The Heist- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis LP

[3arl]

I've listened to a lot of his stuff and I just don't think it's good. And his intro video thing for the NBA Allstar Game was just embarrassing.

[derkwithano]

Hopefully they only sell these exclusively AT thrift shops. That'd be a pretty sweet $1 bin snag.

[thejesseb]

[jonnystorm777]

I love how people judge him after only hearing Thrift shop. I was upset that that song got him famous. His other stuff is way better. If you are not into Hip Hop and like Rap more than you won't like it. A lot more mature than 90% of the Rap out there. Don't let Thrift Shop fool you.

[JoeyZPD]

Macklemore is lame. Completely sold his own message out.

[AlexH.]

If you are not into Hip Hop and like Rap more than you won't like it. A lot more mature than 90% of the Rap out there.

Completely disagree. This is the rapper for people who don't like rap. In fact I hear it all the time from people - "I don't like most rap, but I love Macklemore. He raps about real stuff, you know what I mean? Have you heard of him?"

Fuck this watered down fake Atmosphere bullshit. I fucking love rap, and I find this man insufferable. Boring flow, weak lyrics, unremarkable production. Thrift Shop is probably his best song.

[geezfools]

thrift shop sucks, even when he's trying to be silly, but I do dig pretty much the rest of the album. Stoked for some northwest love! I'll be picking this up unless it's $40, which, I think it'll be in the $30-$40 range

[monsterrod]

Completely disagree. This is the rapper for people who don't like rap. In fact I hear it all the time from people - "I don't like most rap, but I love Macklemore. He raps about real stuff, you know what I mean? Have you heard of him?"

Fuck this watered down fake Atmosphere bullshit. I fucking love rap, and I find this man insufferable. Boring flow, weak lyrics, unremarkable production. Thrift Shop is probably his best song.

This, this, and this. However, I think this Ryan Lewis kid can put together a pretty interesting beat.

[booms528]

I've been waiting for this to get pressed since it was released... but I can understand how busy his label must be considering he's still indie and selling ridiculous amounts of music. 

 

The album is really really great.  Thrift Shop was fun before it got popular (i think it's 5xPlatinum, maybe 6 by now) and played into the ground, and it sucks that people will write him off because of a goofy song like that.  Most of the album actually talks about really serious thought-provoking stuff and the production is killer.  I've been dying to see him live but now I'm afraid it'll just be thousands of high school girls in the crowd and ruin everything.

 

And yes, he's no Slug (they're no Atmosphere) but nobody is.  It's unfair to even try to make that comparison.

[3arl]

Completely disagree. This is the rapper for people who don't like rap. In fact I hear it all the time from people - "I don't like most rap, but I love Macklemore. He raps about real stuff, you know what I mean? Have you heard of him?"

Fuck this watered down fake Atmosphere bullshit. I fucking love rap, and I find this man insufferable. Boring flow, weak lyrics, unremarkable production. Thrift Shop is probably his best song.

My thoughts exactly. Hashtag rap with insightful punchlines? I'll pass.

[AlexH.]

I've been waiting for this to get pressed since it was released... but I can understand how busy his label must be considering he's still indie and selling ridiculous amounts of music.

This is the other thing. Dude has a deal with Alternative Distribution Alliance, owned by Universal Music Group. He has full use of the same marketing and distribution machine as every "fake" pop artist he's sharing time with on Top 40 radio. No true "indie"-to-mainstream success story takes place anymore without the backing of a major label somewhere along the way

[jonnystorm777]

Completely disagree. This is the rapper for people who don't like rap. In fact I hear it all the time from people - "I don't like most rap, but I love Macklemore. He raps about real stuff, you know what I mean? Have you heard of him?"

Fuck this watered down fake Atmosphere bullshit. I fucking love rap, and I find this man insufferable. Boring flow, weak lyrics, unremarkable production. Thrift Shop is probably his best song.

Like i said, If you like "rap" more than Hip Hop you will not like this album. In his first album he was all about the 4 elements of Hip Hop. Which is what true Hip Hop is. If you are all about just the Emcee, you most likely like Rap. If you are confused with what the 4 elements of hip hop are, please google it.

[scottheisel]

This is the other thing. Dude has a deal with Alternative Distribution Alliance, owned by Universal Music Group. He has full use of the same marketing and distribution machine as every "fake" pop artist he's sharing time with on Top 40 radio. No true "indie"-to-mainstream success story takes place anymore without the backing of a major label somewhere along the way

 

Warner Bros. owns ADA, not Universal. And it's primarily a distribution network, meaning the artist isn't "signed" to WB or one of its subsidiaries (which means they're not getting recording advances, tour support, etc., like most major label artists do). It's very likely strictly a P&D (pressing and distribution) deal, which just keeps the album in stores. Many, many bands go through ADA for their self-released albums—for example, the new Hives record was self-released but distributed through ADA.

[sonsofvipers]

I've listened to a lot of his stuff and I just don't think it's good. And his intro video thing for the NBA Allstar Game was just embarrassing.

