Album: The Heist

Artist: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Ice Creams

Highlights: ‘Thrift Shop,’ ‘Same Love,’ ‘Neon Cathedral,’ ‘Wing$,’ ‘Starting Over,’ etc.

So what makes Macklemore and Ryan Lewis so fucking special?

I’m not gonna’ lie, when I first heard Mack–I slept. With the exception of a few tracks like “Hold Your Head Up”, he was too preachy for my taste. It’s no secret that The VS. EP with Ryan Lewis was a major game changer. While most producers are happy just to make some dope beats, this cat is composing music that functions like a movie score, drawing the audience into the lead performance. Paired with Macklemore’s dramatic delivery and knack for painting a vivid mental picture, the result is something that’s pretty fucking special.

I felt like the whole northwest was holding it’s breath waiting for this one to drop. Hearing “Thrift Shop” and “Same Love” in advance assured me that at the very least, Macklemore hadn’t changed. “Make the money, don’t let the money make you/ Change the game, don’t let the game change you.”

A few hours on repeat and what can I say about ‘The Heist’? It’s dope. Macklemore addresses consumerism, inequality, addiction, and ‘fakedness’ with a big ‘Fuck You!’ while having fun and being vulnerable in a way that’s not gay, err–I mean weak.

The LP plays straight through for over an hour without ever really falling off. Lots of guest features including Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul and Allen Stone keep it fresh. Songs like ‘Thrift Shop,’‘White Walls,’ and ‘Gold’ make me wanna’ party hard, while songs like ‘Neon Cathedral’ and ‘Starting Over’ make me wanna’ check into rehab. Full circle. Circle of life. Can’t hate. Towards the end, ‘Castle’ and ‘My Oh My’ fail to really hit home with me but I’m sure a few teeny boppers and most native Mariner’s would disagree.

If that’s not enough, “The Heist” even got a gold eagle with a mullet, bruh.