Macklemore - White Privlege song / article on "indie rise"

[ardamus]

http://macklemore.com/post/43688861186/ ... elling-out .. an open letter from macklemore in response to the accusation of him selling out..

In any licensing deal they are going to edit your music. A 4 minute song does not fit into a 30 second movie trailer. Lyrics have to get cut in order for the trailer/ad to make sense with what the company is promoting. And a song about consumerism doesn’t fit into an NBA All Star Game intro without some tailoring. There is a story telling aspect of Wings that chronicles loving basketball, being a kid and wanting to be like Jordan. That’s the side that the NBA wanted to use. Makes sense. Probably doesn’t make sense for them to use the part that’s breaking down our obsession with the shoes that 90% of the players in the NBA wear, right?

Oh that was the same thing I posted. I took it from another blog though.

I've always thought Macklemore was pretty talented as an emcee. Him getting his shine, I'm not trippin' on. I just think his production was better before Ryan Lewis. And I would like to see him address the connection between Warner Bros. and his indie label to the critics. Him mentioning the whole NBA is whatever because certain artists whether indie, underground, or commercial have all had their fair share of liscensing music to sports leagues.

[Employee]

And Macklemore's music is nothing like what I was listening to when I was twenty. Speaking as a Californian I was listening to Log Cabin, Blowed, Anticon, Busdriver, etc.

He shouldn't have changed his steez; this is also nothing like the music he's making today. I'd never heard that until now, pretty fly for a white guy. Any more links?

Are you pro-Macklemore due to your own musical/cultural transishunz?

[EichTurner]

^^ @ardamus oh my bad i misread the end part of what you posted .. thought that was before he responded at all.. yeah.. i agree though.. let him get his shine.. nba is much different from nike..

he actually went to my alma mater (evergreen) which is why i'm interested as i am but he seems much more sincere than the average fake ass preachy liberal who typically comes from there.. so i like him.. he's also gotta a big fan base in seattle so .. whatever..

[Employee]

^^ oh my bad i misread the end part of what you posted .. thought that was before he responded at all.. yeah.. i agree though.. let him get his shine.. nba is much different from nike..

he actually went to my alma mater (evergreen) which is why i'm interested as i am but he seems much more sincere than the average fake ass preachy liberal who typically comes from there.. so i like him.. he's also gotta a big fan base in seattle so .. whatever..

/ /

[EichTurner]

^^ oh it gets worse.. believe me..

[Gyangsta 4 Life]

Kinda worrisome that Intuition is so enamored with this guy. Don't turn into to that. It's a slippery slope, man. Just do you. Keep it rustic-n-raw.

[Comedy Quaddafi]

^ $$$. Let the guy live a little.

[Thun]

the idea of "sell out" is almost always dumb as fuck. But in this instance you have a guy who made his career pandering on his soapbox to dids-clones and college freshman about the horrors of consumerism. He then lets the NBA use his anti-nike song to sell nikes. He's the music version of every preachy liberal college student who becomes a republican in their late 30s.

Wait, so is this instance of "selling out" definitive or exceptional? Take your time with an answer, I understand that your posting persona is dynamic and will argue virtually any side of any argument in under three sentences and retain the same more clever-than-thou pose each time.

[sean]

[Dids]

And I would like to see him address the connection between Warner Bros. and his indie label to the critics

Why does this matter?

[ardamus]

And I would like to see him address the connection between Warner Bros. and his indie label to the critics

Why does this matter?

Why the fuck not? The article that was addressing the issue with Macklemore seeming like he was indie was talking about the commercial ties to Warner Bros. in terms of the deal. Its not uncommon but a lot of people don't seem to notice that these majors make deals like this all the time. Nothing wrong with it but I think that article made a good point about that connection that gets overlooked.

[CHANCE RANDOM]

And Macklemore's music is nothing like what I was listening to when I was twenty. Speaking as a Californian I was listening to Log Cabin, Blowed, Anticon, Busdriver, etc.

