LL Cool J and country artist Brad Paisley raised some eyebrows this week with their collaborative track "Accidental Racist". Many were critical of the track, not so much for the overall message, but moreso the questionable execution.
The track has some questionable lines, such as "If you don't judge my du-rag … I won't judge your red flag," in reference to the Confederate Flag, and "If you don't judge my gold chains … I'll forget the iron chains," which seemingly equates judgment over LL's choice in jewelry to years of human slavery.
LL came to the defense of the song, saying, "[Dr.] Martin Luther King, [Jr.] says that darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can. Hate can't drive out hate, only love can. So what we're talking about is compassion."
The rapper was aware of opposition towards the lyrics, and expressed understanding towards it. "Some people take exception to some of the lyrics [and] I respect that. I'm sensitive to that."
"Let's not be victims of things that happened so long ago," Brad Paisley suggested.
LL concluded that despite criticism, the song was still a necessary choice. "In the end, I felt like what we had on tape was something that people needed to hear." adding, "At the same time, let's respect it. But then after we respect it, let's also open our hearts up so we can move forward."
Despite the controversy, LL and Paisley continue to collaborate, most recently with their new track "Live For You", which will appear on LL's new album, Authentic.
Bun B offered some words on "Accidental Racist" on twitter, applauding LL and Brad Paisley for at least trying to make a statement, even if it wasn't done in the right way.
https://twitter.com/_/status/321431282187894784
https://twitter.com/_/status/321432418802360321