In Defense of Macklemore

[chazraps]

For someone who has the number-one song in the country, we haven't really talked a whole lot about Macklemore here.

The Seattle-based MC somehow hit #1 on Billboard with "Thrift Shop" and #2 on the album charts completely and wholly independently. He's also gotten a lot of people who aren't typical rap listeners to give the genre a chance.

Some people think this is a bad thing.

I penned a few words in defense of him here:
(language warning in the title and the music at the link)
bit.ly/12tgwvl

So, what say you F.A.N.? You feeling Macklemore?

[TCM]

I agree with you. I mean, I've only listened to three of his songs ever and two of them are light-hearted ("Thrift Shop" and "And We Danced"). "Same Love" is the only other one. I'm not going to sit here and call him the greatest or anything like that, but I think guy deserves all the success he's gotten.

[Malibu Albino]

Macklemore is by far my favorite rapper around currently. There's really no one else I've listened to in hip-hop who can speak so much truth and still feel so authentic. As far as I'm concerned he deserves all the fame he's getting.

["Gentleman" AJ Powell]

Thrift Shop is a freaking awesome song. Dude just seems to be enjoying himself in the video, can't hate on that!

"Dayum, that's a cold-ass honky!"

[Orange]

I love it. Song put aside (which I love, too, but this example is greater than the song), this song could possibly be the first step in seeing independent artists take over the major record label dominated charts, and that can only be a good thing for music and music lovers alike.

Now, the Internet era has already been a tremendous help to artists who see through the major labels and have no interest in being a part of it, but none of them have ever had the success that this song has had so far. If this trend continues, that only deals further blows to the already crumbling major label business setup, and would allow for so much more music to be nationally heard through the radio, past the elite few who the major labels deem special enough to do so.

Like I said, I like the song, but this could be the first step in something huge - and I really hope it is.

[Lila]

I love Thrift Store.

I'm gonna pop some tags
Only got twenty dollars in my pocket...

[Cela]

Just heard it for the first time, would be tolerable without the horn beat.

[Bub (BLM)]

I hate whoever Macklemore is without ever hearing any of his songs or even knowing what he looks like. So many people I have to see on a daily basis never shut up about him. It's tiresome. See my location to the left.

[Deleted]

Eh. Nothing against his sound or whatever, it just isn't for me.

[Deleted]

Not a fan.

[Glitch]

*Hears name.* So was he that wizard guy who fought Harry or something?

[Brandon Walsh is Insane.]

I know I know the beat from another song, horns and all, but I can't place it.

I like it... Although R Kelly peeing jokes are a bit old.

[BayleyTiffyCodyCenaJudyHopps]

He's ok, but I just wanna add that the "F*** Guilty Pleasures" column as a whole is frigging amazing.

[Orange]

Wait a second. f*** "Thrift Shop", put that aside and listen to this.



Just....damn. Whatever you may think about "Thrift Shop" (I love the song, but that's besides the point), anybody hip hop artist that comes out with a song like that and says what that song says has my respect.

Just a beautiful song, message and video. Damn.

[Jazzman]

So a friend at school turned me onto Macklemore at the start of fall semester. She did undergrad in Seattle so knowing that I was a music fan who would give anything a shot she told me about him. I'm very happy she did. I dig the beats especially Same Love's Gospel feel and Thrift Shop's sax line. His lyrics is are well written and his flow is solid.

He isn't the greatest ever, but he's really good and the fact that he's done it without a label backing him should be commended. Hopefully this inspires all those people out there doing it their way to never give up because you never know what can happen. Even if it means going to a model like ArtistShare (kinda like music's KickStarter) to get funding from your fans, it'll strength your bond with your core fans while allowing you to put out more impressive albums and gain even more fans. I almost hope that the big overproduced record labels begin to see the way everything is changing and they need to adapt to that.