Genius | Song Lyrics & Knowledge

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 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (Ft. Jamila Woods) – White Privilege II

Genius Annotation 2 Contributors ?

What is this?

The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Macklemore makes the important (and often overlooked) distinction between white supremacists and institutional white supremacy.

The phrase “white supremacy” often evokes connotations of white supremacists – extremists who practice and promote the belief that whites are superior to other races, and that whites should therefore rule over non-whites. Organisations like the Ku Klux Klan remain active today, though their membership is a fraction of a percent of what it was at its peak in the 1920s. The much more recent Aryan Nations was based in Idaho and it was only in the year 2000 the group went bankrupted and their headquarters destroyed.

Institutional white supremacy, on the other hand, refers to the ongoing maintenance of social, economic, and political privilege to whites. Its origins stem from European colonisation and the slave trade, and it is still deeply woven in present day Western societies. In America, mass incarceration and the militarisation of police are examples of issues that disproportionately and negatively affect blacks more than whites.

Unconscious racial biases act to perpetuate white privilege because they facilitate a culture of indifference toward social change. For example, studies on labour market discrimination have repeatedly shown that resumes with white-sounding names receive more call-backs than those with non-white-sounding names. The problem is that the people exhibiting such unconscious biases are, by definition, unaware.

Macklemore understands and acknowledges the relationship between his privilege, which is born out of white supremacy in America, and his success. This song is a call to action for all whites to educate themselves about these issues and then actively work to dismantle white supremacy in pursuit of a more just society.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

Macklemore makes the important (and often overlooked) distinction between **white supremacists** and **institutional white supremacy**.

The phrase “white supremacy” often evokes connotations of white *supremacists* - extremists who practice and promote the belief that whites are superior to other races, and that whites should therefore rule over non-whites. Organisations like the [Ku Klux Klan]( http://www.history.com/topics/ku-klux-klan) remain active today, though their membership is a fraction of a percent of what it was at its peak in the 1920s. The much more recent Aryan Nations was based in Idaho and it was only [in the year 2000](http://www.spokesman.com/topics/aryan-nations/) the group went bankrupted and their headquarters destroyed.

*Institutional white supremacy*, on the other hand, refers to the ongoing maintenance of social, economic, and political privilege to whites. Its origins stem from European colonisation and the slave trade, and it is still deeply woven in present day Western societies. In America, [mass incarceration](https://www.aclu.org/issues/mass-incarceration/racial-disparities-criminal-justice) and the [militarisation of police](https://www.aclu.org/report/war-comes-home-excessive-militarization-american-police) are examples of issues that disproportionately and negatively affect blacks more than whites.

[Unconscious racial biases](http://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2015/jul/08/how-can-we-fix-unconscious-racism) act to perpetuate white privilege because they facilitate a culture of indifference toward social change. For example, studies on [labour market discrimination](http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2014/06/labour-market-discrimination) have repeatedly shown that resumes with white-sounding names receive more call-backs than those with non-white-sounding names. The problem is that the people exhibiting such unconscious biases are, by definition, unaware.

report abuse

72,996

8 years

@treflip Hey bro, did you catch how he puns White as a color in each of those lines, on how much White people intentionally put other colors in the background, so “Whiteout” stands out?

Macklemore is contrasting with “contrast” in all of his points, if you notice all the more obvious details:

Idaho is a Caucasian sounding state
He has a “White Pass” (What Black people would call a “Black Card” in Black culture) in his hands, but he hates having to own one.
Soil is usually a Dark Brown, foundations are set in stone (Grey and also any foundation is “ambiguous” in origin), cement is a Light Grey and the flag’s other colors are Red and Blue (The 50 stars ALWAYS get more talked about symbolically than what the other colors mean)
Despite America being a “melting pot” nation more than any other and having the entire society laid on the backs of every other ethnic minority, The U.S., is literally “Whitewashed”

Regardless, White is what matters as a color overall, not the others. Which makes a further point on segregation being figurative, being why racism is so persuasive and “on paper” these days behind the scenes.

@Treflip Hey bro, did you catch how he puns White as a color in each of those lines, on how much White people intentionally put other colors in the background, so "Whiteout" stands out?

Macklemore is contrasting with "contrast" in all of his points, if you notice all the more obvious details:

A. Idaho is a Caucasian sounding state

B. He has a "White Pass" (What Black people would call a "Black Card" in Black culture) in his hands, but he hates having to own one.

C. Soil is usually a Dark Brown, foundations are set in stone (Grey and also any foundation is "ambiguous" in origin), cement is a Light Grey and the flag's other colors are Red and Blue (The 50 stars ALWAYS get more talked about symbolically than what the other colors mean)

D. Despite America being a "melting pot" nation more than any other and having the entire society laid on the backs of every other ethnic minority, The U.S., is literally "Whitewashed"

Regardless, White is what matters as a color overall, not the others. Which makes a further point on segregation being figurative, being why racism is so persuasive and "on paper" these days behind the scenes.

