Alexia's CSU Stan

Ryan Lewis (left), Macklemore (right)

Have you heard the song “Thrift Shop” with the catchy beat and funny lyrics? What about the more poignant track “Same Love”? If you haven’t heard of either, you should go to YouTube and listen and then iTunes to buy the debut full-length album “The Heist” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.

Why?

Because they are awesome. I have never been this excited about hip-hop and the direction it’s heading in until now. For starters, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are openly for same-sex marriage, which in the hip-hop community is a very big deal because a fair amount of rap lyrics tend to be homophobic. To come out for same-sex marriage in the hip-hop community is HUGE. It takes bravery and shows that times are really a’changing.  I respect it. So does Ellen DeGeneres, which is why she featured them on her show a couple of months ago:

http://youtu.be/G3RbSuDANG4

One thing that has always kept me from really listening to rap unless I’m at a party or the gym, is how superficial it has become. Rappers talk about how much money they have and what they are going to buy with all the money and the songs sometimes tend to disrespect women every other lyric. While I understand that some rappers have really important things to say, I don’t like having to sit through a lot of offensive moments in a song just to get to the really important message, which is one reason I won’t listen to Lil Wayne if I have a choice. After a while, it just becomes generic and stops feeling like art.

“The Heist”, on the other hand,  was written with heart and intent. It’s about a journey, not  the superficial rewards that are earned when that journey reaches its destination.  Although it isn’t free of cussing, the use of those words don’t overshadow the story being told.

I’m just so thrilled by this album, it’s a long time in the making. While it was being recorded, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis toured constantly and built up a massive following, which led to the album debuting at number 1 on iTunes.

When I do my long runs on Saturdays with my running team, “The Heist” is what constantly plays in my ears. I especially love track number 2 “Can’t Hold Us”, number 11 “Wing$” and number 14 “Starting Over”.

I highly recommend this album and all that it stands for. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are the new players in hip-hop and they are changing the entire game.

~ by Alexia on January 15, 2013 .