My brain can't make up its mind about Macklemore's status. He's profoundly indie, having resisted the swindling of the record companies, and makes a big deal out of small roots and such. He's been adopted by hipsters because of how indie his message is. And he's popular enough to get mainstream attention.
But none of that matters because my brain does know ONE thing for sure:
Macklemore is good music.
He's fresh and new, and he's damn honest. He spells good messages and fights homogenization, commercial culture, and corporate monopoly. He's vulnerable, and he's proud. And damn can he rap. Having Ryan Lewis producing and a slew of guest singers, along with his violinist and trumpeter, gives him a weird sound I don't hear much in hip-hop (not that I hear much hip-hop :/). His beats are infectious, and his lyrics strong and catchy.
I could have gone with his regular super-hit Thrift Shop. I could have gone with my favorite tunes of Can't Hold Us or White Walls. I could have gone with my favorite overall song Jimmy Iovine. But I'm going to feature a different song, also a very good song, that has an actually important message. Same Love is in support of homosexual rights, and was written in support of the proposition for gay marriage here in Washington (Macklemore is from Seattle). It's an important movement to me still, even now that Washington has equal rights. Same Love is one of the most concise and precise (and enjoyable) presentations of many of the arguments for gay marriage.
Links:
Can't Hold Us
Thrift Shop
Thin Line
White Walls
Jimmy Iovine
Starting Over
End Recording,
Ego.
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