A black comedian had his stand-up routine abruptly cancelled after letting slip the 'n' word, a British newspaper has reported.

Comedian Eddie Griffin was performing in a Miami club last week at an event organised by magazine Black Enterprise.

The star of Date Movie and Undercover Brother was 10 minutes into his routine when the microphone went suddenly dead.

After a stunned silence, the magazine's publisher Earl Grave took to the stage, announcing that, "we will not allow our culture to go backwards. Black Enterprises stands for decency, black culture and dignity."

His words were met with a standing ovation.

The campaign to ban the n-word, still a favourite among black artists, is gaining momentum worldwide.

Website abolishtheword.com is leading the charge, with Master P and Chamillionare among the hip-hop artists to ban the word from their albums.

The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People held a mock funeral for the 'n' word in Detroit this year.
Stuff-NZ