Which White Entertainers Have a "Hood Pass" to Say the N-Word?

V-Nasty: "Black people that have been through the prison system and black people that are very well educated are both unlikely to keep their mouths shut when V-Nasty says [the n-word], although it's cute from a distance. There's also an entertainment aspect; seeing it on TV or the internet, it doesn't evoke the same emotions as hearing it up close and personal. V-Nasty doing it is just a piece of media."

Eminem: "His intent was more harmful than V-Nasty's. But he admitted that it was wrong, that he was brokenhearted or whatever. Nothing makes it ok, at least in my book, but it seems like once he grew up he never made that mistake again. Maybe V-Nasty never grew up."

John Mayer: "He shouldn't talk so much. He's put his foot in his mouth more than any other guitarist in history. Still, his penis quote ["My dick is sort of like a white supremacist. I've got a Benetton heart and a fuckin' David Duke cock"], I didn't think was offensive at all. It was funny. If a black entertainer was like, 'Yeah, my dick's racist. I like white girls but my dick doesn't,' that would get praise."

The girl in the A$ap Rocky video: "What it boils down to is that someone shot that [video] because they knew people would talk about it, knowing that it's immediate attention. You don't even need a PR agent. Black people are gonna wanna check in and see what's the hoopla."

Louis C.K.: "The way he references the n-word, it's like, 'I'm going to say it because you know what the word means and I'm quoting something,' and that usually gets a pass. But it still makes the old school part of me feel uncomfortable."

Neal Brennan: "That's like the V-Nasty thing, like this dude's an entertainer and that's his shtick. But believe me, every white person that grows up around black people knows that word is touchy. And using it on a podcast is for a certain outcome: to get attention. Does he get a pass because he knows Chappelle? Really, the pass is how bold you are. At the end of the day, as a white guy, you can say 'What up nigga' and be as bold as you want, but if the guy you're talking to is a super pro-black dude, a college guy, he's gonna say 'You can't say that.' Same with someone who's been educated by the streets, who's really been through the struggle."

See also: DJ Douggpound, of Neal Brennan's The Champs Podcast, Mines Pop Culture for Gold Nuggets

Paris Hilton: "That never came by my radar...If a pass is a real thing, she definitely can't get one, [because of] everything she stands for."

Gwyneth Paltrow: "She was referencing a song, and at the end of the day, I'm not offended, because it wasn't meant to be harmful in any way. Still, I assure you that a young, up-and-coming actress would not be bold enough to say it, for fear of getting blacklisted."

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