White Privilege II (feat. Jamila Woods) (Explicit)

White Privilege II - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis/Jamila Woods
Pulled into the parking lot parked it
Zipped up my parka joined the procession of marchers
In my head like is this awkward
Should I even be here marching
Thinking if they can't how can I breathe
Thinking that they chant what do I sing
I want to take a stance cause we are not free
And then I thought about it we are not we
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
No justice no peace okay I'm saying that
They're chanting out black lives matter but I don't say it back
Is it okay for me to say I don't know so I watch and stand
In front of a line of police that look the same as me
Only separated by a badge a baton a can of mace a mask
A shield a gun with gloves and hands that gives an alibi
In case somebody dies behind a bullet that flies out of the 9
Takes another child's life on sight
Blood in the streets no justice no peace
No racist beliefs no rest 'til we're free
There's blood in the streets no justice no peace
No racist beliefs no rest 'til we're free
Blood in the streets no justice no peace
No racist beliefs no rest 'til we're free
There's blood in the streets no justice no peace
No racist beliefs no rest 'til we're free
You've exploited and stolen the music the moment
The magic the passion the fashion you toy with
The culture was never yours to make better
You're miley you're Elvis you're Iggy azalea
Fake and so plastic you've heisted the magic
You've taken the drums and the accent you rapped in
You're branded hip-hop it's so fascist and backwards
That grand master flashed go slap it you bastard
All the money that you made
All the watered down pop-bullshit version of the culture pal
Go buy a big-a** lawn go with your big-a** house
Get a big-a** fence keep people out
It's all stubborn anyway can't you see that now
There's no way for you to even that out
You can join the march protest scream and shout
Get on twitter hash tag and seem like you're down
But they see through it all people believe you now
You said publicly rest in peace mike brown
You speak about equality but do you really mean it
Are you marching for freedom or when it's convenient
Want people to like you want to be accepted
That's probably why you are out here protesting
Don't think for a second you don't have incentive
Is this about you well then what's your intention
What's the intention what's the intention
Psst I totally get it you're by yourself
And the last thing you want to do is take a picture
But seriously my little girl loves you
She's always singing I'm gonna pop some tags
I'm not kidding my oldest you even got him to go thrifting
And one love oh my god that song brilliant
Their aunt is gay when that song came out
My son told his whole class he was actually proud
That's so cool look what you're accomplishing
Even the old mom like me likes it cause it's positive
You're the only hip-hop that I let my kids listen to
Cause you get it all that negative stuff it isn't cool
Yeah
Yeah like all the guns and the drugs
The b**ches and the hoes and the gangs and the thugs
Even the protest outside so sad and so dumb
If a cop pulls you over it's your fault if you run
Huh
So they feel that the police are discriminating against the the black people
I have an advantage why
Cause I'm white what no
See more people nowadays are just pussies
Like this is the generation to be offended by everything
Black lives matter' thing is a reason to take arms up over perceived slights
I'm not prejudiced I just
99% of the time across this country the police are doing their job properly
Damn a lot of opinions a lot of confusion a lot of resentment
Some of us scared some of us defensive
And most of us aren't even paying attention
It seems like we're more concerned with being called racist
Than we actually are with racism
I've heard that silences are action and god knows that I've been passive
What if I actually read a article actually had a dialogue
Actually looked at myself actually got involved
If I'm aware of my privilege and do nothing at all I don't know
Hip-hop has always been political yes
It's the reason why this music connects
So what the f**k has happened to my voice
If I stay silent when black people are dying
Then I'm trying to be politically correct
I can book a whole tour sell out the tickets
Rap entrepreneur built his own business
If I'm only in this for my own self
Interest not the culture that gave me a voice to begin with
Then this isn't authentic it is just a gimmick
The DIY underdog so independent
But the one thing the American dream fails to mention
Is I was many steps ahead to begin with
My skin matches the hero likeness the image
America feels safe with my music in their systems
And it's suited me perfect the role I've fulfilled it
And if I'm the hero you know who gets cast as the villain
White supremacy isn't just a white dude in Idaho
White supremacy protects the privilege I hold
White supremacy is the soil the foundation the cement
And the flag that flies outside of my home
White supremacy is our country's lineage designed for us to be Indifferent
My success is the product of the same system
That let off Darren Wilson guilty
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
Black lives matter to use an analogy is like if
If there was a subdivision and a house was on fire
The fire department wouldn't show up
And start putting water on all the houses because all houses matter
They would show up and they would turn their water on the house
That was burning because that's the house that needs the help the most
My generation's taken on the torch of a very age-old fight for black liberation
But also liberation for everyone injustice anywhere is still injustice everywhere
The best thing white people can do is talk to each other
Having those very difficult very painful conversations with your parents
With your family members
I think one of the critical questions for white people in this society is
What are you willing to risk
What are you willing to sacrifice to create a more just society
Your silence is a luxury hip-hop is not a luxury
Your silence is a luxury hip-hop is not a luxury
Your silence is a luxury hip-hop is not a luxury
Your silence is a luxury hip-hop is not a luxury
What I got for me it is for me
What we made we made to set us free
What I got for me it is for me
What we made we made to set us free
What I got for me it is for me
What we made we made to set us free