Having tackled racism, LL Cool J and Brad Paisley turn their fearless eyes toward the human heart

Although it made a valiant effort to lay hatred to rest alongside Robert E. Lee (R.I.P.), Brad Paisley and LL Cool J’s “Accidental Racist” was met with rampant intolerance on the Internet—a discrimination so severe, it nearly equals the kind suffered for so long by guys in Lynyrd Skynyrd shirts. But, in the spirit of just trying to pretend that everything’s cool now that is the song’s answer to racism, both Paisley and LL Cool J are standing behind “Accidental Racist,” with LL Cool J recently telling CNN he’s “really proud” of it. “Music is about, and art is about, connecting different people, and building bridges and breaking the rules,” he said, ostensibly spontaneously, when asked about the song, which breaks the rules that music should be enjoyable to listen to, all in its far more important mission to build bridges—bridges based on accepting that different races have different kinds of headwear and accessories, and that slavery was a long time ago.