Macklemore
Seattle, Washington, United States
Music
Press
MACKLEMORE
The Language of My World
3 out of 4 Stars ***
Though he currently resides in Olympia, Macklemore raps almost solely about Seattle—its neighborhoods, its hiphop scene, its politics, its racial dimensions. The music on the CD, which is primarily produced by Budo, is a solid mix of commercial polish and dirty underground-hiphop beats. Macklemore's raps are deeply personal and honest, particularly on the question of being a white rapper. The opening track, "White Privilege," stands out as one of those rare moments in hiphop when a rapper is addressing a very important issue directly and intelligently. It is hiphop discoursing on where hiphop is at this point in time—the racially complicated post-Eminem era. Hiphop is no longer black, nor white, but is everywhere and can used by anyone, be they poor or from a privileged Capitol Hill family. Macklemore also knows how to have fun (one track is called "Fake ID," another is called "Penis Song"), but the ultimate substance of his CD is the language of hiphop, which has become the language of the world. CHARLES MUDEDE - Charles Mudede
"Macklemore is a breath of fresh air in this era of party and bullshit. Count him among those who reveal that art is still a weapon of resistance. Prepare to be renewed. "
-Bakari Kitwana
Former editor of "The Source," and author of "Why White Kids Love Hip-Hop."
- Bakari Kitwana
Yes, yes, y'all... more good local shit keeps comin'. I'm currently enjoying the new LP from 206 artist Macklemore, entitled The Language of My World. Dude is one of my favorite cats in town with his sharp observations and keen sense of humor. He never takes himself too seriously and is a master at the fine art of self-deprecation. You might even detect a distinct vocal similarity to Atmosphere's Slug—minus the self-loathing and a tad more upbeat—recast as a Seattle-area b-boy. Lean on bullshit, Language is based in reality, but probably won't catch that nebulous tag of "reality rap." "My inspiration was honesty," explains Mack. "I wanted to capture every element of my life regardless of how I'd be perceived. Hiphop—and just music in general—seems to be in a state where artists are afraid of being human... whether it's fear, insecurity, ego, struggles, or happiness, I wanted to put it all out on the line. All of it. From addiction, to penis size, to white privilege, I chose subject matter that I feel people overlook in general." My joint right now, "Claiming the City"(which sports a choice appearance from Abyssinian Creole), is an insightful snapshot of Seattle's quickly changing landscape. It cites racial politics and exponential growth as reasons you might not recognize Seattle in a few short years. Get up on this one, I'm telling you.
My Philosophy
Hiphop Ya Don't Stop
BY LARRY MIZELL JR.
- The Stranger
This Seattle based MC pened a MySpace track which is what initially got my attention. But he’s got much more going for him then this novelty track. Check out the hilarious “Fake ID,” where he lets overzealous bouncers have it. –Tom (myspace) - MySpace.com
Though he's now living in Olympia, this former Seattle rapper makes some sharp observations about racial and class injustice in his former hometown on this excellent album of underground hip hop. At times wickedly funny and often brutally honest (especially when rapping about his own shortcomings), Macklemore is a distinctive voice in the Northwest's burgeoning hip hop scene. - Don Slack for KEXP - KEXP CD Review
The acclaimed artist who brought us the song that pretty much all of America can relate to “Welcome To MySpace,” has a new album out which unfortunately doesn’t have that song on it. It does however have twenty hypnotic, humorous, intense lyrical masterpieces with backing beats so fresh you’ll probably go into a state of shock and awe. There’s a track on here for all you President Bush Fans entitled “Bush Song”, which is an off the wall lyrical story. “Remember High School” has crazy beats and samples for some huge hits spinning while he drops some true rhymes bout how things were back in the school days. The truly funny and infectious beat on “Fake ID” will have your attention and bobbing your head. Tempo changes, raw lyrics, mesmerizing beats, some guests and a whole lot of fun is what this album is all about.
-GD
- AXIS
Macklemore's "The Language Of My World" penetrates the conscious at the deepest level possible. He is Common and Eminem personified.
-Bruce George
Def Poetry Jam Co-Founder - Def Poetry Jam
Discography
"The Language of My World"-2005
"The Unplanned Mixtape"-2009
"VS." EP- 2009
Photos
Bio
I left to go on the Living Legends/Grayskull tour a week after I got out of rehab. Nobody thought it was a good idea. They were probably right. But I needed to go. I was done, and I knew it. After a 35 day stint in treatment, I had gone through somewhat of a spiritual awakening. Through this experience I had a brand new tool set to combat the drugs and alcohol that had polluted my mind/body/spirit and music. I was finally ready to take another stab at living this thing called life.
Let me back up a little. It all started in the spring of 2005 when I made a song called “Welcome to Myspace.” The song was a catchy ode of honesty that payed tribute to my obsession with the social network. I sent the song to Tom (creator, and at the time operator of MySpace) three times. I never heard back. Finally I sent him an email, with the caption “I like your new picture” thinking that might get his attention. I was right.
The next time I opened up my computer, I had 5,000 new emails. I assumed my computer was either broken, had been hacked into, or Tom had read my email. The later was correct. He had read the email, listened to my music and sent out a bulletin to everyone on myspace plugging the song and more importantly the rest of the stuff on my page. Literally, within 15 minutes I had thousands of brand new fans all over the country. A couple days later, Tom put me on the front of myspace in-between Weezer and Snoop Dogg. All the sudden I was getting show offers from random places around the country and making money off pre-orders from a CD that wasn't even finished. It was an insane time of my life.
6 months later I released my debut album “The Language of my World.” Without experience, a label or manager behind me I started doing shows around the country and selling CD's. By mid 2006 I was able to solely support myself through my music, and I was getting the respect that I had always wanted. I performed at Bumbershoot in Seattle (a gig through Sonic Bids) to a sold out crowd at the EMP. Looking out into the crowd I was shocked at how many people new the words, and I had one of those re-affirming moments that drives musicians to keep creating. Unfortunately, I had a couple obstacles in my way.
I've always had a problem with moderation. Drugs and alcohol were no exception. As my name grew, so did my drug use. After a while, music turned from a deep seeded connection into merely a means for a pay check, drink tickets and a way to manipulate women. My peace of mind, love for my art and honesty, my greatest creative resource, was completely gone. After countless times of attempting to quit on my own I finally gave up and checked myself into a treatment facility. On paper, I was still a moderately successful independent artist, but inside I was vacant. It was the last resort.
The last year hasn't been easy. In some ways I feel like I'm in a race with time to try to get to where I was. I let so many doors close on my career, and countless opportunities have slipped away. It's a constant struggle to remain present, and remember why I make music. The climate of the industry has completely shifted since 2005 when I last released an album. Selling CD's is almost a thing of the past, and they're more obstacles then ever in terms of making a career out of what I love to do. But I have to remember why I do this. Every time I write a song, that is what I try to get back to. The accolades, respect and fame are tempting forces to drive the creation process, but if I let those side effects of the music control me, I have proven to myself time and time again my art suffers. If I'm connected to my purpose, I know that stuff will come if it's supposed to. My job now is to remain sober, make what I know to be the truth, put it out to the people and hope that I have a chance to get on a stage a perform it.
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