IMO....Macklemore deserved those Grammy Awards for several reasons.
When it comes to numbers, Macklemore's album has sold better than Kendrick's. Even though Kendrick had all of these legendary, high powered producers AND a major record label behind him, Macklemore's album still sold better. His singles alone killed Kendrick's album and singles. We won't even get into the worldwide numbers, just the U.S. numbers.
Thrift Shop - 7x platinum (6th best selling digital download of ALL TIME)
Can't Hold Us - 4x platinum
Same Love - 2x platinum
White Walls 1x platinum
Now, you can say you don't like Macklemore's subject matter or his rap skills, but that's just your OPINION. It's OK to have an opinion, even if it is in the minority. Personally, I think many rappers are trash with their unoriginal Cat in the Hat rhymes and no bars. I'm a fan of originality. I'm not really a big fan of Kendrick and his album was not groundbreaking to me. It was slightly above average IMO. He isn't talking about anything we haven't heard a million times though. Ryan Lewis' production is out of the ordinary and his beats incorporate a lot of live instrumentation, something that is making a comeback in the music industry. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis made a different sounding album and it appealed to FANS.
M&RL have also broken a bunch of industry records....INDEPENDENTLY. Some no name underdogs came out of left field and just turned the music industry upside down. So, can't nobody tell my guys shit.
I won't go all into the socially conscious elements of "Same Love" and how I fully support equality, but you have to admit it takes some balls to make a statement like that. Hats off to M&RL. To take a gamble like that with your career takes guts. But again, you see the result of it and the masses agree with him. Of course, you super manly, gay hating dudes don't agree, but that's fine. Again, your opinion is in the minority.
What really kills me is the "fuck that whiteboy" comments. Without turning this into a race issue.... you do realize that white people are the majority of people who BUY music and put money into the pockets of black artists, right? So, if white Hip-Hop fans have the buying power to make or break an artist, why are you shocked that they buy a white rapper more? Everyone else is illegally downloading and STEALING from the artists they're supposedly a fan of, which helps nobody. They also pay to go to shows and buy merchandise. And you don't have to worry about getting shot at a Macklemore show.
Lastly, the people who BUY music want to hear shit they can relate to. Or cuz it's catchy. Or positive and uplifting. If you're just talking about guns, drugs, bitches and poppin' bottles all day long, that's cool, but there's a million other rappers all talking about the same shit over the same beats and it has limited appeal. Most people can't relate to it. And that's what music is all about at the end of the day, relating to people. Connecting with them. M&RL connect more than Kendrick does. Sorry (not sorry).
M&RL never expected any of this to happen. I can't say if Macklemore genuinely thinks Kendrick deserved that Grammy or not, but he ain't no dummy and he knew there was going to be an outcry from the core Hip-Hop community, most of which are black. It's not his fault FANS preferred his album. The funny thing is that Macklemore & Kendrick are personal friends. While people are getting hot & heated arguing about this shit, neither one of them is trippin' cuz they both know what it is and how the game works.
Let my guys have their Grammy's. They've been busting their ass for 4yrs straight and EARNED them.
When it comes to numbers, Macklemore's album has sold better than Kendrick's. Even though Kendrick had all of these legendary, high powered producers AND a major record label behind him, Macklemore's album still sold better. His singles alone killed Kendrick's album and singles. We won't even get into the worldwide numbers, just the U.S. numbers.
Thrift Shop - 7x platinum (6th best selling digital download of ALL TIME)
Can't Hold Us - 4x platinum
Same Love - 2x platinum
White Walls 1x platinum
Now, you can say you don't like Macklemore's subject matter or his rap skills, but that's just your OPINION. It's OK to have an opinion, even if it is in the minority. Personally, I think many rappers are trash with their unoriginal Cat in the Hat rhymes and no bars. I'm a fan of originality. I'm not really a big fan of Kendrick and his album was not groundbreaking to me. It was slightly above average IMO. He isn't talking about anything we haven't heard a million times though. Ryan Lewis' production is out of the ordinary and his beats incorporate a lot of live instrumentation, something that is making a comeback in the music industry. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis made a different sounding album and it appealed to FANS.
M&RL have also broken a bunch of industry records....INDEPENDENTLY. Some no name underdogs came out of left field and just turned the music industry upside down. So, can't nobody tell my guys shit.
I won't go all into the socially conscious elements of "Same Love" and how I fully support equality, but you have to admit it takes some balls to make a statement like that. Hats off to M&RL. To take a gamble like that with your career takes guts. But again, you see the result of it and the masses agree with him. Of course, you super manly, gay hating dudes don't agree, but that's fine. Again, your opinion is in the minority.
What really kills me is the "fuck that whiteboy" comments. Without turning this into a race issue.... you do realize that white people are the majority of people who BUY music and put money into the pockets of black artists, right? So, if white Hip-Hop fans have the buying power to make or break an artist, why are you shocked that they buy a white rapper more? Everyone else is illegally downloading and STEALING from the artists they're supposedly a fan of, which helps nobody. They also pay to go to shows and buy merchandise. And you don't have to worry about getting shot at a Macklemore show.
Lastly, the people who BUY music want to hear shit they can relate to. Or cuz it's catchy. Or positive and uplifting. If you're just talking about guns, drugs, bitches and poppin' bottles all day long, that's cool, but there's a million other rappers all talking about the same shit over the same beats and it has limited appeal. Most people can't relate to it. And that's what music is all about at the end of the day, relating to people. Connecting with them. M&RL connect more than Kendrick does. Sorry (not sorry).
M&RL never expected any of this to happen. I can't say if Macklemore genuinely thinks Kendrick deserved that Grammy or not, but he ain't no dummy and he knew there was going to be an outcry from the core Hip-Hop community, most of which are black. It's not his fault FANS preferred his album. The funny thing is that Macklemore & Kendrick are personal friends. While people are getting hot & heated arguing about this shit, neither one of them is trippin' cuz they both know what it is and how the game works.
Let my guys have their Grammy's. They've been busting their ass for 4yrs straight and EARNED them.
