Is Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' 'White Privilege II' an Answer to J. Cole's 'Fire Squad'?
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Yes, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' "White Privilege II" is a follow up to a "White Privilege" of 2005.
However there is one part of the song that feels like Macklemore might be respectfully responding to J.Cole's verse in his "Fire Squad" track.
In the fourth verse to "White Privilege II" Macklemore raps:
We want to dress like, walk like, talk like, dance like, yet we just stand by
We take all we want from black culture, but will we show up for black lives?
We want to dress like, walk like, talk like, dance like, yet we just stand by
We take all we want from black culture, but will we show up for black lives?"
It seems as if Macklemore is owning up to J. Cole's lyrics:
Same way that these rappers always bite each others flows
Same thing that my n***a Elvis did with Rock n Roll
Justin Timberlake, Eminem, and then Macklemore
While silly n****s argue over who gone snatch the crown
Look around my n***a white people have snatched the sound"
Macklemore and Lewis' song has addressed multiple social issues that plague the U.S. including the racial tension that has been building. While Iggy Azalea doesn't like the fact that she was one of the names used in the song, Macklemore was actually trying to prove that J. Cole was right in what he said. The song itself also goes far beyond the use of a culture, it reflects an inner conflict that that lies within someone who might not be black but want to support the Black Lives Matter movement. It will be interesting to see if Macklemore continues to address these issues on the upcoming This Unruly Mess I've Made, until then, you can draw your own conclusions from the track below.