Lorde and Macklemore Are Racists. What?

[catcul]

BuzzFeed recently released an opinion piece on the song "Royals" by Lorde. If you're unfamiliar with Lorde, she is a 17-year-old girl from New Zealand. Her song criticizes the crass commercialization surrounding rap and hip-hop. Apparently, some "writers' have suggested that the songs "Royals" by Lorde and "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz were racist because their songs criticize rap and hip-hop. If you're wondering, the song "Eat that Watermelon" by Nas is much harsher in criticizing rap and hip-hop.

It seems that almost every rap and hip-hop song is about having an expensive car, expensive jewelry, drinking expensive wine or liquor, and throwing $100 bills like confetti. Some "artists" perform some stupid rap dance like "Move It Like Bernie." Yes, that dance was inspired by the deceased title character in the movie "Weekend at Bernie's."

Personally, I think that music critics are in collusion with the music industry.

Lorde’s “Royals” Isn’t Anti-Rap, It’s Anti-Imperialism
9 Times Lorde Was Awesomely And Brutally Honest About Other Pop Stars

[Andara Bledin]

I've actually seen the video for Lorde's Royals while cruising YouTube. How anyone could think it's racist...

Actually, the accusation itself is racist. Only blacks can do hip hop?

[Hyena Dandy]

You hear that a lot from some of the more intellectual black people in the music world, that white people are stealing rap the way they stole Rock and Roll.

[siead_lietrathua]

all that the idea that "royals" and "thrift shop" mock black people says to me is that they never listened to the song. they mock celebrity/ 1% culture of people that can afford to live the "high life" and use urban music, that they grew up around, as their media.

i mean hell, if they were going after Ninja and the others in Die Antwoord i could kinda see it, because they DO push some heavy racial stuff on occasion (note: they are not from north america and don't have our context of things). but macklemore? the guy that did the "same love" song, is a bigot? bullllshit.

edit to add die antewood example: fatty boom boom. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIXUgtNC4Kc

NOT SAFE FOR WORK!

africa steriotypes, blackface, etc in this one. however, keep in mind they are south african, so we may not get the cultural context.
(but the lady gaga mocking is fun)

[Bloodsoul]

Actually, the accusation itself is racist. Only blacks can do hip hop?

Oddly enough my favorite rap/hip-hop song, "Sci-Fi Wasabi," is sung by a Japanese woman. =Þ

[catcul]

I'm going to write it again, but it bears repeating. It seems that almost all rap songs talk about money, jewelry, cars, and "bitches." When they talk about "the bitches," they don't mean female dogs. They also promote stupid rap dances.

However, for some reason, if anybody criticizes hip-hop culture, they get branded a racist. The implication is either that only black people can criticize hip-hop culture, or that hip-hop culture represents all black people.

I think they are afraid that white people are going to take over hip-hop like rock n' roll, or kill it off like disco.

[Hyena Dandy]

Part of why Disco died is rap, though.

[violiav]

Oddly enough my favorite rap/hip-hop song, "Sci-Fi Wasabi," is sung by a Japanese woman. =Þ

Ohhh I love Cibo Matto!

[catcul]

Lily Allen Is Racist, Too? Really?

Is Lily Allen’s "Hard Out Here" Video Racist Or Satirical?

As if things weren't ridiculous enough, now Lily Allen's song, "Hard Out Here," is being called racist for the same reason Lorde's and Macklemore's songs are being called racist. Her song criticizes hip-hop culture and pop music.

Reactions to her video have exposed a double standard. When Miley Cyrus puts her hand on a black woman's rear, it's considered normal. When Lily Allen puts her hand on a black woman's rear, it's considered racist.

[siead_lietrathua]

yeah the comments on that lily allen video hurt my brain. so many of them were bitching about how she has black dancers, therefore it's racist. guessed they missed the people of other races (ie: the asian girl on the sink), including in the main dance group. hell one white chick in there has neon pink hair!

plus, they're like "if you have to mention you're being sarcastic, you are doing sarcasm wrong!"

but the lyrics are
"we've never had it so good/ yeah we're out of the woods/ and if you can't detect the sarcasm/ you've misunderstood"
so she's being sarcastic about how women have it good in the industry.

just.. fail of people that don't even know what they're referencing.

edit:

hell, there's no way she would have not been called a racist without removing the whole message of the video. if she used white dancers, it would have been racist for mocking black dance style. if they were doing the funky chicken, well the use of cars, champagne, and money tossing would be mocking rap, so mocking black people. ok, so it's just lily sitting against a plain backdrop singing. oh, but she mentions the word chainz as well as other slang, so she's still racist. it could just be her, fully dressed, plain background, saying "music objectifies women by having them dance in skimpy clothing for money from men in their videos" and she would still get reamed because having women dance for money is totally a rap thing, therefore black culture.

people are gonna throw "racism" at any parody that calls out the flaws of something they like, and it's horseshit.

[catcul]

Yes, siead_lietrathua, you nailed it on the head. I was looking up "Eat That Watermelon" on YouTube. The second entry said, "Full song with the retarded ass intro and outro cut out." In other words, someone cut Nas' message because he didn't like the message, calling it "retarded." It's quite obvious that someone doesn't get it.

[BrenDAnn]

I don't often post on here, but for this, I will. First, my favorite radio station plays Lorde quite a bit. One of the intros they have for the song is her talking about it. In that intro, she says the song is just a silly little thing about her and her friends. How anyone could draw "RACIST!" from that I have no clue. As for Macklemore--I love Thriftshop. Why? It's different from all the 'look how rich and extravagant I am' bs that's out there. Nothing racist there, either. Anyone who could look at Macklemore, an activist for gay rights, and decide he's racist...again... no clue. People just like to scream and jump to conclusions entirely too quickly, I guess.

[catcul]

Macklemore Pays Tribute To Trayvon Martin

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis made a statement about laws protecting racism. Unfortunately, too many people blast them for being "fake."