Was going to post this. Macklemore used to bite the Fellowship and Chillin Villain HARD. He's the third verse on this with him playing an Acey and Mikah hybrid.

[Dids]

Ardy,

You didn't really answer the question. Why does the nature of dude's label matter? What does that have to do with music? If somebody's playing tricks to cater to people who lbuy records for stupid reasons- more power to them. If a guy found a way to leverage the system to make more money- what's wrong with that? Judge the guy because he sounds like he's on the verge of tears and makes message songs for 15 year olds (I think he's good at that and seems earnest as hell- but I'm too old and too cynical to enjoy it)- not for meaningless industry shit.

[speaker]

People, let's focus on the main issue.

Like other rappers of his class/race/market segment, he denounced "bling rap" and "the mainstream" during the Jansport phase of his career, when it was convenient to do so. Now, given half a chance, he is scrambling for corporate access. Whatever naive fans in the first demographic he will lose due to opportunism, he will gain among white kids in dorm rooms and high school parking lots, so the "sellout" discussion is moot.

Musically, though, he is on the level of the Lyte Funky Ones, so who cares?

[ardamus]

Ardy,

You didn't really answer the question. Why does the nature of dude's label matter? What does that have to do with music? If somebody's playing tricks to cater to people who lbuy records for stupid reasons- more power to them. If a guy found a way to leverage the system to make more money- what's wrong with that? Judge the guy because he sounds like he's on the verge of tears and makes message songs for 15 year olds (I think he's good at that and seems earnest as hell- but I'm too old and too cynical to enjoy it)- not for meaningless industry shit.

It has do with the music because of the image that's projected. You give off an image that you have indies backing you when you have ties to commercial labels to help you out; and sometimes that just doesn't work for people who know industry shit but for some folks its good marketing. Now, nobody said anything's wrong with it and that's where you get shit twisted up. But to say hey.....we've got some semi-commercial help with the indie exposure I'm getting isn't a bad thing, IMO.

And you non-reading dumb fuck, I told you I think the dude is talented and always have. I remember he was the first person to do a Myspace song and it was the best one I'd heard, IMO. And he's getting money, not a problem either (I did say that but your slow ass didn't read that part). I'm going back to the original article of this thread in saying that he could just be like "yeah, Warner fucks with us" and that's it.

People, let's focus on the main issue.

Like other rappers of his class/race/market segment, he denounced "bling rap" and "the mainstream" during the Jansport phase of his career, when it was convenient to do so. Now, given half a chance, he is scrambling for corporate access. Whatever naive fans in the first demographic he will lose due to opportunism, he will gain among white kids in dorm rooms and high school parking lots, so the "sellout" discussion is moot.

Musically, though, he is on the level of the Lyte Funky Ones, so who cares?

@ the last part. I agree that he's gotta do what he's gotta do.

[Balzac]

he sounds like he's on the verge of tears and makes message songs for 15 year olds

rofl

that describes macklemore to a T

he really doesn't make music for anyone over 18.

which is fine, he's actually a talented rapper so i'm not that butt hurt over his success.

[Employee]

http://www.themaskedgorilla.com/macklem ... -platinum/

4XPLAT

[PopeyeJones]

He shouldn't have changed his steez

If he was still making cheap Freestyle Fellowship knockoffs after rapping for a decade straight, he would have been better off just scrapping the whole thing when he started and using the time to build up to a part time manager gig at Togos.

[Employee]

Breathtaking, profound, groundbreaking analysis.

[drizzle]

http://noisey.vice.com/blog/macklemore- ... wacklemore

YO I JUST SAID "AWW NAAAWWWW MANNNN" WITH THE SAME VOICE/EMOTION THAT MARTIN USED TO SAY "DAAAAAMN GINAAAAA" WITH.

YOU LIKE DAVID BOWIE MEETS KANYE? VICE WON'T LET ME MAKE "GAY JOKES" SO JUST IMAGINE THE JOKE I PUT HERE. IT'S REALLY GOOD.

