Mad respect for this clearly personal and deeply ethical decision. I'm selfishly sad that he won't be rapping any longer but proud that he's backing up his philosophy with action, unlike many people who post about racial equality online but don't put in the effort.

I AM appauled- this is thee biggest bunch of bigotguilt i've ever read or heard of-
Hip hop was born in america- home of EVERY NATIONALITY- born in new york-once danish and also the portal of almost every nationality that INS allowed to live here in the past 50 plus years. To belittle something so sacred as MUSIC to a racial image is absolutely not what hiphop truly represents. To empower the racial division and the sad,very, very sad, trend of "trend" over substance in hiphop especially mainstream content( including Gifted Gabs lyrics) only furthers my opinion that we- HUMANS- need to be stronger than the image falsely limiting any race or gender- to enjoy or do what they love- and if necessary explain your reasons and purpose to not conform to the "trend" of whatever is trending...especially out of weird misplaced guilt or peer pressure-
i honor african american musicians of all genres- but i don't believe any race or gender owns music.....music is eternal, universal and potentially extremely sacred to the listeners, not just the artists- listeners of all races and genders. hear this, let it sink in seattle-get off the racial divide and simply acknowledge the ABSOLUTE TRUTH THAT WILL NOT CHANGE- ALL RACES EXIST HERE IN WASHINGTON AND AMERICA.....the mind set is what we must focus on- the essential humanity ...not conforming or being bullied into submission that if you love or create hiphop you must look a certain way, where a certain label, smoke or drink a certain (sponsered) substance and discuss certain topics with certain attitudes(queerbashing and misogyny)-hip hop is greater than that and what its been mainstreamed to represent and until we- speak up about solutions- the problems will continue to be the only thing we are thinking about... spekulation- to each their own- so i accept your stand even though i don't agree or respect it.

Cringe, Larry and Matt this is embarrassing for you.

"No little Jimmy, you growing up to be a rapper would be an act of cultural genocide. Read Oswald Spengler and buy an SS uniform and play Neofolk instead."

I used to think no white rapper could out-embarrass Macklemore.

this is the dude that did the gentrification-scare video, right?

So white people can't appropriate black culture, let me guess that's a one way street right? But we're still allowed to buy of this sacred culture. Have your cake and eat it Larry.

Years from now people will laugh at the absurdity of these double standards and intellectual laziness.

@7 Perhaps you need to first understand what appropriation means?

I'm really not sure what I think about this, but it certainly prompts a discussion that is worth having. I don't think it's appropriate to ridicule him, though, when he appears to be following his conscience.

Are Larry (or any of the people applauding this article) going to quit their jobs to make room for more oppressed people who are less successful than them?

Also, if you want to go down the appropriation rabbit hole, you'll first have to disentangle what is and isn't the sole product of a given culture that should be considered off limits to outsiders, which is almost impossible because there never has or will be such a thing as a pure and authentic culture except in the fever dreams of nationalists.

yawn

I can't help thinking this isn't going to have a practical effect, since the attention he gives up is going to get distributed in the same flawed way as now, minus only one white guy. But I guess that's not the point for him.

That's absolutely fuckstupid. Want to increase the proportion of black musicians in the professional scene? How about you talent-scout some promising young black artists and mentor them, set them up with some connections to help them break out of obscurity. Simply removing yourself from the equation isn't going to magically create a spot for a black musician to support him/herself by performing...
It's like the male politicians who refrain from running for office because they want more women in government. Unless you're throwing your support behind a particular female candidate, all you're doing is reducing the proportion of feminist (albeit deluded and illogical) men in government!

at least this guy's whackness will stop mattering.

word to Grynch, stay in it

so noble.

He must have a deal going for a single family home.

@17: Yes, because GOD FORBID that people in a privileged position use the resources available to them to help the less fortunate. Charity is insulting to the recipient, you know; it reminds them that they were given the shit end of the stick through no fault of their own, so it's best to spare their feelings and just walk on by.

@20: "help a movement"
"gets out of the game to make room"
So, I'm still wondering how exactly Spekulation's retirement helps any black person. Care to shed a little light?

@20

No, you're missing the point

>makes a change in order to help a movement

>positive contributions towards tearing all that BS down

this is where we fundamentally disagree. this guy is stepping away from a problem he invented. Absolutely nobody else was talking about "gee how come Seattle rap is all white people, especially this Spekulation dude" because nobody gives a shit about Spekulation. Macklemore started out talk-rapping about Dave Niehaus and other swell stuff white folks like. The real terrible outright wigger types are all in Marysville and worse. There is no problem being solved here.

