“We don’t want for there to be such a thing as outsiders”

“For me, a white person, a rap fan who does in fact enjoy Chief Keef’s album, for musical reasons, much the same as I enjoy Waka Flocka Flame’s music, even as I find the lyrics banal and deplore much of their message — a person who likes to think that I can compartmentalize various elements of artistic expression, and appreciate music without any agenda — it’s worth giving hard thought to what it means that a black person is saying that she can’t. It’s worth ruminating on how deeply and insidiously white privilege and the black lack thereof infect every aspect of life in America — even something as simple as enjoying a good pop song.”
 — Dave Bry has a very thoughtful essay for The New Republic on “well-meaning” white people and violent rap music.