This is the best rap album of the year so far. There is just no way around it. Seattle-born rapper Macklemore and producer Ryan Lewis have taken brilliant, soulful production, and blended it with thought-provoking and intuitive lyricism to concoct a magnificent creation. Macklemore released his first album in 2005, "The Language of my World," but took a break from music shortly after to deal with a drug and alcohol dependency. In 2010, he teamed up with producer Ryan Lewis to release an EP titled "VS. Redux." "The Heist" is Macklemore's second full length album, and it appears as if the 29-year-old from Seattle is just getting started.
The album begins with "Ten Thousand Hours,"and the listener immediately feels Lewis's presence, with clear, penetrating synths that really kick into gear once the drums start clapping. Macklemore discusses his come-up, discussing comparisons to David Bowie and Kanye West. "Can't Hold Us Down" and "Thrift Shop" are extremely unique, with Mack rapping about being an independent artist and his style. On the latter he raps, "Rollin in hella deep headed to the mezzanine/Dressed in all pink cept' my gator shoes those are green, draped in a leopard mink, girls standin next to me."
The true winner on this album is "Same Love," where a somber Macklemore deals with the topic of gay marriage, something almost never spoken about in rap music today. "Call each other faggots behind the keys of a message board/A word rooted in hate, yet our genre still ignores it/A gay is synonymous with the lesser/It’s the same hate that’s caused wars from religion." It is the stand-out on the album, and one of the best songs of the year.
Mack also deals with his drug addiction problems on songs like "Neon Cathedral" and "Starting Over." Macklemore strips away all the glamour, and dives into a subject that almost killed him. The listener can tell how honest he is being, and over emotional beats by Lewis, the songs are incredible. Other stand-outs include "Jimmy Iovine" which features the talented Ab-Soul, and "Wings" where a children's choir harmonizes on the hook.
With rap today being all about strippers, money, and drugs, it is certainly nice to see a break from the norm. Most rappers however have a hard time succeeding in doing so. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis do succeed, but it is more than that. They have crafted an album so pure and honest, it makes other rappers today look like jokes. This is by far the best rap album of the year, and I believe it deserves the elusive title of "classic."
No comments:
Post a Comment