Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - The Heist

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
The Heist
Macklemore LLC (2012)
By Hannah Stahl

Macklemore is a young white rapper who calls Seattle, Washington his home town. The artist, known by family and friends as Ben Haggerty, is changing the rap game by introducing a more positive, upbeat tempo while shying away from derogatory topics and excessive profanity. Macklemore's newest album, The Heist, is his latest collaboration with close friend and producer, Ryan Lewis. The album is a tribute to the times, as it captures and comments on many present-day issues. Topics such as gay rights, consumerism, and drug abuse/addiction fill the album with real feelings that give the lyrics raw emotions that anyone can relate to. Even though the topics are broad, the opinions are very one-sided, coming from a liberal point of view in support of pro-gay rights. The two are masters of words, dropping lyrics that make you think of your life and your priorities. On tracks such as “Make the Money” and “Wings”, he is constantly reminding us that money can be an evil entity in our lives that changes a person as he or she acquires more and more.

A slower track, “Neon Cathedral,” creatively compares bars to churches, since the speaker confesses his emotions and sins in bars just as easily as in church. He become more and more honest the longer he sits at the bar. “Bombom” is an ingenious track with no lyrics, just simple beats artistically put together that flaunt the pair's ability to hypnotize the listener. The album hit #1 on the iTunes Rap Genre bestsellers list the night it was released, and it continues to ride in the top ten. The unique, fresh sounds of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis promise the both of them a long and successful career in the genre that seems to be lacking in true creativity and novel messages about deep subjects like love.