On a visit to Sway In The Morning Macklemore and Ryan Lewis open up about accepting their White privilege with the release of their latest single “White Privilege II.”
Sway describes “White Privilege II” as one of the most powerful songs ever made and asks whether or not when they are around a group of only White people, is there an understanding that White privilege exists.
“I think it depends on where you go,” Ryan Lewis says in the interview published today (January 26). “I think in our community a lot of people would understand the concept of White privilege and it would end there in terms of recognizing it and being silent being comfortable in your privilege which is what I think we’ve done in the past two years. So I think that song is an attempt to participate in this conversation in an authentic way and sort of face the White silence that we’re comfortable in.”
Macklemore states that he’s using his platform to communicate to White kids who otherwise wouldn’t listen to a rapper who is Black addressing the same subject.
“We can be silent,” the GRAMMY winning-rapper says. “We can sit back behind the veil of White supremacy and still be comfortable. But that’s never going to change anything. We had to step up.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Macklemore discusses questioning whether him attending the Black Lives Matter protests would be “distracting” and if his appearance would be benefiting anyone but himself, describing the recording of “White Privilege II” as difficult.
“I think that song starts out with the non-idictment of Darren Wilson and feeling that frustrations and feeling that and feeling that,” says the Seattle rapper whose album The Unruly Mess I’ve Made is slated for release February 26. “This is happening again and I can’t believe it. I was driving my car and I was driving by the 9th precinct in Seattle where they were starting to protest and I drove past. I drove to a meeting and I sat down in the meeting and I just felt like I needed to crawl in my skin and I was just not comfortable in his place. I parked my car and got into the protest. That’s where the song starts.”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ Interview on Sway In The Morning is as follows:
For additional Macklemore & Ryan Lewis coverage watch the following DX Daily:
read the comments this shit is just causing an abundant amount of racism. fuck it kill everyone who says there better then someone else, kill everyone kill kill kill
Agreed. Shits getting out of hand.
After reading comments here I see that black people are the most racist. Damn.
Not even sure the people posting are even black going by some of the posts I’ve seen on here .
Those comments are from the same person, I’m assuming he’s a white kid joking and being silly, he’s the same little asshole posting he’s black gang member and he got jumped in…also posting he from 50 cents neighborhood smh just a sick little kid bro, don’t fall for okey doke
Believe me, they aren’t. Either way, they are just trolls. This is definitely not the appropriate forum to sound off on racial or any social issues. Shit, not even for music!
@ child protected paedo get off my nuts padedo . Perverts like you should be steralised at birth
We got a young trolling kid posting racist comments using different names up and down the feed, I hope DX flags and blocks this little asshole, but if you read the comments you can yell its the same person using different names, race baiting ain’t cool
Nothing new their son where you been ?
Shut up, bitch. I’m 20 years old. I ain’t no little white kid. Go kill yourself. I can tell you’re white by how lame and corny you sound. Fuck Child Protective Services and fuck the police.
^this
White people don’t have a culture.
White people sound like elves when they rap. Stop stealing our culture, you Caitlyn Jenner ass crackas!
Oh, put the card back in the deck
Macklemore getting attention for talking about being white isn’t a solution. It’s the problem. We should stop calling it privilege and start calling it greed. IF you really believe what you say; hand the mike over, sit down, it’s not your time anymore.
I feel you. Though i commend Mack an Ryan for their courage seeing how no other whites back them on this probably because it is damaging to white peoples ego. Anger an wanting them to sit down accomplishes nothing but if people feel guilty so be it. But guilt can generate an awareness of a better way an motivate people to do better. We cant solve problems whos existence we fail to acknowledge. May Peace Prevail
Macklemore is a lying phony. Honest people can see right through him. not a ounce of sincerity. talking about this so called ”white privilege” so the black people can kiss hes ass because black people HATE hes music way before he said this. scumbag
You make a good point . Now let’s talk about whats really important .You sound cute . Are you single sweetie x
Yes baby and thanks:) but I gotta be honest and let you know that I have a big black 9 inch dick if you can take that up the ass
Honestly, who gives a shit about macklemore. This guy is a complete waste of life making songs about all sorts of shit that he knows is going to get peoples attention. Its all publicity stunts and anyone who doesn’t realize that is just stupid. This guy is fake. Also already have Eminem, we don’t want or need you.
You sound really dumb . Just saying
This guys such a try hard embarrasment. Just wants to be accepted by the dregs of societ. First gays, now black. What next.. Meth addicts?
lol. this dude says, at once, he can’t be silent and “silence is violence” but talks about marching at events and refusing to speak up and to let black people talk, and how it’s not right for white people to have an opinion. then he complains about white rappers “appropriating” a culture when he does literally the exact same thing. complains about receiving an award over kendrick but doesn’t give it back. this dude is a phony and doesn’t know what to feel ashamed about.
I have no idea what he’s talking about.
let them thieves take hiphop if they want to, hell hip hop is a white man’s creation anyway….a creation to keep dumb niiggas occupied with nonsense.
Niiggas worrying about how they gonna put a rap song together, while these white devils continue to OWN those songs in the end, and use the money they get from dumb niiggas to BUILD THEIR COMMUNITIES
niiggas are soo fuukin dumb
White people can’t rap
Go get shot by a cop Leroy.
I hope white people get cancer and die off. White people are scum.
You’re a 42 year old grown man whose childless and friendless . For the record dumbass it’s so obvious your not black . You’re to transparent using words like WHITE DEVILS and SCUM sounds so 1970s ……lMAO old ass weirdo troll
^Co sign this cunt is obviously white .
@ OK OLD TROLL . Yes i’m old gay and slightly overweight . OK i’m very “overweight” but believe me i’m a BLACK man from New York. In fact i’m originally from Queensbridge shout out my QB homies .
LOL EXACTLY MOST OF THOSE FOOLS LISTEN TO COUNTRY
Macklemore, who do you think it is that’s buying your records? It’s white “privilege” kids, with there white “privilege” parents money. It sure isn’t BLM kids. So go f’yourself. I just deleted the only song of yours I had on my play list. “Thrift Shop”.
If we are all than why are we all divided?
Listen to Nahko Bear and Medicine for the People. . .