Macklemore & Ryan Lewis --- The Most Unique and Talented Hip-Hop Duo Out There?

So, I don't consider myself a big hip-hop fan, but I absolutely LOVE Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Whilst I wish I could say that I knew them before they became super famous, I didn't.  I learned about them when their super catchy song "Thrift Shop" came out, but since that introduction, I can't stop listening to their album, The Heist. I'll tell you right now, "Thrift Shop" is one of my all time favorite songs. How can you not smile when it comes on the radio? It's tongue and cheek, great to dance to, and just plain fun!!!!

For those who may not be familiar with Macklemore (real name Ben Haggerty) and Ryan Lewis, they are a a hip hop duo from Seattle --- Mackelmore is the rapper, whilst Ryan Lewis is the producer. They are independent artists and frankly, I'm glad. By being an independent label, they have creative control and do not have to bend to the will of major record labels. Essentially, they don't have an obligation to put out crap music because some label told them to do it --- they can release interesting quality music. 

Unlike other rappers out there like Kanye West or Lil'Wayne or TI (for example), Macklemore doesn't solely rap about sex, drugs, alcohol, violence....his lyrics are much more complex and much more meaningful. I'll admit, I am generalizing here. I'm sure that not all rappers solely rap about those topics, but every time I listen to the radio, that's all I hear and frankly, I'm not impressed.

 Sure, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have fun songs like "Thrift Shop" or "Can't Hold Us", but the substance of Macklemore's lyrics are more emotional, intelligent, and clever ---- very tongue and cheek. (At least I think so.) That's why I love these two so much. Their music is not only catchy and beautiful, it's thought provoking and intelligent. (Again, this is just MY opinion, and you guys are more than welcome to disagree).

When I was first starting to get into Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, I was most impressed by how profound some of his songs were, particularly his songs about addiction. (Heck, I'm still really taken aback by how deep and honest these tracks are).  It was then that I learned that Macklemore is a recovering alcoholic/drug addict. He has been sober for several years now, if memory serves.

 Macklemore speaks about his troublesome past in songs like "Otherside" (which he released before The Heist), "Starting Over", and "Neon Cathedral." In these songs, he opens up about his demons, rapping about the difficulties pertaining to drug abuse, maintaining his sobriety, and a past relapse. Because he is sharing his life story, the emotion and power behind his lyrics are really incredible and I like how he calls out other rappers and essentially says that drugs aren't as cool as those rappers make them out to be. Similarly, Macklemore questions their usage of drugs. In "Otherside" Macklemore raps, 

"Trapped in a box, declined record sales

Follow the formula: violence, drugs, and sex sells

So we try to sound like someone else

This is not Californication, there's not way to glorify the pavement

Syrup, percocet, and an eight a day will leave you broke, depressed, and emotionally vacant

Despite how Lil' Wayne lives, it's not conducive to being creative

And I know 'cause he's my favorite, and I know 'cause I was off the same mix

Rationalize the shit that I'd try after I listen to dedication

But he's an alien, I'd sip that shit, pass out or play Playstation

Months later I'm in the same place"

Every time I listen to these songs, I am simply blown away and I have such respect for the rawness and honesty of his lyrics.  

In his song "Starting Over", Macklemore talks about relapsing and having a drink after 3 years of sobriety. In an interview, he blamed the relapse on his demanding tour schedule and his inability to attend AA meetings. In the song he raps about his guilt saying:  

"made my sobriety so public, there's no fuckin' privacy

If I don't talk about it then I carry a date

08-10-08, but now it's been changed

and everyone wanna put me in some box as a saint that I never was,

it's the false prophet that never came.

And will they think that everything that I've written has all been fake?

or will I just take my slip to the grave?"

Later in the song, Macklemore talks about how uncomfortable he feels when a fan approaches him at an AA meeting and says that his music, specifically the song "Otherside", is the reason why she has been 9 months sober. He feels like a hypocrite and he hates himself because here is a woman thanking him for sharing his sobriety with the world, which in turn inspired her sobriety, yet he just relapsed. Wow

Stepping away from drug addiction, I am also a fan of his track "A Wake." This song, from what I gather, is his commentary on modern society and the constant hypocrisies that we are bombarded with. I think this is one of THE MOST intelligent hip-hop songs that I have ever heard. He discusses issues of teen pregnancy, violence, racial discrimination, the shallowness of modern rap, and much much more. Below, I have pasted the second verse of the song, which is my favorite. I mean, the man mentions "Reagan-omics". When have you EVER heard a rapper talk about Reagan-omics?!

They say "it's so refreshing to hear somebody on records

no guns, no drugs, no sex, just truth."

The guns that's America, the drugs are what they gave to us

and sex sells itself, don't judge 'til it's you

Ah, I'm not more or less conscious

The rappers rapping 'bout them strippers up on a pole, popping.

These interviews are obnoxious

saying that it's "poetry, you're so well spoken," --- stop it.

I grew up during Reaganomics

When Ice T was out there on his killing cops shit

or Rodney King was getting beat on 

and they let off every single officer and Los Angeles went and lost it.

Now every month there is a new Rodney on Youtube,

it's just something our generation is used to,

and neighborhoods where you never see a news crew

unless they're gentrifying, white people don't even cruise through.

