Macklemore says he’s shown up for black lives by “listening.”
During an interview featured in XXL magazine’s Spring 2016 issue, Seattle rapper Macklemore was asked what white people can do to show up for black lives. The musician revealed that he can only speak for himself, but did share that the primary way he’s shown up for black lives is merely by “listening.”
Macklemore also added that using his resources, whether they’re financial or through the platform he has an artist, is another way in which he shows up for black lives.
“I can really only speak for myself,” Macklemore said. “What I hope is that [‘White Privilege II’] is and will always just be a song. What we have known from the very beginning is that the song is not going to be the end all be all of whether this is successful. It’s what we do from here. It’s how we show up and how we engage with community. It’s how we create spaces of where there’s numerous different types of people in the room. We live in a culture and world where it’s easier to point the finger at somebody else and tell them what they’re doing wrong than looking at ourselves and asking, ‘What are we doing?’
“For me, right now, in terms of showing up for Black lives is listening,” he added. “It’s using the resources that I have and that—be it a platform, be it a stage, be it financial resources—
creating conversations, having conversations with people that are at the forefront of the movement that have been organizing for much longer than me. It’s stepping into those spaces and listening and yet also, organizing White people and having conversation. We have to actually truly educate ourselves on the history and know what White privilege is and know where it started; know that this is not just like a theory but this is coming from a long lineage of false belief acted out through laws that Whiteness is superior. It’s always easier to talk about the drama than it is to talk about the true issues of what I was attempting to say with that record.”
Macklemore also addressed the “contributing factors” surrounding his This Unruly Mess I’ve Made album selling far less than his debut with Ryan Lewis, The Heist.
“There’s a lot of contributing factors to that number,” the rapper said. “I think that we didn’t want to come out of the gate with singles. The strategy that we had around releasing this music wasn’t about sales. If it would’ve been about sales, I don’t think we would’ve put out a nine-minute song about White privilege and White supremacy five weeks out before the album drops. The reasoning for doing that had nothing to do with numbers. We wanted to give ‘White Privilege II’ its own moment. That was more important than a set-up single and I think that the numbers are reflective of not having a set-up single, but I feel great about that honestly. You know, I’ve sold millions of records and been miserable. The album is a piece of music that I’m really proud of—a number doesn’t reflect that, a comma doesn’t reflect that, some zeroes don’t reflect that.”
Macklemore’s interview with XXL magazine can be read in its entirety at XXLMag.com.
For additional Macklemore coverage, watch the following DX Daily:
Thank you King of the white people, your album may be one big pop record, but at least you can keep digging that grave you like to dig so much in the industry.
We take all we want from Black culture, but will we stand up for Black lives? – Macklemore.
So sick and tired of this lame wack ass all of a sudden political rapper. Sales wack cuz music is wack any artist in the world would love more album sales and radio play . He had his run w that thrift shop song. He fooled us all for 15 min time been up.
should get to the point where everyone supports anything no matter the race and vice versa condemn whoever does wrong indivdually…macklemores just guilty for w.e reason
HipHopdx is the synagogue of satan. revelations 2 and 9 and revelations 3 and 9. wake up brothas and sistas. you are the children of the most high. not these heathens who promote negativity and stupidity. they are of their father, the devil. read your history book, it’s called the Bible. Even the Quran tells you that the children of the Most High are favored above all. The Quran also says that Prophethood only goes through Jacob and not Ishmael! Brothas and sistas, it’s time. Wake up.
agreed. u can tell who owns this site by the words that are censored. this is a site based on Black culture, not J3wish culture. Protect the people that are being represented.
Im white as fuck and they deleted like 3 of my comments so trust me its not just black who can give real talk it depends on the person narrow minded little dick sucker
Was it fun you pervert ?
They are all perverts and failures in life . We run the globe and have the power and that will never change
hiphopdx don’t like black people #fact
Maybe people are bored of you pretending to be black and writing the same boring racist posts over and over and over again
White rapper is so corny. Eminem is probably halfway decent, but other than that most white rappers are corny as hell.
Mgk is sick and yelawolfs hella good too so is sean strange but fuck macklemore politicaly correct capitalizing douchebag just pushes this bullshit to sell records cause he knows its a hot issue guy cant sell shit otherwise just little white bitch boy in the suburb jams
Macklemore “but this is coming from a long lineage of false belief acted out through laws that Whiteness is superior”… i’m European and I have no idea what he’s talking about. A lot of Black people that think Blackness is superior and they teach it to this day. It’s all wrong. We are all equal. The way Wacklemore talks he talks like he’s stuck in the 1800’s or some shit.
You’re white and probably British what makes you think you’re the voice of black people buddy ? i.e “Black people that think Blackness is superior” I bet you’ve only met a couple of black people in your life . Why do we always think we have all the answers maybe it’s because we think are superior !!