Snoop Dogg temporarily changes his name to Niggarachi: How does this help anything?

Rapper Snoop Dogg changes his name to Niggarachi for the upcoming compilation album Bacc To Tha Chuuch Vol, 1.

This makes me ill. However, Snoop Dogg often uses the word nigger in his music and in communication so perhaps I should not be surprised.

I am a firm believer that it is irresponsible for anyone to embrace this word in any form. I am fully aware that some attempt to reclaim nigger just as some attempt to reclaim other oppressive terms such as bitch or fag. Has it worked? I think not. Has racism, homophobia and sexism decreased on account of embracing this type of language? No.

I imagine Snoop Dogg is aware that this new name will draw in attention, some positive and some negative. Perhaps he is attempting to be rebellious or even humorous as the name Niggarachi is obviously a play on the name of famous piano composer Liberace.

I visited several websites that have posted news of the rapper's new stage alias and some have said that only Snoop Dogg could get away with something like this. My question is, why is he excused?

I'm not a Snoop fan myself, but if a music artist I admired made this choice I would take issue with it. I hope that fans will not allow themselves to be so blinded by his supposed cool factor that they cannot see how socially irresponsible this move is.

Snoop, when I hear the word nigger used in context, I am confronted with images. Images of separate water fountains, the KKK and lynch mobs. I see these images in my mind whether I hear the word nigger or nigga or yes even a ridiculous name such as Niggarachi.

As a person who is not black myself, I do not know what it is like to have this word darted my way. I also do not know how it feels to attempt to reclaim the word and reintroduce it into black communities. I do not shame black individuals who have attempted to dull the pain of racism by "turning it around" and allowing the word to be an example of casual communication rather than violence and oppression. I just think that it has been attempted and it has failed. Time to drop the n-word folks...you too Snoop.