opposition
Then with all due respect, you are not my competition
Nah