Macklemore & Ryan Lewis‘ latest offering “White Privilege II” left timelines in a scramble upon its release last month. The Seattle MC dedicated nine minutes to his POV on the Black Lives Matter movement as well as his place in hip-hop as a white rapper.
Several acts weighed in on the politically charged offering from Macklemore’s forthcoming The Unruly Mess I’ve Made album. Revisit the celebs’ verdicts below.
Macklemore Name-Checks Iggy Azalea, Elvis & Miley Cyrus on ‘White Privilege II’: Listen
Big Daddy Kane
Macklemore’s “Downtown” contributor reacted to the track in an interview with The Source, saying, “From what I was hearing, I wasn’t crystal clear on what [Macklemore] was saying. To me, it sounded like if he was condemning the white privilege, the privileges white people have in Hip Hop. It kind of sounded like that, but then again, because he’s a clever thinker, it could be the type of thing where he’s spoofing what Black America thinks of white artists. It could have been that. I’m not really sure what he meant by it.”
Ice T
The New Jersey rap vet shared his thoughts on the track in less than 140 characters.
So NEEDED: White Privilage 2 https://t.co/6Eqrl6wvRJ ‘Macklemore’ Must Listen.
— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) January 22, 2016
Iggy Azalea Partially Agrees with Macklemore’s ‘White Privilege II’ Message
Iggy Azalea
While the Australian rapper — whose named on the Mack track — initially tweeted her dismay with the rapper (“He shouldnt have spent the last 3 yrs having friendly convos and taking pictures together at events etc if those were his feelings,” she said), she later told TMZ that she agreed with some of the song’s content before adding, “I think all culture takes from all culture. We’re so global now, I think it’s impossible for everybody not to take influence from everybody.”
Talib Kweli
The Brooklyn MC slammed Iggy for perceiving the record as a diss but co-signed Macklemore’s efforts as a whole while also exchanging tweets with Azalea.
I am proud to call @macklemore a friend & an ally. This song is beautiful. The words…. https://t.co/YT0tmFXanZ
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) January 22, 2016
@IGGYAZALEA @workdeluxe and you definitely wrong to feel any way at all about Macklemore song cuz he ain’t diss you. You tripping.
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) January 22, 2016
@IGGYAZALEA if you can’t see you taking offense to Macklemore song is an exhibit of your privilege u only here for yourself, not the culture
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) January 22, 2016
@IGGYAZALEA ok if you day so. You taking offense to the Macklemore song & dissing qtip make me think otherwise.
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) January 22, 2016
@IGGYAZALEA Macklemore made a song showing solidarity w ppl of color & all u got to say is “why he mention me?” Do better.
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) January 22, 2016
@IGGYAZALEA If you can find the time to be offended when Macklemore suggests that black lives matter, u can find the time to say they do.
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) January 22, 2016
Machine Gun Kelly Clarifies Comments on Macklemore’s ‘White Privilege II’: Exclusive
Machine Gun Kelly
Following his comments to TMZ about race being “an issue for people like Macklemore,” the Cleveland rapper followed up with Billboard to clarify his statements about the rapper and “White Privilege II.”
“I think me and Macklemore exist in two different worlds. I would never think twice about marching next to my brother for an issue we both believe in,” he said. “These are issues that I am actually facing. Cleveland, Ohio is the real deal. We’ve seen it happen especially moreso with all of these police shootings, friends of mine being killed, all of that happening within the past couple years.”
He added, “The [TMZ] interviewer was trying to put me into a box and if you know anything about me by now, you know that I will not be put into a box. It wasn’t even a diss to Macklemore, it was moreso the fact that he chose to speak about race in his music. I think a big part of why race is such an issue is because we feel stereotypes or add to the stereotypes. I don’t want to shed light on anymore stereotypes because it just helps foster that hatred. That was moreso why I said “race is not an issue.””