Ben Haggerty, better known to his fans as Macklemore has burst onto the rap scene and taken the country by storm. His talent and lyrical genius are one in a million and he does not plan on letting go of the spot light anytime soon.
Macklemore, formally known as Professor Macklemore recently came out with his debut studio album “The Heist” which has been flying under the radar recently. As more and more people begin to discover his spectacular rhythmic flow, his songs have been skyrocketing up the charts. His blockbuster hit “Thrift Shop” has been on top for over 16 weeks standing at number 1 on the ITunes most downloaded chart and the number 1 song on the Billboard’s Hot 100 singles list.
“The Heist” starts off strong with Macklemore’s intro song “Ten Thousand Hours” which is dedicated to the belief that people such as Michael Jordan and Bill Gates have reached such great success in their fields, because they have put in the necessary ten thousand hours of practice. Clawing through obstacles and never giving up is his message in this, whether it be drug abuse, alcoholism or failure in school. It’s obvious that he believes that anything is possible through hard work and discipline with lyrics such as. “The moment is now because you can’t get it back from the grave.”
The song “Thrift Shop” is without a doubt one of the most outrageous and strange songs out right now, discussing the perks of shopping at the Good Will and other second hand stores around the country. Whether it is buying a knee board or some footy pajamas everything has the potential to be a diamond in the rough. Just like all his song, Macklemore preaches a profound underlying message: people don’t have to go out and buy $50 shirts and $100 pairs of pants. They can create their own style and even start a new trend for a low price that can’t be matched anywhere else.
Another major track that is on the rise is “Same Love” which really makes the listener mull over their perspective on gay rights and how hard it is to grow up homosexual in America. Macklemore’s two uncles are in a relationship together and he has seen firsthand the difficulties that they go through on an everyday basis. “If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me,” a powerful lyrical segment that really points a finger at the world of rap and shows how insensitive it has been towards homosexuals. He calls American citizens to stand up and use their voice to fight for those who have been silenced by discrimination. Mary Lambert is featured on the track singing the chorus, “I can’t change even if I tried, even if I wanted to.” Confirming Macklemore’s belief that homosexuality is not a choice but rather something that is unchangeable within a person’s genetic makeup.
Throughout the entire album Macklemore keeps his audience mesmerized with change of pace beats and mind boggling lyrics. His mood throughout the album continues to be ever changing going from serious national issues to happy go lucky living. He keeps his listeners on their toes. Macklemore is the only mainstream white rapper around (besides Eminem and Mac Miller). He has a lot to live up to with such great competition; by keeping his unique topics of discussion. He can put his name among the greats when his career is all said and done. Luckily for us, it is far from over.
