Written by: Matthew McGuire
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have released ‘White Privilege II’ from their upcoming album This Unruly Mess I’ve Made due out 02/26/16.
Recently the duo dropped their latest piece of art with NPR. It is currently available to stream below. Scan over this passage from the insightful song filled with meaning.
“You’ve exploited and stolen, the music, the moment. The magic, the passion, the fashion, you toy with.
The cultural was never, yours to make better. You’re Miley, you’re Elvis, you’re Iggy Azalea.
Thinking so plastic you’ve heisted the magic, you’ve taken the drums and the accent you rapped in.
Your brand of hip-hop is so fascist and backwards that Grand Master Flash would go slap it, you bastard.
All the money that you made, on the watered down pop bullshit of version the culture, pal. Go buy a big ass line, go buy a big ass house. Get a big ass fence, keep people out.
It’s all stolen anyway, can’t you see that now.
There is no way for you to even that out. You can join the march, protest, scream and shout, get on Twitter, hashtag and seem like you’re down, but they see through it all. People believe you now?
You say publicly ‘rest in peace Mike Brown.’ You speak about equality, but do you really mean it? Are you marching for freedom, or when it’s convenient?
Want people to like you, and want to be accepted. That is probably why you are out here protesting. Don’t think for a second you don’t have an incentive, is this about you, or what is your intention?
What’s the intention?
What’s the intention?” – Macklemore
When we all work together to progress together, change happens. Change is happening right now in major cities across the world. Macklemore helps bring awareness to injustice, and takes a difficult topic, such as racism, and shows his perspective on the complex issue.
Killer Mike, lyricist for Run the Jewels, as well as an activist, was on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert recently. He brought up Brown Eyes-Blue Eyes Experiment by Jane Elliot on YouTube.
After watching the series of videos, I was able to remove myself from my point of view, and see the world through another lens; similar to photography.
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis continue to break new music with inspiring lyrics. This song is an excellent step in the right direction for bridging cultural gaps.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ‘White Privilege II’ on NPR
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