Royce Da 5'9" Explains To Nick Cannon Why "Talking White" Is His Pet Peeve

BYErika Marie22.0K Views
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Nick Cannon, Royce Da 5'9", Talking White, Code Switching
The rapper doesn't think people should change how they speak to fit in.

Detroit emcee Royce Da 5'9" caught up with Nick Cannon for the media mogul's Cannon's Class online series, and during the discussion, Royce shared something that irks him. The rapper spoke about some people's need to "talk White," or change their speech in certain environments in order to "impress someone else." Royce believes that he should be accepted in all rooms no matter how he delivers his message and "talking White" doesn't make any one person more intelligent than another.

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"One of my pet peeves is talking White. I just attribute that to like, us not knowing [who we are]," said Royce. "We gotta have an identity and it can't be ignorance." Cannon chimed in, "You know, you hear the argument, 'What is talking White. Do you mean being intelligent?'" Royce shot that down. "No, it's not speaking intelligent because you can speak intelligent and not be talking White."

Both men suggested that the person is "putting on a facade to impress someone else." Royce added, "A lot of times it's not to impress. It's to fit in [or] send a signal that says I'm willing to be complicit, subservient, and inferior to your inferiority complex. You have to be comfortable with me being myself. If I can be my best version of self in a room with important White people and we can get along and we can have love for each other and we can accept one another, I should be able to do that same thing in a room with you. I'm a multilayered individual but I don't want to break myself up into different people to do this balancing act in life."

Check out Royce Da 5'9" chopping it up with Nick Cannon below.

About The Author
Erika Marie is a seasoned journalist, editor, and ghostwriter who works predominantly in the fields of music, spirituality, mental health advocacy, and social activism. The Los Angeles editor, storyteller, and activist has been involved in the behind-the-scenes workings of the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. E.M. attempts to write stories that are compelling while remaining informative and respectful. She's an advocate of lyrical witticism & the power of the pen. Favorites: Motown, New Jack Swing, '90s R&B, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, & Punk; Funk, Soul, Harlem Renaissance Jazz greats, and artists who innovate, not simply replicate.
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