Brad Paisley and LL Cool J's "Accidental Racist" Is Cripplingly Awkward

We have all, no doubt, suffered through an inarticulate moment or two in our lives. And while there are truly few things as frustrating as searching for the right way to put something and coming up short, it is generally better to not say anything at all until the thought...

By David Von Bader

April 9, 2013

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We have all, no doubt, suffered through an inarticulate moment or two in our lives. And while there are truly few things as frustrating as searching for the right way to put something and coming up short, it is generally better to not say anything at all until the thought is thoroughly baked.

Unfortunately, Brad Paisley and LL Cool J have not yet mastered this concept and have collaborated to put together the track "Accidental Racist," an entirely unnecessary and unbearably awkward musical dissection of the perennially simmering racial conflicts that plague Americans -- namely due to the popularity of the Confederate flag as a banner of pride and symbol of heritage for Southerners.

See also

- Brad Paisley With Carrie Underwood Hologram - Cruzan Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach - September 29

With "Accidental Racist," Paisley and Cool J awkwardly come to tentative terms over the use of the battle flag and attempt to encourage people to be a bit more open-minded when they encounter such touchy accessories as "cowboy hats" or "gold chains."

Here's the thing: Paisley and LL Cool J both seem like some of the nicest guys in music. When County Grind reviewed Brad Paisley's performance at the Cruzan Amphitheatre last year, we could not have been more impressed by how well he treated his fans. And, for all intents and purposes, Paisley has remained just about the only moderately appealing character in the veritable freak show of pandering, lowest-common-denominator idiots that modern country music harbors.

We highly doubt the song was based in any sort of real-life experience, since Paisley the "accidental racist" has performed at the Obama White House, written a song that includes a positive mention of Martin Luther King Jr. and also donated four cows to a struggling African village last year -- not much, but it's something. However, the fact remains that maybe a guy who writes comically charged numbers about things like fishing and drinking -- albeit in a decidedly PG and generally clever manner -- should not be tackling the complexity of racial issues, regardless of how good his intentions are or what rapper turned actor he signed up to hit a verse or two.

We hope that this completely ridiculous track is but a small hiccup for the singer/guitarist rather than a change in direction toward more socially focused songwriting and that he can quickly find his way back to penning those family-friendly numbers with killer guitar breaks.

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