[Texas Songwriter]

I did not know that the word "nappy" was an ethnic word. I learned the word when we built our house. When we were preparing our doors for painting or staining, we had to pretreat with a primer. When the primer dried it dried with a very roughened surface which felt a little like sandpaper. That surface had to be sanded to remove the 'nap' before the paint was applied.

I am led to believe that 'Nap' refers to the roughened surface of certain kinds of fabrics or carpet.

It seems to work as an adjective or noun, but ethnic????????I didn't know it was a word set-aside for black folk.

[Cicero]

Yes, the primary meaning of “nap” is the texture of a carpet, covered by short fibers sticking up. And by extension you could use it of roughness in a paint job, as you say.

nappy:

–adjective, -pi·er, -pi·est. 1. covered with nap; downy.
2. (of hair) kinky.

Actually, as Imus used it, the phrase could be considered affectionate, as you might speak of a nappy-headed baby. Alfred Harbage points out that Shakespeare frequently uses “affectionate abuse,” as when Lear comes out at the end of the play with his daughter in his arms and laments, alas, “my poor fool is dead.” “Fool” isn’t a putdown in this context, it’s a term of affection. You can only use such language with people who are very close to you. The same, I suspect, with “nappy headed ho’s.” Trash talk is a little rough, but it’s not necessarily contemptuous all the time.