Listen to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' "White Privilege II" f/ Jamila Woods

Off their upcoming album.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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MacklemoreandRyan Lewis' This Unruly Mess I’ve Made album is a month away, and they're wasting no time building anticipation for the project with "White Privilege II." At nearly nine minutes in length, the song goes through different beat changes and centers around racial tension in America. Macklemore touches on the Black Lives Matter movement, racism, and the exploitation that has become prevalent in today's society. "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," he raps over the piano-driven backdrop. The song also features Jamila Woods.

Back in late 2014, Macklemore spoke at length about racism in America and also addressed what he felt was the most appropriate way for him to participate in a positive manner. His sincerity on the topic shined through then, and it does once again here with lines like "I've heard that silence is an action/God knows that I've been passive" and "We take all we want from black culture/But will we show up for black lives?"

"White Privilege II" comes as the sequel to Macklemore's song by the same name off his 2005 release, The Language of My World. This will certainly get people talking. Grab the song on iTunes here, and check out Macklemore's words on its release here. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' This Unruly Mess I've Made comes out Feb. 26.

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