Tom Hanks’ Son, Chet Haze, Says He Has The ‘Right’ To Use The N-Word In His Rap Lyrics

Tom Hanks’ son, Chet Haze, has drawn intense criticism on social media after posting a rant on Instagram saying he has the “right” to use the so-called “N-word,” the Daily Mail is reporting.

The 24-year-old, whose real name is Chet Hanks, but who raps under the name Chet Haze, has made liberal use of the N-word, particularly in his most recent song, “Juice.” He’s also used it in interviews and social media posts — and that hasn’t sat well with certain people, particularly some African-Americans, who aren’t pleased with a white person using the word.

“KEEP. THE. WORD. OUT. OF. YOUR MOUTH.”

In a series of Instagram posts that have since been deleted, Chet went on a rant about his “right” to use the word. E! Online was able to provide transcripts of Haze’s rants before they were deleted.

“If I say the word n***a I say it amongst people I love and who love me. If I say ‘f**k yall hatin ass n****z’ it’s because that’s really how I felt at the time. And I don’t accept society getting to decide what anybody can or can’t say. That’s something we call free speech … This is 2015 … And even tho we are still far from where we need to be and black people are still being literally killed be a racist and f**ked up system … We have also reached a point where the word can no longer have a negative connotation if we so choose. The way I see it, it’s a word that unifies the culture of hip-hop across all races, which is actually kind of a beautiful thing. It’s a word that can be used out of camaraderie and love, not just exclusively for black people. What’s the point in putting all these built up ‘rules’ about it. It’s time to let go. You can hate me or love me for it, but can’t nobody tell me what I can or can’t say.”

Chet Haze — or, Hanks — is Tom Hanks’ third child. He has two kids from his marriage to Samantha Lewes: 37-year-old Colin Hanks, and 32-year-old Elizabeth Hanks; and two from his current marriage to Rita Wilson: 24-year-old Chet and 19-year-old Truman.

As of this post, Tom Hanks has not publicly spoken about his rapper son’s use of the N-word in his music.

Do you think it’s OK for a white rapper to use the N-word? Share your thoughts in the comments below.