Upvote +2 Downvote

Show all improvement suggestions

Add a "mothafucka" so the ignant people hear me
Miseducated as Ms. Hill in your theories Torae (Ft. Saul Williams) – Imperial Sound

Torae cosigned this annotation

Genius Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Torae quotes Lauryn Hill from her verse on the Fugee’s song “Zealots” while making reference to her critically acclaimed solo album The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill:

And even after all my logic and my theory
I add a “Motherfucker” so you ignant niggas hear me

Note Torae’s replacement of the word “niggas” with “people” – this was most certainly intentional. In fact, the word “nigga” is hardly used – if at all – on the entire album. He explains his motivations for this in “The eNd,” one of the final tracks on Entitled.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Anderson .Paak - Malibu Genius Users – 104 Album Challenge: January 2016

Genius Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Like a lotta people, I’d never heard of Anderson .Paak until Dre dropped Compton last year and he was featured on like every other song. The guy is incredibly soulful and a lot of his music has a solid hip hop foundation.

Favourite tracks are both produced by 9th Wonder (no surprise there) – “Without You” (ft. Rapsody) and “The Season / Carry Me.”

Fun fact: the main sample 9th used on “Without You” is from Hiatus Kaiyote’s “Molasses”, and they also fuck with this track:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BAn4HyxtvAr/?taken-by=9thwonder

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Murs & 9th Wonder - Brighter Daze Genius Users – 104 Album Challenge: January 2016

Genius Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Murs & 9th Wonder dropped this gem just in time for New Years and all I gotta say is thank god 2012’s “The Final Adventure” didn’t turn out to be their last collab. 9th is easily one of my favourite producers so I’m clearly biased, but beat-wise there isn’t a track on here that I don’t like.

Favourite song is the spiritual “Walk Like A God” ft. Rapsody & Propaganda. The whole song is dope but Rapsody’s verse is especially golden (and thanks to that last line I now know who Oscar Wilde is ;))

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

48,332

8 years

Love this album!

Upvote +2 Downvote

Show all improvement suggestions

Every saint got a past and every sinner got a future
And I can't judge nobody, I'm just passing thoughts to you Murs & 9th Wonder (Ft. Propaganda & Rapsody) – Walk Like a God

Genius Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Quoting playwright Oscar Wilde from his 1893 play A Woman Of No Importance (Act III, Lord Illingworth):

The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.

Someone who has performed some good deed may have erred in the past; likewise someone who has sinned may seek redemption in the future. One should therefore not judge a person’s character on the basis of individual actions alone.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Grand Ave GQ – Grand Ave

Song Bio 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

“Grand Ave” is GQ’s second teaser (after “Bushrod”) in anticipation of his upcoming album One Day Soon.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Sam aka treflip Sam aka treflip

Artist Bio 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Treflip’s verified account page.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

And just when you think you've digested everything T&Y has to offer, take our word for it and listen once more -- backwards. Genius – 20 Best Albums of 2015

86,417

Writer

8 years

So you starting at the end, that’s the part where you begin
I skip the bullshit so we can start it where we win

There is a theory amongst fans that Lupe intentionally arranged the songs on T&Y so that, when listened to in reverse order, they tell the story of a character who is born, dies, is reincarnated and ultimately achieves enlightenment – only to be born again when the album repeats.

Many people believe that Lupe himself hinted at this during his interview with DJ Skee the day T&Y was released when he pointed to the album’s tracklist upside-down while explaining that “there’s a lot to [T&Y].”

http://i.imgur.com/GtTDgs3.gifv

The most thorough breakdown of this “Reverse Order Theory” was documented by Lupe’s vast fan base on KanyeToThe.com – here’s a summary:

The “Winter” tracks contain a vast amount of religious symbolism and, when listened to in reverse order, tell a modern day, hood version of a protagonist (representing Jesus) being born at the end of “Adoration Of The Magi” and ultimately being killed at the end of “Madonna”.
“Deliver” describes modern ghettos as places where the “peace of man” cannot be found now that the protagonist has been killed
“Chopper” begins by introducing Lupe Fiasco, perhaps as a reincarnated version of the protagonist, being raised in a very dark environment
Songs leading up to “Fall” find Lupe in a period of self-discovery concerning, e.g. relationships, personal morals and his finding place in the music industry
Leading up to “Summer,” Lupe is on the verge of becoming an independent artist and has learned to turn negative energy into positive
“Mural” is Lupe’s final challenge, by the end of which he “defeats samsara, achieves nirvana and brilliance” and thus reaches enlightenment. He then proceeds to the next level and is resurrected (as Jesus was) in “They. Resurrect. Over. New.”, thus continuing the cycle.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

>[So you starting at the end, that’s the part where you begin
I skip the bullshit so we can start it where we win](http://genius.com/4758353)
 
There is a theory amongst fans that Lupe intentionally arranged the songs on *T&Y* so that, when listened to in reverse order, they tell the story of a character who is born, dies, is reincarnated and ultimately achieves enlightenment -- only to be born again when the album repeats.
 