Word, that's respectable. His stuff is definitely not for everyone. It just pisses me off when people have literally ONLY heard Thrift Shop and write him off. I can totally respect that you listened to other stuff from him and didn't think it was good though.

[sonsofvipers]

also, on the discussion of the Heist, the standout tracks to me are Ten Thousand Hours, Starting Over, Neon Cathedral, Same Love, Wake and Jimmy Iovine. I also really like Bombom even though it's instrumental. I enjoy pretty much the entire album other than Thrift Shop though.

[ShakeyHands]

Like i said, If you like "rap" more than Hip Hop you will not like this album. In his first album he was all about the 4 elements of Hip Hop. Which is what true Hip Hop is. If you are all about just the Emcee, you most likely like Rap. If you are confused with what the 4 elements of hip hop are, please google it.

Macklemore used to be a b-boy?

And a DJ?

and a graffiti artist?

I don't think that's true

[kylebutcher5]

if you don't like Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, don't buy the album

[jonnystorm777]

Macklemore used to be a b-boy?

And a DJ?

and a graffiti artist?

I don't think that's true

He represents the 4 elements. Doesn't mean you have to do all 4, he is a true hip hop head. Check out his album the language of my world. Not a lot of people really care about the elements anymore. But when someone comes along that does, I like em.

[ShakeyHands]

He represents the 4 elements. Doesn't mean you have to do all 4, he is a true hip hop head. Check out his album the language of my world. Not a lot of people really care about the elements anymore. But when someone comes along that does, I like em.

 

what does that even mean? I've listened to Macklemore before. I like a few of his songs, and I don't hate Thrift Shop. I have nothing against him, but talking about the "4 elements of hip-hop" in 2013 is ridiculous. B-Boying and graffiti is either virtually non-existent or irrelevant to hip-hop nowadays, practically. And the 4 elements only applies when speaking about hip-hop as a culture anyway. When it comes to the music, if it's got a beat and an MC on it it's hip-hop music. I don't know what artists you are talking about that do "Rap" but not "Hip-Hop", but i know that that's a silly idea. That somehow an artist who raps doesn't make hip-hop because he doesn't fit your specific criteria is asking too much. Trinidad James makes Hip-Hop music just as much as Action Bronson does. The quality may not be the same, doesn't make it any less of the genre.

[booms528]

what does that even mean? I've listened to Macklemore before. I like a few of his songs, and I don't hate Thrift Shop. I have nothing against him, but talking about the "4 elements of hip-hop" in 2013 is ridiculous. B-Boying and graffiti is either virtually non-existent or irrelevant to hip-hop nowadays, practically. And the 4 elements only applies when speaking about hip-hop as a culture anyway. When it comes to the music, if it's got a beat and an MC on it it's hip-hop music. I don't know what artists you are talking about that do "Rap" but not "Hip-Hop", but i know that that's a silly idea. That somehow an artist who raps doesn't make hip-hop because he doesn't fit your specific criteria is asking too much. Trinidad James makes Hip-Hop music just as much as Action Bronson does. The quality may not be the same, doesn't make it any less of the genre.

 

I think the difference is that Trinidad James wouldn't even be able to tell you what the "4 elements of hip hop" are, and it shows.

[ShakeyHands]

I think the difference is that Trinidad James wouldn't even be able to tell you what the "4 elements of hip hop" are, and it shows.

My point is the four elements are irrelevant to modern hip-hop music anyway. So why should it matter?

[booms528]

My point is the four elements are irrelevant to modern hip-hop music anyway. So why should it matter?

 

I think "irrelevant" is a little harsh, but I totally agree that half of them (b-boy and graff) pretty much don't matter anymore and have almost no relation to the music.  But I think that an artist showing some sort of knowledge and appreciation of hip hop history/where it all came from/the roots of a genre that they clearly care a lot about (or at least should), makes me more of a fan of them.

[ShakeyHands]

I think "irrelevant" is a little harsh, but I totally agree that half of them (b-boy and graff) pretty much don't matter anymore and have almost no relation to the music.  But I think that an artist showing some sort of knowledge and appreciation of hip hop history/where it all came from/the roots of a genre that they clearly care a lot about (or at least should), makes me more of a fan of them.

 

 

well yeah, i meant the 4 elements as a group, and those 2 aspects (b-boying and graffiti) specifically in relation to the music. I just think it's weird making this delineation between "Rap" and "Hip-Hop" when it's all the same thing when it comes down to the music. it's got a beat, it's got an mc (or a rapper, if you want to make the distinction between the two) it's hip-hop. and fair enough to your second point. I have no issue with that. that's a personal thing.

[astrangerwithcandy]

I liek hip hop.

[sonsofvipers]

Noticed that there was a 2xLP of this that just got added to Discogs... googled it and this is the only link ive found for it.. http://www.hhv.de/shop/en/item/macklemore-and-ryan-lewis-the-heist-deluxe-vinyl-edition-326051

deff gonna have to pass though cause the track listing is all messed up and out of order. and, because they're supposedly going to press it themselves once the tour dies down