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Talib Kweli Calls Out Iggy Azalea For Her Response To Macklemore's 'White Privilege 2'

It's 'proof of her privilege,' he says.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' new song, "White Privilege 2," has inspired lots of impassioned responses -- including from fellow rappers.

Among that group is Iggy Azalea, mentioned by name in the song, which finds Macklemore discussing his white privilege, calling out the ways in which it's been instrumental in his professional ascent, and questioning the best steps he can take to be an ally for movements like Black Lives Matters.

In the Iggy-related section, he raps: "You've exploited and stolen the music, the moment/ The magic, the passion, the fashion you toy with/ The culture was never yours to make better/ You're Miley, you're Elvis, you're Iggy Azalea."

When Iggy caught wind, she wasn't particularly pleased.

My interpretation of the line is that Macklemore is simply coming to grips with the fact that he can't separate himself from other white artists who have been commercially successful performing historically black music. But plenty have taken it as a diss. I'm also not exactly convinced that Iggy had heard the song when she tweeted her initial comments. A fan had directed a question at her, and it was the fan saying the song had dissed her, not Iggy.

I don't know whether Talib Kweli shares my specific reading of the lyric, but he certainly doesn't subscribe to Iggy's interpretation that it was a diss aimed at her.

It certainly seems like there will be plenty more conversation around this song in the lead up to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' This Unruly Mess I've Made, due out Feb. 26.

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