Marc Lamont Hill pushes back on Fat Joe defending his N-word use: ‘There's no honorary degrees in Blackness'

The scholar and "Joe Budden Podcast" co-host says he has love for Fat Joe but argues the rapper's deep ties to hip-hop and Black culture don't give him a pass to use the N-word. Marc Lamont Hill has entered the chat surrounding Fat Joe's use of the N-word, and while the scholar and media personality says he has nothing but love for the Bronx rapper, he doesn't agree that Joe's decades-long connection to Black culture gives him a pass to use the controversial term. Hill addressed the debate in a new episode of his YouTube series "Just My Thoughts," following Fat Joe's appearance on "The Joe Budden Podcast," where the rapper was directly questioned about his use of the N-word and whether he had ever reconsidered it. Joe defended himself by pointing to where and how he grew up, noting that he was raised in the Bronx alongside Black people and came of age immersed in hip-hop culture. "I'm the Blackest n***a you've ever seen in your life," Joe declared during the interview. Hill wasn't present for the conversation, as he does not appear on the podcast's Friday episodes, but after viewers questioned how he would have responded, he decided to make his position clear. "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 was also careful to separate his disagreement with Joe from his feelings about the rapper himself. He noted Joe's long history of supporting Black people and Black causes, even recalling seeing him at the Audubon Ballroom supporting the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center. "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 acknowledged that Black and Latino cultures have long overlapped, particularly in places like New York City, and emphasized that Latino identity and Blackness aren't mutually exclusive. There are Black Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Cubans, Colombians, and other Afro-Latinos. But in his estimation, Fat Joe's Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage and lifelong proximity to Black culture don't automatically make him Black. "Being close to hip-hop doesn't make you Black," Hill said. "Loving Black people doesn't make you Black." Then he offered perhaps his most succinct assessment of the controversy: "There's no honorary degrees in Blackness." Hill also acknowledged something many New Yorkers can attest to: Non-Black Latinos who grew up in predominantly Black communities have been using the N-word among Black friends and neighbors for decades, sometimes without anyone objecting. "That does happen," Hill said. "That doesn't make it okay." He stressed that he doesn't believe Joe's use of the word makes him racist, evil, or even someone he would prioritize calling out over others. But he pushed back against the idea that acceptance from some Black people amounts to universal permission, particularly when plenty of other Black people have made it clear they're uncomfortable with non-Black people using the word. "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.'" Still, Hill admitted the debate raises an even bigger question: Would everybody be better off retiring the N-word altogether? "Maybe none of y'all should be using it," Hill said, acknowledging that he continues to use 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." While Hill isn't ready to go that far himself, he admitted, "That might be the ultimate answer." And for anyone hoping this debate might turn into beef between the two men, Hill made it clear that isn't happening. He said he'd welcome the opportunity to have the conversation with Joe directly. "It's all love. There's no beef," Hill said. "I just disagree with him on this point. And brothers can disagree." More must-reads: