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Freestyle Session 20 Year Anniversary Recap
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The Bboy Spot Legacy Will Continue
Last week, rapper Macklemore won 4 grammys. I don’t care much about commercial award shows since today’s commercial Hiphop “artists” are not producing much “art”. His win ended up causing a racial controversy that led to Macklemore stating an apology for winning.
Couple days later, I was having a conversation with a friend on facebook where we were going back and forth, with me saying how much Macklamore sucks and him saying he does not. I was talking to him about the ever so famous and horrible “thrift shop” song. My case was:
Hey, Macklemore! Can we go thrift shopping?
What, what, what, what… [many times]
Bada, badada, badada, bada… [x9]
[Hook:]
I’m gonna pop some tags
Only got twenty dollars in my pocket
I – I – I’m hunting, looking for a come-up
This is fucking awesome
Like come on? How can anyone claim that as “lyrics” but that’s when my boy reminded me about an old forgotten song I heard in the mid 2000’s
Macklemore’s “BBOY” track….
After he played the Bboy track I had to fall back a little because truth is, Macklemore does know what’s up with the culture. And although he pretty much “sold out” to make it, he does state in his song intro that he’s just trying to get paid.
All in all, this one goes out to the ones that do it for the love AND trying to get paid while doing it right.
Let us know your thoughts on the track!
Macklemore is one of the few “famous” rappers I can actually respect in his craft. I don’t understand where people think he’s whack when he actually talks about real life issues. Yeah thrift shop was mad corny, but it was to make people pay attention to things he had to say that mattered. It’s funny that when I go to jams and the DJs will blast Drake, Kanye or Lil Wayne talking about drinking, drugs or b*****. But Macklemore talks about equality for all in “One Love” or rapping that he has so much respect for the true hip hop scene and the ones who paved the way for him, but the community still say he’s not about hip hop? When was the last time Drake or any commercial hip hop artist rapped a shout out to true hip hop? Just because they made it doesn’t mean they sold out. He was just blessed enough for people to pay attention to what he had to say. I’ll leave these lyrics up and you can’t tell me that ain’t some real talk. Power to the dude.
“If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me
Have you read the YouTube comments lately?
“Man, that’s gay” gets dropped on the daily
We become so numb to what we’re saying
A culture founded from oppression
Yet we don’t have acceptance for ’em
Call each other faggots behind the keys of a message board
A word rooted in hate, yet our genre still ignores it
Gay is synonymous with the lesser
It’s the same hate that’s caused wars from religion
Gender to skin color, the complexion of your pigment
The same fight that led people to walk outs and sit ins
It’s human rights for everybody, there is no difference!
Live on and be yourself
When I was at church they taught me something else
If you preach hate at the service those words aren’t anointed
That holy water that you soak in has been poisoned
When everyone else is more comfortable remaining voiceless
Rather than fighting for humans that have had their rights stolen
I might not be the same, but that’s not important
No freedom till we’re equal, damn right I support it”
Great view on the subject. I personally don’t like his rhyme style OR his sound, BUT I do think it’s great that a good percentage of his songs have great content.
I wouldnt say i’m a fan, but i dont hate the guy thats for sure.
“It’s funny that when I go to jams and the DJs will blast Drake, Kanye or Lil Wayne…”
This is still a thing? How is this a thing still? I would figure DJs would of learned by now, but I guess not. This probably about as irritating for you as hearing house music at a jam that has no all-styles or house battles. There isn’t any reason to play it much like there is no reason to play the Harlem Shake. My buddies made a good point that if you want to listen to something other than the standard funk & rap music at jam (instrumental hip hop, etc), then you’re more than welcome to bring your ipod.
Can’t hate on the guy.
I really do not understand why anyone has any sort of hate for this guy. I really dont.
He explains in the intro of the song that he’s “not dissin’ anybody who’s trying to get paid. I’m trying to get paid too”. I feel like it can be taken the wrong way if you say he’s JUST trying to get paid, you know what i mean
YES!! All in all, this one goes out to the ones that do it for the love AND trying to get paid while doing it right. I actually like thrift shop as a song but it is not hip hop to me it’s a good club song the other songs im not into but i agree with this article 100%
YES!! All in all, this one goes out to the ones that do it for the love AND trying to get paid while doing it right. I actually like thrift shop as a song but it is not hip hop to me it’s a good club song the other songs im not into but i agree most of the article especially that last line ..no hate on him though
This reminds me of a very recent trap of a conversation I got myself into when I attempted to explain to someone that in my opinion Lil Wayne wasn’t Hip Hop when the person I was addressing was trying to justify that Lil Wayne’s music is a legitimate literary piece that could be used for 8th grade literature analysis for constructive learning. Yeah, that’s the internet for you. For me, Macklemore’s Bboy song pretty much outweighs everything else he has ever done. To be frank, it’s all I need from him before I search for new artists out their that I can spin at jams. As much as I want to play Born Killer by Scarface for how raw that song is, Bboy by Macklemore is always a go to for me if I need to put something good on, more so than Beggin’ or some of the other over played “ugh not again” songs still floating around. That’s just me though.
I would guess that it’s difficult for rappers and DJs to use a traditional format of beat making that still at the core would be considered Hip Hop and make good money. All the more power to those who try to keep true to the foundation of Hip Hop, the lessons and the culture while producing their music, money or not. Artists who sell out are looking for bigger, richer, superficial lives and even if they can touch back down to Earth and humble up, they still jumped ship for their selfish desires.
The hate is that it’s the same with everything. It’s like Dwight says, “Get the black people to do it, then get the white people to do it, then get the black people to stop doing it.” It’s so true. First Jazz and Rock and Roll, now this.