Macklemore is no imposter. Yeah there’s the iron board rigid flow, strengthened by an unmasked suburban accent; the incessancy to dress like it’s Halloween in the lowliest day of May; or the intelligence to utilize pop hooks on every turn but make no mistake. Nationwide fame hasn’t made the ambidextrous rhymer any less of a proponent of the culture. Even if he’s spent the past few years fidgeting his placement in the same culture after he goaltended a coveted Grammy Award from its newly appointed king. To no cause or fault of his own.
The apologies preceded the fidgeting, which also coincided with apparent cries for acceptance that coronate the sophomore rollout of his new album with Ryan Lewis, This Unruly Mess I’ve Made. The title harbors on his crash-landed placement in the mainstream where he simply wants to co-exist while the music, albeit a times disjointed, makes up one of the most self-aware, socially conscious rap albums in recent memory, if not ever.
Lewis, the group’s undeniable artistic glue, subdues his role tremendously this time around; settling for Vaudeville piano loops, wispy break-beat patterns amid the occasional sonic boom. The near-four years since the commercial explosion of the group’s debut, The Heist, has left Macklemore in a decisively awkward position. Does he, a true advocate of Hip Hop culture continue on the gravy train as a safe representative in mainstream society or does he draw a line in the sand at the point where imposters–artists and fans alike–heavily leech all the spoils of rap music?
The answer is firmly given on the album’s closer, the serene “White Privilege II.” The nearly nine-minute parable finds a sobering Macklemore calling out the very same fans who would blindly pick his music over say a YG (who also doubles down the same sentiments on his poignant verse on “Bolo Tie”) because of his skin color. “We want to dress like, walk like, talk like, dance like, yet we just stand by/We take all we want from black culture, but will we show up for black lives?,” Mack laments, before addressing his own conflicted disposition on the matter. Marching with protestors is what rappers are expected to do, especially in these times of social turmoil but here is a guy who paid his underground dues but he rose through the ranks of Top 40–escalator style. Sometimes one can simply show better than to simply tell.
“White Privilege II” may have closed the curtain on Unruly’s cinematography but the stage was set for erudition long before the album’s conclusion. On “Kevin,” backed by a urgent-singing Leon Bridges and brooding baseline that butterflies into a cappella gospel hymns, Macklemore relays how he conquered his own drug addiction while watching the battle shatter the life of another. Such records speak highly on Macklemore’s strongest attribute to extend his music across subject matter rarely glossed over in rap music. Or guests. The ode-to-graffiti tune “Buckshot” pumps KRS-One and DJ Premier and may scream like a ploy for Hip Hop acceptance but when that metal ball begins to clang against the spray can and those Premo scratches compliment Macklemore and the T’Cha’s high octane lyricism, it’s damn near impossible not to sing along with the “window-to-window and wall-to-wall” chant.
So did Ben and Ryan waive their rights as America’s token rap stars to be leveled with the more commoner rappers who work just as hard and sell less? It’s a loaded question that is inadvertently becomes a yes due to a handful of failed commercial attempts. “Growing Up” is a brilliant letter to his newborn daughter (and perceivably his future son) and Ed Sheeran’s touching chorus will surely get him an in with the Z100 crowd. Yet a slapstick record like “Brad Pitt’s Cousin” feels a tad bit forced where singles such as “Thrift Shop” came across as more natural in their unabashed goofiness. Then there’s the out-of-place “Dance Off,” which inexplicably aligns the musical presence of Idris Elba and Anderson.Paak and sounds like a line dance Count Dracula would command at his wedding. And don’t forget the irritating “Downtown,” (featuring corny assistance from old school legends Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee, and Grandmaster Caz) which begins as a Golden Age jam and flips to a circus feature thanks to Eric Nally’s fade.
There’s a good chance This Unruly Mess I’ve Made will transform Macklemore into the mere mortal within today’s pop culture he obviously wants no part of. A glance at his trophy mantle will reveal he’s overachieved in the space but there still is ground the cover if he wishes. For now, the game’s odd man out can revel in a personal win for his catalog.
You are overrating this album just because Macklemore is a liberal cuckold. You should just stick to rating the actual music, not the gay agenda he is pushing and politics.
I didn’t read anything in this review about him pushing a gay agenda.
Says the guy who gave it a shit rating to ruin the community rating.
Straight doo doo
Not bad.
