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Nas' new album won't be called Nigger, shockingly.

What it was was, the album was going to be called Nigger, according to Nas, who discovered with his last LP, Hip Hop Is Dead, that a provocative title can do wonders for one's profile.  However, places like Wallmart aren't into selling things called Nigger, so the record company was never gonna let that one fly. Looks like they waited until they'd got as much PR juice out of the things possible, before laying down the law.

The album, according to Def Jam staff, is now called, simply, Nas.

"Everybody is trying to stop the title," said Nas last week. "Record stores are gonna have a problem in this day and time selling a record with that title. Who knows what's gonna turn out and be on that title? Who knows what that title will be?" 

And in a statement released last night, the rapper clarified the situation thusly:

"It's important to me that this album gets to the fans. It’s been a long time coming. I want my fans to know that, creatively and lyrically, they can expect the same content and the same messages. It's that important. The streets have been waiting for this for a long time. The people will always know what the real title of this album is and what to call it."

Nigger, as everyone will call it anyway, comes out July 1st.