“White Privilege II” raises questions across all races, all religions and all people. It shines a light on something, if not everything, that society today fails to make important. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are not only standing for something that may not be “politically correct” to do, but they are saying something many are afraid to say.

“Damn, a lot of opinions, a lot of confusion, a lot of resentment,” Macklemore states in “White Privilege II.” “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.”

The lyrics are explicit, and the content of them should scare you. They should make you question your actions in today’s society. They were not meant to make someone feel good, they were not written for someone to profit from, they were written solely with the purpose to make people realize the culture we are living in. The culture that we all believe is correct, yet some feel like they cannot speak their opinions based on the color of their skin.

Macklemore makes statements, many would be petrified to say out loud, let alone release to the entire world. The song is intriguing, but the message that it relays will forever stay with many people that really listen to the lyrics.

“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.”

Many like to pretend that white supremacy does not exist, until they see it with their own eyes, their own hearts and their own minds. Macklemore is asking you a question. Is it okay to take anything you want from black culture, but not stand for them when they need you? As Americans, do we stand together no matter what or only when it is beneficial to us? Do we only stand for equality when it is convenient to us? It is 2016, yet some forget to recognize that it is time for a change. It is time to stand up for everyone, and maybe right now it is African Americans, but tomorrow it could be something else, someone else. This is not someone standing up for a race, this is someone standing up for the American people. This American Dream we all pride ourselves in, all of a sudden holds less value to many. All of a sudden it means absolutely nothing if we do not stand together and fight for the ones who need us most.

“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.” Macklemore said. “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.”