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Macklemore has been generating a lot of discussion this past week, and with good reason. His newest single released on Friday, “White Privilege 2” features a long list of musicians, but most prominently a vocal performance by singer and spoken word poet Jamila Woods and an instrumental by Macklemore’s partner in crime, Ryan Lewis.
Macklemore is a Seattle based rapper who has been known to make fairly politically charged songs, from a liberal perspective pushing social justice and equity. Most notably, last year he had a song called “Same Love” about gay rights, which received considerable notoriety and airplay upon release. “White Privilege 2” is his newest foray into this territory, serving as a sequel to his little-known song “White Privilege,” which came out before his music was in the public eye.
The song, at almost nine minutes long, discusses many aspects of race relations in America today, including concepts such as white guilt, cultural appropriation and, of course, white privilege. It begins with a verse describing a scene of Macklemore at a “Black Lives Matter” rally. The lyrics explore Macklemore’s inner monologue as he contemplates his place in the movement for justice. He wonders whether he, as a white person, is doing the right thing by becoming a part of this movement: “Am I in the outside looking in, or am I in the inside looking out? Is it my place to give my two cents, or should I stand on the side and shut my mouth?”
This section is followed by a chant, “There’s blood in the streets; no justice, no peace. No racist beliefs, no rest ’til we’re free,” which embodies many of the slogans and beliefs of the Black Lives Matter movement. This section is one of my favorites of the song as the group vocal performance and the spare instrumental combine to make a section with a lot of tension and a lot of feeling, and the lyrics add something behind the music itself which also helps to enhance the power of the section.
The remainder of the song proceeds much like the beginning, with numerous sections, each tackling a different specific issue relating to racial issues in America. He includes a verse in which he condemns white people who are complacent and ignorant about the issues surrounding race relations in America and continues with a verse where he explores the implications of white privilege itself. The instrumental changes with each section, which lends the song a somewhat epic feeling, are great complements to the lyrical content. The song ends with Jamila Woods’ contribution, in which she sings “your silence is a luxury, hip-hop is not a luxury.”
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis really hit the mark with this song. It combines the two essential aspects of a political song: it has a very clear, well-defined and positive message, and, between the instrumental and some of the vocal performances, it is a great song musically with a lot of power and grandeur. I do not normally consider myself a fan of Macklemore’s music, but this song was great, and I hope that people—all people, but especially white people—will take note.