Macklemore regrets not talking to Iggy Azalea before recording 'White Privilege II'
Macklemore regrets not giving Iggy Azalea a heads up before he called her out on "White Privilege II." That's because giving someone a heads up before you speak ill of them is a thing that rappers do nowadays, apparently.
In Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' Billboard cover story, the Seattle rapper discusses the conversations he had about the single, a sprawling, nine-minute track that finds him questioning his place in hip-hop and the Black Lives Matter movement.
But none of those conversations were with Iggy Azalea.
You May Also Like
Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $179.00 (List Price $249.00)
Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones — $198.00 (List Price $399.99)
Ring Indoor Cam Plus 2K Wired Security Camera (2-Pack, White) — $59.98 (List Price $119.98)
Apple iPad 11" 128GB Wi-Fi Retina Tablet (Blue, 2025 Release) — $399.00 (List Price $449.00)
Ring 2nd Gen 2K Wired Video Doorbell With Chime (2026 Release) — $49.99 (List Price $114.98)
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus Streaming Player With Remote (2025 Model) — $37.99 (List Price $69.99)
Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm, S/M Black Sport Band) — $349.99 (List Price $399.00)
Blink Outdoor 4 1080p 3-Camera Kit With Sync Module Core + Doorbell — $65.99 (List Price $259.98)
“I don’t think people understood that I’m in my own head [saying], ‘You’re Miley, you’re Elvis, you’re Iggy Azalea’ -- I’m talking about myself," he told Billboard. “Iggy and I came up together. We were on the XXL ‘Freshman’ cover together. There’s enough of a relationship that I should have let her know beforehand. And I didn’t do that.”
In case you've forgotten, here's what Macklemore rapped: "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."
Iggy responded shortly after on Twitter, writing, "he shouldnt have spent the last 3 yrs having friendly convos and taking pictures together at events etc if those were his feelings."
Indeed, as Macklemore himself pointed out, the two have been friendly for a while. He said the two haven't spoken since the fallout from "White Privilege II."
No word yet from Nas on whether he regrets not giving Jay Z a ring before he dropped "Ether," or whether 50 Cent kind of feels bad for not telling Ja Rule he had plans to call him a Pop Tart.
Head to Billboard to read more of Macklemore's cover story, in which he also talks about his struggle with sobriety and recent relapse.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Topics Music
