If you’ve had nine minutes to spare this past week you might you have listened to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “White Privilege II.” If the length of the song took it off your radar, you probably only heard about the verse that most are referring to as a diss to some of pop’s biggest names. “You’ve exploited and stolen the music, the moment. The magic, the passion, the fashion you toy with. The culture was never yours to make better. You’re Miley, you’re Elvis, you’re Iggy Azalea.” But as Macklemore referred to it on Sway in the Morning this past Tuesday, it’s something that “a lot of people have misinterpreted.”  He says, “that whole verse is me implicating myself,” and throughout the 50 minute interview, he breaks down the song from inspiration, implementation, and creation.

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At approximately nine minutes in length, Macklemore raps from what is almost a place of guilt, leaving very few stones unturned, offering his commentary on White Privilege, cultural appropriation (he calls out Iggy Azalea, Miley Cyrus and others), and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. 

This isn’t a song where Macklemore boasts his White Privilege. This is a song where he exposes it, as well as the people who hide behind it, encouraging them stand with blacks in trying times, if they are going to dabble in the culture to get rich.

As well all know, Macklemore gets a lot of flack in the Hip-Hop community, so those who aren’t fans of his will probably see the title of this song and be quick to dismiss it, but the stand he took is a unique and commendable one.

Photo: Zoe Rain

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