I didn’t make it through one song weak attempt at crossing over with 70’s hip-hop influence which Macklemore didn’t even live
You didn’t make it through one song and you’re rating an entire album? Do us all a favor, don’t ever review an album. You’re biases overshadow your logic. Too many mental midgets in this world, play some brain games or something and get smarter.
This album is dope a must have!!
This album is dope a must have!
garbage
GAVE IT A ONE JUST TO HATE LIKE MOST PEOPLE ON THIS SITE:)
Sounds like you live a riveting life
Fuck the TRUTH!
llol that first paragraph is a mess. Reads like a grade 10 drop out
Is it a 5/5 no.. hip hop dx was spot on with a 3.8 though and I wanted to up the rating as I’m sure half the people that gave it 1 didn’t even listen to the album. Tracks like buckshot, kevin, white privileged, and bolo ties are the keepers that I’ll add to my song collection. While macklemore is really hit or miss, and some misses on the album (dance off) I respect that hes original and has the balls to say what 90% of rappers won’t, and his slower songs always have good concepts.
Your white aren’t you?
You’re*
I fuckin hate you
Some good tracks like Buckshot and some bad ones like Dance Off…not sure what they were thinking there. Overall it’s better than a decent amount of albums out there but not quite top notch.
great real hip hop album. white rappers always make the best hip hop.
Hoe…really wtf. Black rappers (and fucking Latino rappers) can basically blow any white rapper out of the fucking water. Watch your bias mouth boi.
CO0N
it’s a really good pop-rap album
It’s a really good album to listen to if you’re the type of cat who likes it when guys fuck him in the ass with a strap on. Why a strap on? Because the dude who’s fuckin the Macklemore fan wouldn’t lower himself to use his own dick to fuck em.
Its a generally nice to the ears album with a nice production, social message and decent lyrics. Macklemore apologizes and takes on to aknwowlledge the occurences in hip hop and the music scene that he thinks he is responsible for and apart off. He’s specifically indicating the racial problems and the ‘privillege’ he has in the american society because of his skin tone. He expresses guilt and anger for what happened at the grammys back in 2013 where he got all rap categories,(with an unjust tune as he’s mentioned)and straight up apologizes. The overall contents of the album are very good, maybe as good as his previous work, but it just doesnt have any song other than ‘Downtown’ to become a hit, which isnt a bad thing to be frank but to put him again on the conversation in today’s terms he has to put out something better than the previous stuff he has made, and ‘This unruly mess i’ve made’ is just not strong enough in plain terms to remind us that he’s back.
Its a good hi hop album with a few really good songs. Its underrated imo,I se othe equally good albums get higher reviews so Im just wondering why people r hating on this guy
Fuck this co0n tho b
I give respect to Macklemore and Lewis for not recanting on their approach to making music as a reaction to all the shade cast their way. Some pretty dope tracks here as well as some cringingly corny ones but I guess that’s a Macklemore album for you. Light Tunnels, Buckshot, Kevin are on par with his best work. St. Ides, Bolo Tie, Growing Up are pretty solid as well. The Brad Pitt one … wtf? and Dance off is up there with Eminem’s “Fack” as one of the most awful things I’ve ever heard referred to as a song and a sad waste of an Anderson Paak feature. White Privilege is a near 9-minute mess but I guess that is fitting for the state of race relations in country right now. However you feel about it this is a real, relevant perspective shared by a lot of white people who are compassionate about the BLM movement but have the luxury of being removed from it. It’s an awkward perspective but shouldn’t be attacked because this is the part of white america that cares. You know what the other part thinks about BLM? Nothing at all.
Its better than the first…dope album
Cool.
Lyrically, way better than Pablo. Beats-wise, was alright.
Some tracks are like wtf is this. Brad Pitts cousin comes to mind
If a wannabe rapper from suburbia ate a pile of poop, then pooped it back out, it would still be less of a pile of shit than this album.
I’d say it’s definitely a solid album. Chance has an excellent feature, St. Ides is very personal track which is what I really admire about macklemore. With Kevin, he speaks out against issues he’s experienced firsthand and I think that song is incredible. but, not all the songs are great. like others said, very hit or miss. i think i’d give it a 4/5, i like the ideas and the courage, though there’s definitely a few ???? on the album.
Fuck this
Just a great album. Meaningful, rhythmic, poetic.
Just take a listen.
Ultra mega cool shieeet, i would download from torrent again… mmm… do have maybe that special Itunes magic deluxe posh gold plated shiny edition with hidden track? cossss i love to that on torrents. Straight outta Alabama.
????????