Just a Reminder: Don't Drop the N-Word on Stage With Kendrick Lamar Like This White Fan Did

Remember this lesson for when Kendrick hits Australia's shores.

Pulitzer Prize-winner Kendrick Lamar loves getting his fans on stage to rap some of his often-technical verses. With some kind of morbid fascination, it's hilarious to watch countless videos of fans as they struggle to breathe and keep in time with his bars in front of him.

And, for the most part, while not everyone kills it on stage, most are respectful enough to omit certain words from the parts they attempt.

Enter last night's fan, Delaney.

As per usual, Kendrick called on someone from the crowd to help him with the first verse of "m.A.Ad City"; an admittedly tough verse to rap in front a huge crowd and, you know, Kendrick Lamar himself.

But Delaney didn't really get off to a great start. Perhaps it was the nerves, but despite Delaney swearing that she "got" Kendrick, by the 15th word, she'd already dropped the N-word.

Kendrick let that one slide because, again, maybe she was nervous (though, that's not a good excuse). But she then said it twice more.

It was at that moment, after the hook and after the crowd descended into a sea of boos, that Kendrick stopped the track. Delaney responded, "Am I not cool enough for you? What's up, bro?"

Kendrick reminded her that she needed to "bleep one single word, though", letting her stay on stage for one more pass.

"I'm used to singing it like you wrote it, bro," Delaney responded after apologising.

The hook restarted and it became immediately apparent that Delaney could not sing on beat without that one word, so Kendrick proceeded to send her off stage. 

So, let this be a reminder to anyone who was lucky enough to buy tickets to Kendrick's shows in Australia this July. If you have a habit of singing Kendrick's songs as he writes them, like Delaney confessed, then you probably need to stop immediately and start practising the songs without those words. It's really not hard.

As author Ta-Nehisi Coates explained on a tour for his book We Were Eight Years in Power, just because you're not a bigot doesn't mean you can use that word.

"For white people, I think the experience of being a hip-hop fan and not being able to use the word 'n****r' is actually very, very insightful," Coates explained.

"Because to be black is to walk through the world, and watch people doing things that you cannot do, that you can’t join in and do. So, I think there’s actually a lot to be learned from refraining."

Photo: YouTube (KendrickLamarVEVO)