Macklemore's Influence On Society

Hip hop, is an art form created, popularized, maintained and honed by black people. Macklemore argues that the success they have is worth nothing is they don’t acknowledge that their place in the hip hop industry was cultivated by black people.

Macklemore wrote this song from his perspective and his personal experience when it comes to the matter. He’s singing about his internal struggle with tying his identity to a culture he wasn't born in and the black culture in which he found his success. His success is a direct result of white privilege and white supremacy. He finds it unfair to have benefited from the culture without suffering any of the drawbacks.

White supremacy is real, and I have benefited from it. Racism is real and our entire country has benefited from it. Macklemore contemplates how he can best use his influence to fight for equality as a white rapper.

Let’s take a look at some of the lyrics and depict what the rapper is trying to say.
He is also questioning the protestors role, wondering to himself if white protestors who are out on the streets protesting and chanting Black Lives Matter are doing it for notoriety or justice. Are these people truly fighting for equality or do they simply want to make themselves look better in the eyes of the world? This is a reoccurring question throughout the song, which makes one think, how many people are protesting purely for the sake of equality and