Many people believe that Lupe himself hinted at this [during his interview with DJ Skee](https://youtu.be/JJR2M1YJVNk?t=54m16s) the day *T&Y* was released when he pointed to the album’s tracklist upside-down while explaining that “there’s **a lot** to [*T&Y*].”

http://i.imgur.com/GtTDgs3.gifv
 
The most thorough breakdown of this “[Reverse Order Theory](http://www.kanyetothe.com/forum/index.php?topic=2480289.0)” was documented by Lupe’s vast fan base on KanyeToThe.com - here’s a summary:
 
- The “Winter” tracks contain a vast amount of religious symbolism and, when listened to in reverse order, tell a modern day, hood version of a protagonist (representing Jesus) being born at the [end of “Adoration Of The Magi”](http://genius.com/4674910) and ultimately being killed at the [end of “Madonna”](http://genius.com/4564448).
- “Deliver” describes modern ghettos as places where the “[peace of man](http://genius.com/4333781)” cannot be found now that the protagonist has been killed
- “Chopper” begins by [introducing Lupe Fiasco](http://genius.com/Lupe-fiasco-chopper-lyrics/), perhaps as a reincarnated version of the protagonist, being raised in a very dark environment
- Songs leading up to “Fall” find Lupe in a period of self-discovery concerning, e.g. [relationships](http://genius.com/Lupe-fiasco-no-scratches-lyrics/), [personal morals](http://genius.com/Lupe-fiasco-little-death-lyrics) and [his finding place in the music industry](http://genius.com/Lupe-fiasco-prisoner-1-and-2-lyrics)
- Leading up to “Summer,” Lupe is on the verge of [becoming an independent artist](http://genius.com/Lupe-fiasco-dots-and-lines-lyrics) and has learned to [turn negative energy into positive](http://genius.com/4730417)
- “Mural” is Lupe’s final challenge, by the end of which he “[defeats samsara, achieves nirvana and brilliance](http://genius.com/4729396)” and thus reaches enlightenment. He then [proceeds to the next level](http://genius.com/4728994) and is resurrected (as Jesus was) in “They. Resurrect. Over. New.”, thus continuing the cycle.

report abuse

ratchet, bass-heavy beast featuring 6 artists that most wouldn’t think team up with Lu. Genius – 20 Best Albums of 2015

86,417

Writer

8 years

Don’t get it confused – just because Lu raps about Mandelbrot sets, video games and fiscal responsibility doesn’t mean he can’t make songs that are hood as fuck. He’s even got his own collection of AK-47s.

In all seriousness though, there’s an excellent, must-see interview that Lupe did with MTV in 2012 where he paints a very real, very emotional picture of what it was like for him growing up in Chicago’s Westside (Genius’ own Rob Markman was a producer for MTV at the time). Lupe’s verse on “Chopper” tells a similar story, even making specific reference to that interview:

It’s why I look at God kinda odd
Cause these are the cards that he deal us
Ramen can’t fill us, Medicare can’t heal us
And the mamas can’t stop us and these choppers might kill us
Look these niggas wild in they eyes
In the video it’s some niggas that done died
Looked the ghosts in the face and I cried
No Wu-Tang, just Lu gang when I ride
With an L up sayin’ “Free the guys” like I’m Durk
With a clean record but I’m cursed
To make a half a million off a verse
Nigga, chop

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

Don’t get it confused – just because Lu raps about [Mandelbrot sets](http://genius.com/4736164), [video games](http://genius.com/4728943) and [fiscal responsibility](http://genius.com/1098498) doesn’t mean he can’t make songs that are hood as fuck. [He’s even got his own collection of AK-47s](https://www.instagram.com/p/xHkCsqMKdV/?modal=true).
 
In all seriousness though, there’s an [excellent, must-see interview](http://www.mtv.com/news/1690478/lupe-fiasco-cries-rapfix-live/) that Lupe did with MTV in 2012 where he paints a very real, very emotional picture of what it was like for him growing up in Chicago’s Westside (Genius’ own Rob Markman was a producer for MTV at the time). Lupe’s verse on “Chopper” tells a similar story, even making specific reference to that interview:
 
>[It’s why I look at God kinda odd
Cause these are the cards that he deal us
Ramen can’t fill us, Medicare can’t heal us
And the mamas can’t stop us and these choppers might kill us
Look these niggas wild in they eyes
In the video it’s some niggas that done died
Looked the ghosts in the face and I cried
No Wu-Tang, just Lu gang when I ride
With an L up sayin’ “Free the guys” like I’m Durk
With a clean record but I’m cursed
To make a half a million off a verse
Nigga, chop](http://genius.com/4733190)

report abuse

“sonic palate cleansers” Genius – 20 Best Albums of 2015

86,417

Writer

8 years

Lupe described the seasonal interludes as “sonic palate cleansers” in an interview with DJ Skee shortly after the album was released – listen to him elaborate on this concept below:

https://youtu.be/JJR2M1YJVNk?t=12m44s

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

« Previous 1 2 … 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 … 129 130 Next »

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

Integrate the suggestion into the annotation, keeping the contributor guidelines in mind.