i dont think the n word qualifies as being racist.
to be labeled racist in this day and age you have to express yourself as that guy in the starbucks video "come back here you slave!"
the n word's status is more general, like most curse words these days - gay, fat, whore, slut etc. which doesnt really mean anything other than they're labeled wrong in general and by society and that gives them the status of bad words, not the meaning of the word itself.