Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have just released a new song that’s receiving a lot of mix reactions and comments.
The rapper/singer and producer team came into fame with their comedic song “Thrift Shop.” Following that though, they showed their support for the LGBTQ+ community with their song “Same Love.” As if the song wasn’t already great, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ performance at the 2014 Grammy’s involved both gay and straight couples getting married on stage.
Now, the duo has released the eight minute long “White Privilege II.” “White Privilege I” was released by Macklemore back in 2005 when he was just getting into the music scene. This song also received many comments for being controversial because of its content.
In the first verse, Macklemore raps about what it’s like to be white, but as a Black Lives Matters supporter. The song has a strong start. He raps “is this awkward, should I even be here marching?” He then asks “is it my place to give my two cents?” Macklemore then raps “or should I stand on the side and shut my mouth for justice?” He gets it: while he wants to show his support and advocate for black lives, he wonders if it’s even right for him to do so.
The chorus even states and recognizes the ongoing violence with “blood in the streets, no justice, no peace/no racist beliefs, no rest 'til we're free.” It’s recognition that innocent people of color are getting attacked every day.
His second verse discusses the many issues of cultural appropriation. This is still a huge problem—we can’t seem to grasp the concept that certain clothing/hair styles, music origins, etc. are historically important to a culture. Between dread locks and headgear, people just don’t understand that it’s not a fad to follow. This is someone’s culture.
In this verse, however, Macklemore calls out artists like Miley Cyrus, Elvis Presley, and Iggy Azalea. He even goes so far as to call them “fake and plastic.” He calls these artists out by saying how they have gone and messed with “the magic, the passion, the fashion, you toy with/the culture was never yours to make better.”
He then talks about how a mom who isn’t into hip-hop appreciates his music— but he’s “the only hip-hop” she’ll allow her kids to listen to. Double standards. But he calls her out on it.
The fourth verse has to have one of the most powerful lyrics in it: “we take all we want from black culture, but will we show up for black lives?”
Macklemore brings up great points, and talks about many ongoing issues that we face in America today. But are people going to start realizing that these issues have been ongoing for years and years now? Will people realize that, yes, white privilege does exist? Are they going to realize that he’s not the first person to put these issues into a song? Are people going to start paying attention now because a well-known white hip-hop artist made a song about it?
Every day we have to hear about how a young kid was shot and killed, assaulted, attacked—just because they’re black. What’s wrong with the world we live in? I get what Macklemore was trying to do in this song, but it’s still not enough.
Listen to the song and see what you think.
