New Favourite Artist Feature #4

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

One night while I was out dancing with le friends in Aandklas (the dancing doesn't happen that often, which just goes to show how special this find is), we grooved along to a dirty number with lyrics about poppin' tags and only having $20. After a bit of a search, I discovered Macklemore. And did I love them! As you'd know, this is not my style, at all. But there's just something about these guys. Maybe it's because they're Fly?

Thrift Shop
Tiny Desk Concert
Same Love
[I cannot express how much LOVE I have for this song. I know the lyrics by heart and sing   (and cry) along every single time]

When I was in the third grade I thought that I was gay
'Cause I could draw, my uncle was, and I kept my room straight
I told my mom tears rushing down my face
She's like "Ben you've loved girls since before pre-k tripping, "
Yeah, I guess she had a point, didn't she?
Bunch of stereotypes all in my head.
I remember doing the math like, "Yeah, I'm good at little league"
A preconceived idea of what it all meant
For those that liked the same sex
Had the characteristics
The right wing conservatives think it's a decision
And you can be cured with some treatment and religion
Man-made rewiring of a predisposition
Playing God, aw nah here we go
America the brave still fears what we don't know
And God loves all his children, is somehow forgotten
But we paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years ago
I don't know

And I can't change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to (x2)
My love (x3)
She keeps me warm (x4)

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
(I don't know)

Chorus

We press play, don't press pause
Progress, march on
With the veil over our eyes
We turn our back on the cause
Till the day that my uncles can be united by law
When kids are walking 'round the hallway plagued by pain in their heart
A world so hateful some would rather die than be who they are
And a certificate on paper isn't gonna solve it all
But it's a damn good place to start
No law is gonna change us
We have to change us
Whatever God you believe in
We come from the same one
Strip away the fear
Underneath it's all the same love
About time that we raised up



Tiny Desk Concerts

 Recently I was strolling around the Internet, looking for some inspiration and motivation to start working on one of my acedemic projects. On Youtube, I was stalking Tallest Man on Earth (yet again), when I came across an acoustic set he had done for some or another Radio station.

I then found this, a Radio Station that does this on a regular basis with some very cool artists, NPR.
"NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately- and publicly-funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States"

I have watched most of them (ok, maybe I've already watched all of them, instead of working on my project), they are all amazing. NPR has really good taste in music, and I would not mind working in an office space were some of my favourite artist performs every Friday.

Have a look at: (these were my favourites, but there are many more that deserves your attention)

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero's

Jack White

Beirut 

Iron and Wine

Foster the People - I love their acoustic performances! And would you look at that bassist. :)

Noah and the Whale

and of course The Tallest Man on Earth - amazing as ever.

Enjoy this as I continue working on my project.