WOW THIS NIGGA OPENS THIS ALBUM WITH A FUCKING UPLIFTING SOMBER PIANO..."LISTEN TO ME RAP" (THE GENRE)...NO MATTER WHAT EMINEM TELLS YOU, "UPLIFTING SOMBER PIANO" SONGS FUCKIN SUCK B. THEY SUCK THE WORST EVER OF ANYTHING FAM. NAHMEAN THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO THIS SHIT B. YOU FEEL ME? LIKE FOR EXAMPLE I WAS JUST LISTENING TO COKE WAVE 2 AND I WAS BEING WAVY. THERE IS NO ACTIVITY YOU CAN DO WITH SOMBER PIANO AS YOUR BACKGROUND MUSIC EXCEPT WRITE RHYMES ANGRILY WITH A HOODIE ON WHILE YOU RIDE THE BUS. OR MAYBE TAKE YOUR CAT TO GET HER OVARIES REMOVED.

SECOND SONG ON HERE IS THE SHIT THEY PLAY IN WNBA COMMERCIALS. THIS DUDE IS OBNOXIOUS AS FUCK I'M ACTUALLY UPSET I INTERUPTED MY "BEST OF MOBB DEEP" PLAYLIST TO LISTEN TO THIS SHIT. ALL THESE BEATS SOUND LIKE THEY WERE MADE ON ELECTRONIC GARBAGE CANS B. THIS IS NICK JR. RAP MY NIGGA. IF YOU ARE SEVEN YEARS OLD AND YOUR PARENTS WON'T LET YOU LISTEN TO A$AP ROCKY, THEY WILL BUY YOU THIS FOR HANNUKAH AND BE LIKE "IT'S HIPS HOP RAP! YOU LOVE THAT RIGHT?" ALSO IF YOU ARE SEVEN WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU READING THIS NIGGA THIS IS WHAT MY MANAGERIAL STAFF REFERS TO AS "HARD R" MATERIAL B. GO WATCH "LITTLE EINSTEINS" NIGGA AND LEARN YOU SOME.

ANYWAY THIS PIECE OF WEED BREAKING UP SURFACE GARBAGE IS 50% SOMBER PIANO 25% "STOMP AND CLAP" RAP (SHOUTOUT TO AYRES FOR THE TERM) AND 25% STRAIGHT FUCKING BULLSHIT. WOW THIS SHIT SUCKS B. THIS NIGGA MADE A WHOLE SONG LIKE "SHOUTOUT TO GAY PEOPLE I'M HERE FOR YOU" NIGGA GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE EVEN GAY DUDES ARE LIKE "YO YOU ARE FUCKING CORNY *SNAP SNAP SASHAY AWAY*" I HATE MUSIC THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE UPLIFTING BECAUSE 197% OF THE TIME ITS WILD CORNY!! YOU KNOW WHO MAKES GREAT UPLIFTING MUSIC THAT'S NOT CORNY? BEANIE SIGEL. GO LISTEN TO "WHAT YA LIFE LIKE" IT'S VERY UPLIFTING...JUST KIDDING THAT SHIT IS ALL ABOUT BEING IN JAIL SHIT IS EXTREMELY DEPRESSING HERE'S AN EXCERPT:

"WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT 23 & One? LOCKED DOWN ALL DAY UNDERGROUND, NEVER SEEING THE SUN, VISITS STRIPPED FROM YOU, NEVER SEEING YOUR SON"

VERY DEPRESSING B. VERY MOVING MUSICAL SOUNDSCAPES FROM MACK MITTENS B. HE BRUSHED HIS TEETH SAME WATER HE PISS.

YO ANYWAY BACK TO THIS AUDIO WHIPPED BUTTERCREAM. "THRIFT SHOP" IS THIS GUY'S SINGLE AND WHEN I HEARD IT I IMMEJUTLY SAID TO MYSELF "YO TURN THIS SHIT OFF" AND I DID. THAT'S MY MACKLEMORE STORY. ALSO WHAT IS A MACKLEMORE? THAT SHIT SOUNDS LIKE A SPECIES OF TROUT WHO NATURAL HABITAT IS THE MALL OF AMERICA. GET THIS GUY THE WHOLE ENTIRE FUCK OUTTA HERE B. I DON'T EVEN WANNA GOOGLE A PICTURE OF DUDE CUZ IT WILL INFURIATE ME CAUSING ME TO GIVE MY KIDS POWPOW UNNECESSARILY.

