Ben Haggerty, aka Macklemore, quoted on The Inquisitr:
A song like ‘Thrift Shop’ was safe enough for the kids. It was like, ‘This is music that my mom likes and that I can like as a teenager,’ and even though I’m cussing my ass off in the song, the fact that I’m a white guy, parents feel safe. They let their six-year-olds listen to it. I mean it’s just … it’s different. And would that success have been the same if I would have been a black dude? I think the answer is no.
Racial privilege is definitely a thing, no doubt about it.
But Macklemore’s lyrics also don’t glorify thug culture, sex, or violence. Despite the swearing, Thrift Shop is pretty tame.
I bet Sir Mix-A-Lot and Will Smith get some of the same privileges, just for having relatively tame lyrics.
(via boing boing)