You guys realize there are real people on the other end of your flippant vitriol, right? What a bunch of cowardly internet douchenozzles you all sound like (read: definitely are).

How exactly does a person's very personal decision to do or not do something affect you so deeply as to incite such venomous aggravation? You don't agree with the method, fine., but truly you must on some level think it's kinda cool that someone has taken the time to think about something important to them and issues related to said thing and made a decision *he* thinks is the right one for *him* in the grand scheme of things. No respect for the sentiment? Just blah, blah, fucktard white guilt jeez yer stoopid?

Y'all sound like a bunch of extremely privileged SOBs, apathetic to the rampant racism that surrounds us in this city touted as one of the most liberal in the country. What the actual fuck are you doing to level the playing field? Let me guess...you're "not racist" so...that's probably enough, right?

Unless you're actively doing something to contribute to the solution, please refrain from brutally criticizing someone who's paying attention, listening to his community, and taking steps to try to make the world a little better of a place to live in for everyone. Armchair quarterbacks, holy gawd.

I hear you saying things like, "I accept" your stand but "don't agree or respect it." Who the FUCK gives a shit if you accept it? It's not yours. You can't REJECT it.

Did you even read the article? Dude says he doesn't want to be seen as "on the other side" of hip hop from his POC peers. Says he doesn't want to take a time slot on a bill at a hip hop show that's incredibly meaningful to PEOPLE OF COLOR. How is that so hard to comprehend? How is that "appalling?" Why should he be embarrassed about it? o_O

And then there's the thought process that results in this tidbit: "I can't help thinking this isn't going to have a practical effect, since the attention he gives up is going to get distributed in the same flawed way as now, minus only one white guy. But I guess that's not the point for him." Uh, no...I really don't think it is.

But let's think about that for a moment...applied elsewhere and hyperbolically: "I can't help thinking this isn't going to have a practical side effect--my giving up the slaves I own, since so many other white people still own slaves, and society will still be flawed, minus one only one white guy who doesn't own slaves..."

I'm disappointed. And I don't expect you to care. That's not why I came. I thought there might be a good discussion in this comment thread. Instead, I found a festering cesspool (minus a couple of cats who seem like they don't totally suck as human beings).

@23 these are internet comments, nobody's walking up to the guy's house and telling him he sucks ass. it's not that serious. you people who get so bothered by negativity on the internet need a reminder that *it's the fuckin' internet*. These words aren't getting beamed into the subject's brain.

@23: I know I'm not doing anything to help the situation, but to be fair, neither is Spekulation.

Not quite as fun as the piece about the lesbian who went on a flag-shaming rampage after the Orlando shooting. But a solid effort nonetheless!

Be Hi jessie-as said initially- i AM appalled- not just@ spekulations excuse for stopping doing something he claims has been a "practice" for TWENTY YEARS and a DREAM for even longer...(.key word EXCUSE) and also at you- bitching directly at me- is the mindset change- i initially wrote i believe we- contemporary "thinkers" need to make- jess seriously-what superiority trip are you attempting to conquer with your post?...i have every reason to be appalled at a racially motivated copout- it totally struck a chord- thats way outta tune...the concern for what seattle hiphop LOOKS LIKE gags me with a spoon...and perhaps-it won't change anything for me to voice my opinion but I definitely think hiphop is so contradictory anyways- it(making hiphop or not) likely wont improve the racial conflict for him, me or anyone else. the idealist in me loves the idea of using the hiphop arena to CHANGE RACISM-I love hiphop and have for about 32 years but i believe it promotes and empowers many forms of bigotry and racism- i tolerate that about hiphop- racism especially seattle hiphop racism needs to look into our very hybridized future and recognize CULTURAL PRIDE is enormously different then racial downpressa oppression and mental grooming of the youth or outsiders who interpret our jargon more literally- and accept racism as they accept trends-ie doing what everyone else is..... and i wrote initially- music is sacred- yeah it potentially is but I think Fun is the keyword for music- and all races know what that universal nonracist experience is..let's try dropping the racism and picking up the frisbee....i want us to Visualize our ideal future...and then get real...and i have every human right to want this without you or anyone else getting all pufferfished neurotoxic crosshaired on me