I GIVE THIS SHIT -2 PILES OF DUTCH GUTS OUTTA 5. THIS NIGGA OWES ME DUTCH GUTS. I SHOULD GET PAID $5000 FOR HAVING TO LISTEN TO THIS NIGGA SO PASS SOME OF THOSE "ITUNES CHECKS" WACKLEMORE.

STANDOUT TRACK: I JUST TURNED THIS SHIT OFF AND STARTED LISTENING TO AUTECHRE.

JUST KIDDING AUTECHRE FUCKIN SUCKS I'M LISTENING TO FRENCH MONTANA & MAX B (DUH).

[Blockhead]

THERE IS NO ACTIVITY YOU CAN DO WITH SOMBER PIANO AS YOUR BACKGROUND MUSIC EXCEPT WRITE RHYMES ANGRILY WITH A HOODIE ON WHILE YOU RIDE THE BUS. OR MAYBE TAKE YOUR CAT TO GET HER OVARIES REMOVED.

Kid Mero>>>>>>

[Employee]

Mackbarlemore >>>

[BARRY LURKIN]

Kid Mero>>>>>>

[Pizon]

The videos are like your average cubicle worker and uncle. White people in the media are really pissed that white people at large don't know about a minor rap dance move that had it's height of popularity in a gdep video 10 years ago.

why didn't they care about the planking meme offending Somalian pirates??!?!?!?!?!? Cultural elitism is why!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ohhhh. You're not from New York, are you?

[Jayou Ayen]

http://noisey.vice.com/blog/macklemore- ... wacklemore

VICE WON'T LET ME MAKE "GAY JOKES" SO JUST IMAGINE THE JOKE I PUT HERE.

Vice is a bunch of faggots.



39

[Cash Rulz]

I dig his stuff. Thrift Shop is my shit. I find every opportunity to go "This is fucking Awwsuummm".

[Philaflava]

Little black babies in the Bronx are somewhere crying.

[Mindbender Futurama]

I'm with Ardy.

I like Macklemore waaaaay more than Mac Miller and any of these new white rappers... But pretending that his semi-secret Warner Bros. or white privilege has nothing to do with him blowing up is fucking idiotically ignorant.

And white folks are gonna love it when he finds some catchy new rappy way to say "I can afford Margiela and Polo Ralph Lauren now"

Jason is also right about black babies in the Bronx.

[The Rapping Coffin]

The videos are like your average cubicle worker and uncle. White people in the media are really pissed that white people at large don't know about a minor rap dance move that had it's height of popularity in a gdep video 10 years ago.

why didn't they care about the planking meme offending Somalian pirates??!?!?!?!?!? Cultural elitism is why!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ohhhh. You're not from New York, are you?

This is why NYers are the WORST. The harlem shake is not and will never be a significant cultural touchstone. Nobody brought it up for 10 years, and now that the meme is over you'll never hear somebody from NY bring it up again until the Bad Boy 25th Anniversary concert at MSG.

[Employee]

The videos are like your average cubicle worker and uncle. White people in the media are really pissed that white people at large don't know about a minor rap dance move that had it's height of popularity in a gdep video 10 years ago.

why didn't they care about the planking meme offending Somalian pirates??!?!?!?!?!? Cultural elitism is why!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ohhhh. You're not from New York, are you?

This is why NYers are the WORST. The harlem shake is not and will never be a significant cultural touchstone. Nobody brought it up for 10 years, and now that the meme is over you'll never hear somebody from NY bring it up again until the Bad Boy 25th Anniversary concert at MSG.

You're one of the worst posters of all-time.