Walk into a club and try requesting a song by Macklemore; you’ll probably be asked to leave. But you should probably do it anyway.
Over the past year or so, Macklemore hate has been rampant. However, the “Same Love” rapper is undeserving of this hatred. He acknowledges his straight white male privilege- something that many people of the same demographic do not. “Same Love” begins, “When I was in the third grade I thought that I was gay, cause I could draw, my uncle was, and I kept my room straight.” These lines have been criticized for perpetuating stereotypes, however just a few lines later in the song, Macklemore raps, “bunch of stereotypes all in my head… a preconceived idea of what it all meant for those that like the same sex.” Macklemore discusses these stereotypes with the intent to destroy them, not perpetuate them. He used his fame and privilege to promote gay rights to an audience that otherwise may not have listened.
But gay rights aren’t the only issue Macklemore has breached. As a white rapper, he has acknowledged his place in the industry and knows that his success can largely be attributed to the color of his skin. This sentiment is echoed throughout Macklemore’s lyrics. In his 2012 song “A Wake,” he raps “Rodney King was getting beat on/and they let off every single officer/and Los Angeles went and lost it/Now every month there’s a new Rodney on YouTube/It’s just something our generation is used to/And neighborhoods where you never see a news crew/Unless they’re gentrifying, white people don’t even cruise through/And my subconscious/Telling me stop it/This is an issue that you shouldn’t get involved in/Don’t even tweet ‘RIP Trayvon Martin’/Don’t wanna be that white dude million-man marching/Fighting for a freedom that my people stole… Don’t get involved if the cause isn’t mine/White privilege, white guilt at the same damn time/So we just party like its 1999/Celebrate the ignorance while these kids keep dying.” This powerful cry against racism came before the tragedies like Michael Brown and Tamir Rice, and holds even more relevance today.
Macklemore also takes issue with the glorification of expensive clothing and drugs in rap music. Say what you will about “Thrift Shop,” but it popularized inexpensive clothing in a genre that originated from- and is still popular amongst- young, urban, working-class Americans. In his song “Wing$,” Macklemore describes the experience of being the only one of his friends in his youth wealthy enough to own a pair of Nike sneakers: “Nike Air Flight, but that was so dope/and then my friend Carlos’ brother got murdered for his (Air Jordan) Fours, woah.” Again, Macklemore is recognizing and admitting to his privilege. As far as drugs go, Macklemore has admitted to being a former drug addict, and warns against following that path in his music. In his song “Otherside,” he speaks of a character who has gotten caught up with drugs: “He just wanted to act like them/He just wanted to rap like him/Us as rappers underestimate the power and the effects that we have on these kids/Blunt passed, ash in a tin, pack being pushed, harassed by the feds/The fact of it is most people that rap like this talkin’ about some shit they haven’t lived.” It is unclear whether or not this character is Macklemore, but regardless, he tries to be a good influence.
Macklemore raps about issues that are important and relevant with a fresh and insightful perspective. Next time he comes on in the club, please at least consider raising your hands like the ceiling can’t hold you.