Brooklyn rapper Maino recently addressed a handful of topics surrounding Seattle emcee Macklemore, including the rapper’s stance on equal rights and his post-Grammy text to Kendrick Lamar, during a conversation with Vlad TV.
When asked about Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ Grammy performance, which consisted of couples of various sexual orientations exchanging vows, Maino spoke on the prominence of gay culture in Hip Hop and also worldwide. According to the New York City emcee, he isn’t bothered by same sex relationships and says he’d be willing to work with Macklemore regardless of his push for equal rights.
“It’s prominent not only in Hip Hop, but it’s just prominent in the world…It’s to the point where like if that’s your thing, that’s your thing,” Maino said. “You know what I mean? It doesn’t bother me what your thing is because what your thing [is] doesn’t affect me. You understand? So, I’m not like phobic. Like ‘Oh, man. Oh shit, all these gays.’ You know what I mean? We living in a world where it is what it is. It’s to that point. Because Macklemore did that I think maybe—They so powerful at this point like it probably helped him. Would I turn around and still do a song with Macklemore after he done that? Yeah, I would.”
In addition to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ Grammy performance, Maino was also asked about the pair’s various Grammy wins, which included Best New Artist and Best Rap Album. Maino revealed that he wasn’t surprised by the Best Rap Album win due to the fact that Hip Hop has “always been misrepresented” at the annual awards show.
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“It doesn’t surprise me…We’ve always been misrepresented at the Grammys,” he said. “I don’t think they really understand Hip Hop music. I don’t think they understand black culture, of course. A lot of those people that sit on the board that handle these things they’re not in tune with black culture. They don’t know. Of course it’s gonna be misrepresentation and discrepancies and stuff like that. Because if it wasn’t—Look what Macklemore did. He text the homie the same night like ‘Man, they jerked you’…I respected him. And which I like his music, period. I like dude. I was listening to him before. When he was just on the internet…We not in an industry where people really do that like where they really keep it all the way a hundred and really honest about things. You know, everybody hides their true intent and they feelings.”
Lastly, Maino questioned why artists in Hip Hop create boundaries when it concerns working with artists outside of the genre.
“Why should Hip Hop have boundaries? Why should we be bound to only do one or two different things? Like why can’t we—Why is it sky is the limit for us? Like why can’t I do a song with Macklemore or fuckin Bruno Mars or somebody like that without being looked at as ‘Oh, this nigga he crossing over. He selling out or whatever,’” Maino said. “I mean, it’s dumb because good music is good music. And that’s all it should be about it, dope music.”
Although Maino expressed his respect for Macklemore due to his post-Grammy text to Kendrick Lamar, there were other artists who weren’t as accepting of Macklemore’s message. Among those artists was Drake, who said the rapper’s text message “was wack as fuck.”
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“I was like, ‘You won. Why are you posting your text message? Just chill. Take your W, and if you feel you didn’t deserve it, go get better. Make better music,'” Drake said while speaking with Rolling Stone earlier this month. “It felt cheap. It didn’t feel genuine. Why do that? Why feel guilt? You think those guys would pay homage to you if they won?”
Maino’s commentary on Macklemore comes weeks after the rapper released his K.O.B. (King Of Brooklyn) mixtape. Released on February 4, the project includes guest appearances from T.I., French Montana and Meek Mill, among others.
RELATED:Maino Admonishes New York Rappers To Unite & Move Forward
