Santos 1

Aaron Santos

Professor Granillo

English 101

19 January 2020

The Significant Effect of Rhetorical Appeals

Creativity through rhetorical strategies to construct and present an argument is a powerful

weapon an author uses to write. In the novel “They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us” Hanif

Abdurraqib uses his experiences to write about and give opinions on music and culture. The

author develops passages using rhetorical strategies in order to present his message to readers. In

"ScHoolboy Q Wants White People to Say The Word" Hanif Abdurraqib evaluates the rapper’s

statements through his experiences of being an African-Amerian, which introduces a different

perspective on a controversial topic in American society. Effective rhetorical strategies used to

construct his argument is the use of pathos, ethos, and logos appeals, which is significant due to

his ability to connect with readers and produce a well-written argument.

Abdurraqib writes about ScHoolboy Q’s statement about allowing white people to say the

n-word at his concerts to clarify what he means and why he allows such action to take place. The

author talks about the rapper and finds it interesting how “if you can afford entry to [ScHoolboy

Q’s] shows, and you [have] offered him a way to work himself into a distance for that which he

raps about, you have earned a pass, in his eyes, to fit his language over your tongue” (Abdurraqib

32). Although controversial, the rapper allows white people to say the n-word in spite of its

negative background and context developed throughout American history. Abdurraqib clarifies

why ScHoolboy Q does this, which is shocking and unusual to most people. In the author’s eyes,
 Santos 2

the n-word is more than the societal understanding of what it means, which is expressed through

his writing within the chapter.

Abdurraqib reveals his opinions about the n-word with his experiences of being an

African-American in order to address a new perspective of its meaning. The author talks about

how his mother has always put a negative connotation to the n-word and how “it was impossible

. . . for [him] to imagine [the n-word] as a word of love, or a word speaking to a unique bond”

(Abdurraqib 34). Abdurraqib brings light to the idea that the word can be a word of love instead

of the culturally accepted feeling of its ugly history. The author brings up his past, to share how

his knowledge and understanding of the word has shifted from negative to positive, and how

others are able to change their own perspective too. In order to address the motivation of writing

the article, Abdurraqib uses rhetorical strategies to construct his argument.

The author has a creative way of using diction in order to emotionally connect with

readers using pathos appeal to deliver his argument. For example, Abdurraqib talks about his use

of the n-word in which he is “comfortable here . . . throwing his arm around his niggas and

laughing loud into an uncontainable night[,] . . . . shouting at my niggas across a card table with a

hand full of cards during a spades game at its tense climax” (Abdurraqib 38). Abdurraqib uses

the n-word in this context to exemplify his argument that the word could also be surrounded by

love, which is an emotional appeal. By using diction and specific word choice, the author is able

to deliver his argument about the n-word by using the word in a positive light. With the use of

diction, Abdurraqib uses emotional appeals to add to the effectiveness of his argument and is

continued throughout the chapter.

The use of emotion to appeal to audiences is another rhetorical technique the author uses

to make his argument more effective. Abdurraqib references a Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon
 Santos 3

who talks about the use of the n-word saying that “it [is] about love . . . . love the niggas you

[are] rolling with . . . . love them” (Abdurraqib 34). The feeling of love when people are with

their friends or family is a familiar emotion that many people can relate to. This use of a pathos

appeal by the author is used to engage the readers by familiarizing them with an emotion they are

used to, which strengthens the argument that the n-word could also be used for love, not hate.

Ethos is another rhetorical appeal in which Abdrraqib uses to establish his argument written in

the chapter.

The author uses credibility to appeal to readers in order to strengthen his argument. For

example, Abdrraqib employs ethos by referencing himself being an African-American who

understands “the importance of black men loving each other . . . . and how it changed [his

views]” (Abdrraqib 38). The author shows the readers that he is a credible source and is fully

capable of providing his opinions and arguments about the n-word. By talking about his

experiences of being an African-American, Abdrraqib is able to effectively connect with his

audience, which strengthens his argument. Another rhetorical appeal the author uses is logical

appeal or logos, which helps the audience reason with his argument through logic and proof.

Abdrraqib uses logos in order to establish his argument which allows readers to evaluate

and reason. When associating the n-word with love, the author states that “love is the great

equalizer, even if there is blood underneath a word that no longer belongs to you” (Abdrraqib

38). Within this statement, Abdrraqib uses reasoning to distinguish both love and hate with its

relationship to the n-word. This strengthens his argument because it allows his readers to think

about the author’s message with the hope that many agree that love is an equalizer to hate in the

given situation. In another example, Abdrraqib uses logos appeals to appeal to the reader’s

intellect by providing facts to reason.

 Santos 4

When talking about the importance of music, specifically black rap music, the author

states that “it is entirely true that an appeal that music offers us is a way to escape our

understanding of the world” (Abdurraqib 36). Abdurraqib says this fact because it is a statement

that most audiences can relate to and agree upon, which strengthens the engagement of his

argument because it is something that they believe in. This comment works as a logos appeal

because it makes sense, people are able to reason and identify that what is said by the author is

valid, which appeals to the reader’s intellect and knowledge about the particular topic.

Hanif Abdurraqib writes "ScHoolboy Q Wants White People to Say The Word" with his

experiences of being an African-Amerian to clarify the rapper’s statements, which introduces a

new perspective on a controversial topic. Rhetorical strategies used to develop his argument is

the use of pathos, ethos, and logos appeals, which is significant due to his ability to connect with

readers and produce a well-written argument. The author’s motivation for writing this piece was

to reflect on the controversy of the n-word from the eyes and experiences of a black writer. With

the use of rhetorical appeals, Abdurraqib is able to connect and engage with the readers through

emotion, logic, and credibility, which develops his argument and makes his statements stronger.

Reflecting back, an author’s motivation for writing an article or an essay in order to establish an

issue is fueled with rhetorical strategies that effectively send their message to a wide audience,

with the hope of persuading or writing about something that will stick with them forever.
 Santos 5

Works Cited

Abdurraqib, Hanif. "ScHoolboy Q Wants White People to Say The Word." They Can’t Kill Us

Until They Kill Us. Columbus, Two Dollar Radio, 2017, pp. 32-39.