Hip Hop/Rap Fanatics Unite!

[J T]

I think it's interesting to listen to these older Macklemore rhymes after all the heat he has taken after winning Best Rap Album at the Grammys and that tweet to Kendrick.

White Privilege

The Ego

[dsheinem]

I think it's interesting to listen to these older Macklemore rhymes after all the heat he has taken after winning Best Rap Album at the Grammys and that tweet to Kendrick.

White Privilege

The Ego

http://www.guerrillafem.com/2014/01/bow ... acklemore/

[J T]

It always bothers me when Macklemore gets shit for not being gay enough. He is who he is and wrote the song from his perspective as an ally, and it's always like people make those complaints without any awareness of Mary Lambert, who wrote and sings the hook.

Hear what she has to say at 5.45 of this video:


Anyway, I was thinking more about this kind of hatred (which oddly is coming from a white guy) :

http://m.spin.com/articles/grammys-mack ... same-love/

[dsheinem]

It always bothers me when Macklemore gets shit for not being gay enough. He is who he is and wrote the song from his perspective as an ally, and it's always like people make those complaints without any awareness of Mary Lambert, who wrote and sings the hook.

If you think the author of the article I posted is mad because he's "not gay enough" you either didn't read it or you missed the point.

EDIT: And I'm damn sympathetic to the arguments in that Spin article, too. Granted, the Grammys have always shit all over rap music. I mean, Eminem won rap album of the year 5 times out of the first ~15 times the award was given. I can dig some Eminem, but he doesn't have five of the best rap albums of his era. If anything this nod to Macklemore is the final nail in the coffin for an award ceremony that has always been shit and has almost always made its worst picks in this category.

[J T]

Well, the Grammys have always been garbage. Everyone has always known that. For some reason though, people are taking out jealous anger at Macklemore for winning a popularity contest that he didn't vote in and they are trying to discredit all he has done because he's not gay enough, not black enough, not art enough, and not hip hop enough... but he has always made good music.

[Luke]

"Dear Mackelmore, Same Love is NOT my Queer Anthem".

I don't think he cares. I certainly don't.

Listened to Heart's Dreamboat Annie last night.

[noiseredux]

I don't mean to be a hater, but Ann & Nancy Wilson aren't the best MC's in the world.

[Luke]

I don't mean to be a hater, but Ann & Nancy Wilson aren't the best MC's in the world.

D'oh! Well, at least you know what I've been listening to.

[dsheinem]

he's not gay enough, not black enough, not art enough, and not hip hop enough... but he has always made good music.

While some may make those kinds of superficial claims, I don't think it is fair to dismiss all critique of the connections/disconnections between his race/class/gender/sexuality and his lyrics as "people are mad he's not X enough". There's a lot going on here as regards cultural appropriation of various minority groups, neoliberalist feel good bullshit, and race/gender politics more broadly that shouldn't just be swept aside under the guise of "fuck the haters, he seems sincere and I dig the beat".

I'd also disagree on the "he has always made good music" argument - he's not a very compelling lyricist, a very gifted rapper, nor is Lewis' production anything interesting (it all has a "been there, done that, seen better" feel).

[noiseredux]

I'd also disagree on the "he has always made good music" argument - he's not a very compelling lyricist, a very gifted rapper, nor is Lewis' production anything interesting (it all has a "been there, done that, seen better" feel).

I've been trying my hardest NOT to chime in on Mackelmore, because when it comes to music (or art in general) I tend to try to stick to the "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" thing. And with Mackelmore's music, I...