Not his best work, hes a bit out of his element here. He really was at his best when he started out with ryan Lewis and released his VS EP and was singing about stuff that was close to home. White kid from Aberdeen singing about alcoholism, robotripping, etc, that I get it connects. Making songs about police corruption, violence and racism on the east coast though isn't really his forte, he should leave that to the local artists for who its a real daily problem, feature them and collaborate with them if he really gives a shit. Also not really a good song, more like a musical blog post.
Oh, I totally disagree. It's not just about "police corruption, violence and racism," it's about how a white rapper navigates his place within hip hop given that context. In that sense he's wholly in his element. FWIW, this song was "the outcome of an ongoing dialogue with musicians, activists, and teachers within our community in Seattle and beyond," and features Jamila Woods, a black woman from Chicago. As to whether it's a "good song," I disagree, but I can't change your mind.he should leave that to the local artists for who its a real daily problem, feature them and collaborate with them if he really gives a shit.
As an add-on, from what I know of him, the rule of thumb that Ryan enforces is keeping the songs to Ben's (Macklemore's) perspective. In some way, I agree that it seems more a musical blog post. Battling addiction, sharing his life-story, paying homage to those who inspired him - isn't that how he's always kept it? In that way, that's what I love about his style. He tells a story, shares what he's been through, and what he feels is right. In this case, it's his own discomfort in the irony of the position and sickened of what it looks like on a grand scale - finding himself in others. I do agree with you, snoodog in working with the local artists as well... and I'm sure I've heard such pieces over the past year come out. Not with as much exposure though, not for the better. If anything, I'm appreciative of the fact that it's alone stirred up so much controversy in the "white culture".