GG Reid

Nigga, also known as "the N-word", is a colloquial term in African-American Vernacular English that is considered as vulgar in most contexts of its use. It began as a dialect form of the word nigger, an ethnic slur against black people. As a result of reappropriation, today the word is used mostly by African-Americans in a largely non-pejorative sense as a slang term referring to another person or to themselves, often in a neutral or friendly way. The word is commonly associated and prevalent with hip hop culture, especially that of gangsta rap, G-funk, and the broader West Coast hip hop. The word is more often applied to men, with more select terms being used for women in the culture.