Ever since the all-white Beastie Boys infiltrated the hip-hop scene in the mid-1980s, there’s a belief that since it’s a genre created for and by Black people, anyone else is a guest.
Not much has changed.
Macklemore, a multiple award-winning white rapper, recently said that even after being in the game for over 20 years, he and Eminem are still just “guests” of the hip-hop culture.
The Seattle-raised recording artist posted a recent interview he did with Nate Burleson for CBS Mornings on his Instagram account. The discussion centered around the talk of white rappers being guests in the genre of hip-hop.
3rd Bass, Beastie Boys, Paul Wall, Iggy Azalea, Kid Rock, House of Pain, and of course, Eminem have all had to respond to questions about being considered a guest in their chosen field of music. When the question was posed to Macklemore, who is also part of the Grammy- and BET Award-winning duo, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, he agreed.
“One of my favorite
interviews ever with @nateburleson… excited for you guys to see the whole thing 🪄”“I think it is true. It is true and I agree. If you look at the origin of where hi-pop came from and what was happening in New York City, what was happening in the Bronx, and the way Black people and people of color have been treated historically in America from the jump—this was the music that was birthed out of oppression. Hip-hop is inclusive so there’s always been an open door to a certain extent. In certain moments it was a little bit harder to push it open, back in the ’90s.”
In acknowledging his “guest” status, he mentioned Eminem, who many consider one of the best rappers to put lyrics to paper.
“But I’m a guest, Em’s a guest,” Macklemore said. “Doesn’t matter how good we get. Doesn’t matter how great Eminem is. We’re guests in the culture. 100%. And that’s not to say that I don’t belong here. I absolutely belong here. But you still have to realize that this is not your house. And that you’re a guest. And take your shoes off and help with some dishes.”