Cleveland Bad Boy Machine Gun Kelly clarifies his “race is not an issue” comments he made to TMZ last week about Macklemore’s “White Privilege II” single during an exclusive interview with Billboard. Hit the jump to read what MGK had to say about his fellow “white rapper” comrade regarding his remarks.
After MGK was told he was one of the greatest “White rappers of all time” by a TMZ cameraman, he didn’t appreciate that as much as one would expect and would just rather be known as a great rapper instead, before being questioned on Macklemore’s “White Privilege II.”
MGK told Billboard:
“It wasn’t even a diss to Macklemore, it was moreso the fact that he chose to speak about race in his music. I think a big part of why race is such an issue is because we feel stereotypes or add to the stereotypes. I don’t want to shed light on anymore stereotypes because it just helps foster that hatred. That was moreso why I said ‘race is not an issue. Race is obviously an issue in the grand scheme of the world but for that particular question and for the way I see music, race is not an issue. I don’t listen to Sam Cooke because he is a black singer. I listen to Sam Cooke because he’s an amazing vocalist and his song content is beautiful and I can relate.”
The Ohio MC adds that he was raised in a racially diverse area and is a father of a mixed child who takes issue with classism just as much as he does with racism.
“I think me and Macklemore exist in two different worlds. I would never think twice about marching next to my brother for an issue we both believe in. These are issues that I am actually facing. Cleveland, Ohio is the real deal. We’ve seen it happen especially moreso with all of these police shootings, friends of mine being killed, all of that happening within the past couple years. The tension is rising more and more and I just have no reason to think twice about standing for what I believe in. I don’t see these people as my black friends, these are my friends, these are my family, these are people in my city that we want to stand up for. I think just as much as racism is an issue so is classism.”
MGK also adds he doesn’t believe in “social-issue hopping” because an issue is hot at the moment and asserts that any social issue he’s involved in would be one he would die for.