And my subconscious telling me "stop it", this is an issue that you shouldn't get involved in.

Don't even tweet "RIP Trayvon Martin"

don't want to be that white dude million-man marching.

Fighting for a freedom that my people stole,

don't wanna make all my white fans uncomfortable, 

but you don't even have a fuckin' song for radio

"why you out here talking race, trying to save the fucking globe?"

Of his many lyrics, these without a doubt some of my favorite. I love this song. It's really really well written --- not to mention fun to listen to!

Macklemore also has a lot of other songs that focus on his hometown pride, his love of baseball, his childhood, and he also raps about his humble beginnings and how he went "from nothing to being booked around the country".

Of all of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' songs, I have to say, the one that sticks out to me the most is his track "Same Love."  If you don't know the song, you are missing out. I think this is the most beautifully written, poignant, and moving song that I have ever heard. I'd go as far as saying that it is one of the most important songs of my generation and whilst "Thrift Shop" catapulted Macklemore and Ryan Lewis into the limelight, at the end of the day, I think that "Same Love" will be their most important and most associated song. In my mind, the only other song (regarding power and message) that I can compare "Same Love" to is Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful". I also want to say that I don't just love "Same Love" because it supports gay rights and I support gay rights --- no, there is more to it than that.

Perhaps my knowledge of hip hop and rap is limited, this I admit, but I can't think of any rappers and rap song that address the issue of gay rights the way that "Same Love" does. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard a rap about gay rights, until this one. That fact alone makes this song groundbreaking, in my opinion. Here are two guys who rather than rap about "living a thug life" or partying in a club with gorgeous women, chose to highlight the struggles of a group of human beings. The song advocates gay rights and sternly denounces/questions homophobia in America (and frankly everywhere.)  Ok, so obviously, that positive message is part of the reason why I love it, but it is a truly profound and thought provoking song.

The way Macklemore parallels the current tumultuous climate surrounding gay rights to the iconic civil rights movement is genius. Furthermore, by connecting hip-hop to the civil rights and saying, "hey the struggles that the African American community had to overcome and the equality that they were able to achieve helped give birth to hip-hop. Yet, how can we [being the hip hop community] discriminate against the homosexual community, when they are trying to overcome similar hurdles?" I like the way Macklemore levels the playing field and shows how we are all connected and that homophobia is not only problematic, but hypocritical. Macklemore doesn't just question the hip-hop community, but he also questions those who believe in God, pointing out the hypocrisy in saying that "we are all equal in the eyes of God, except the gay community." Macklmore raps,

"Playing God, aw nah here we go

America the brave still fears what we don't know

And God loves all his children, is somehow forgotten

But we paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years ago"

Some of my favorite lyrics, from the song are:

"If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me

Have you read the YouTube comments lately?

"Man, that's gay" gets dropped on the daily

We become so numb to what we're saying

A culture founded from oppression

Yet we don't have acceptance for 'em

Call each other faggots behind the keys of a message board.

A word rooted in hate, yet our genre still ignores it

Gay is synonymous with the lesser

It's the same hate that's caused wars from religion 

Gender to skin color, the complexion of your pigment

The same fight that led people to walk outs and sit ins

It's human rights for everybody there is no difference"

~~~

"We press play, don't press pause

Progress, march on

With the veil over our eyes

We turn our back on the cause

Till the day that my uncles can be united by law

When kids are walking 'round the hallway plagued by pain in their heart

A world so hateful some would rather die than be who they are

And a certificate on paper isn't gonna solve it all

But it's a damn good place to start

No law is gonna change us, we have to change us

Whatever God you believe in, we come from the same one

Strip away the fear, underneath it's all the same love

About time we raised up..."

So powerful, well written, eloquent, and striking. Macklemore raises some really good points and his observations are so spot on. 

Now, at this point, you may be wondering, "why on earth did you write such a long post on Macklemore and Ryan Lewis? Well, I'll tell you why. Two weekends ago, I read this infuriating article or blog post or whatever basically complaining that Macklemore and Ryan Lewis should not have won the MTV video music award for best hip-hop video. Why? This article alleged that they shouldn't have won because they are white and by not letting the other nominees win, the VMAs were being racist. WHAT????? That is BEYOND ridiculous.  Macklemore and Ryan Lewis were up against Drake, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and A$AP Rocky (feat. Drake, 2 Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar). I'll be honest, I don't know those other songs, so I can't comment on them, but I think the whole racism argument is just plain uncalled for. 

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are an incredibly talented duo and their music isn't mainstream --- which makes them unique and I think they totally deserved their award! Why should the fact that these two don't emphasize sex, recreational drug use, violence, and thug life, etc... not be rewarded? I wanted to retort back to this article, "Oh, I'm sorry. Does that fact that these two produce music with more significant substance not work for you? Would you rather them rap about meaningless sex and violence over fighting for human rights and warning others about drug addiction?"Again, I recognize that Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have fun songs,  but even their less intense songs are still more interesting than most hip-hop I have heard on the radio. I say, "Congrats to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis and keep up the good work!" 

NOTE: ALL IMAGES AND LYRICS TAKEN FROM GOOGLE. I DO NOT OWN THEM!