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"White Privilege II" is a song by American hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis from their second album "This Unruly Mess I've Made". The song, a sequel to Macklemore's solo song "White Privilege" from his first album "The Language of My World" discusses white privilege and the social movement associated with Black Lives Matter. According to the duo, "this song is the outcome of an ongoing dialogue with musicians, activists, and teachers within our community in Seattle and beyond. Their work and engagement was essential to the creative process." The song's lyrics span around nine minutes and 1,300 words. One of the project's collaborators is Chicago singer Jamila Woods, whose voice is featured on the track. "White Privilege II" was released as promotional single on January 22, 2016.
The song comments on the impunity with which white police in the United States are free to take black lives, with "a shield, a gun with gloves and hands that gives an alibi." Arguing his success is "the product of the same system that let off Darren Wilson," a police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown, Macklemore raps that, "one thing the American dream fails to mention, is that I was many steps ahead to begin with". The song also samples a line from a woman who dismisses the concept of white privilege, "you're saying that I have an advantage, why? Because I'm white? What? No."
On the first day of its release on January 22, "White Privilege II" reached the #1 position on Billboard + Twitter Trending 140, a chart which ranks songs by how often they are mentioned on Twitter.
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