N-Word Conversation Between Ex-NFL Stars Morphs Into Accusations That Jews 'Own Every Damn Thing'

Monday night, Shannon Sharpe and Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson discussed internet personality Adin Ross admitting to using the n-word while listening to rap music.

"Whenever I listen to rap music… there’s times where I say it," Ross acknowledged. "But me not saying it on stream, like, I have rapped songs before saying the word. I’m not a pu**y, and I’ll tell you guys that."

Sharpe disapproved of Ross using the slur in any context. But while explaining his stance, he abruptly shifted to a rant about Jewish people and Israel.

"They got no problem saying words that are offensive to black people," Sharpe told Johnson. "But there are other words that are offensive to other groups—and they never say those. You notice that, Ocho?"

Johnson assumed Sharpe was referring to the LGBTQ+ community, calling it the "Skittles community."

"You got me lost," Johnson said. "I only know about two communities—the most powerful community in the world."

Sharpe replied, "No, it’s not. There’s another country with a white and blue flag and a star on it—it’s not even close," referring to Israel.

Johnson responded, "Oh, they own every damn thing," adding, "They own everything, you hear me? If you were to peel back the layers…"

Sharpe nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Why don’t they say something derogatory about that? Why don’t they rap that?

"Yeah. Yeah. I get what you guys are saying. Say he's Jewish, but why don't he use that Jewish that derogatory term?" Sharpe concluded.

You can watch the segment below, which also includes mentions of films like Django Unchained using the n-word, or the full episode here.

As you can tell, we aren’t exactly dealing with two intellectuals.

Sharpe and Johnson argue that Jewish people are more protected than black or gay people in America, based on the use of the n-word compared to derogatory anti-Semitic slurs.

Let’s take that step by step:

Ross says he's uses the n-word while listening and singing the words to rap music because the genre is filled with uses of the word. It's not hard to find a popular rap song featuring a black artist that doesn’t include it. By contrast, there aren’t many popular songs in which Jewish artists use anti-Semitic slurs.

In reality, the comparison makes little sense.

Sharpe also mentioned films like Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino’s 2012 revisionist depiction of slavery in America. The film uses the n-word in a historical context. The characters who say it are mostly portrayed as villains. The movie’s use of racial slurs toward black people is no different from how Jewish suffering is depicted in films like Schindler’s List.

The idea that offending the black community is now tolerated doesn't hold up with recent history. During the height of the cancel culture movement, it was accusations of racism against black people – even if not accurate – that were the most devastating.

What’s more, Sharpe and Johnson frequently complain about stereotypes targeting the black community — particularly the perception that black quarterbacks struggle to read defenses — yet openly accuse Jews of "owning everything," nodding to the most common stereotype used against the Jewish community. 

Ultimately, the illogical exchange underscores why former athletes should refrain from trying to be thought leaders on complex issues. There are exceptions, of course. But the internet has created an incentive for anyone with a microphone to weigh in on racism, anti-Semitism, Israel, and Gaza – even if they have no knowledge of said topics.

Sharpe and Johnson seemed to echo a social media trope claiming that attention to anti-Semitism distracts from anti-black racism—an argument often pushed by agitators like Bishop Talbert Swan.

This idea gained traction in 2023 after Hamas’ attack on Israel, prompting America’s sociopolitical discourse to shift from the racial reckoning of 2020 to elite universities’ newfound support for Palestine.

Since Sharpe wants to compare, society has shown a tolerance for offending just about any group but black people. Just imagine if universities like Harvard marched in protest of Black Lives Matter.

In truth, conversations about Jews, Israel, and anti-Semitism have little to do with racism against black Americans. And when influencers try to conflate the two, they end up sounding ignorant like Sharpe and Johnson.