14 ms·

How an unsigned rapper changed music

• shaurz 14y ago
  I heard he's never negative.
• thedangler 14y ago
  With a beat like that, any song would be #1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8mJJJvaes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8mJJJvaes
  • rjtavares 14y ago
    Awful rapper, but that beat is amazing... Reminds me of a slightly more trappy Neptunes. EDIT: Awful was maybe too much, sorry to the fans. I explain my opinion in a later comment.
    • gallamine 14y ago
      Out of ignorant curiosity, what makes him awful (in the negative sense)?
      • ritchiea 14y ago
        I also think he's awful and I would say it's mostly because of his lyrical content. It's a pretty common problem with indie rappers, it's hard to walk the line between "I'm not mainstream and I don't rap about drugs and cars" and "I'm really smug because I don't rap about drugs and cars and I love to recycle." I don't really care about drugs and cars but when I listen to music I don't want to feel like the artist is trying to impress with with how good a person he is.
        • kingkawn 14y ago
          people who define themselves only by what they aren't are wack
        • svachalek 14y ago
          OK, I'll grant that on a few songs the guy is practically preaching, but if you're getting that out of Thrift Shop I really think you need to turn the sensitivity meter way down. Other than the $50-for-a-T-shirt line, this song could just as easily be a mockery of thrift shops as a sincere ode to them. IMO that's what great about the song... thrifting is a complex balance between "value" on the one hand and straight-up "cheapness" on the other and he walks the line the whole song with one funny zinger after another. The touch of sincerity at the end ensures that we know it's not just typical rapper "I'm richer than you" mockery and we close it out with a little fun. In this song, I just don't know what you're seeing.
          • ritchiea 14y ago
            I'm not getting that from Thrift Shop, I like Thrift Shop, I think the rest of the album is preachy.
      • rjtavares 14y ago
        Awful was too much. Should have said average. Also, I'm judging him from this song only. His main problem is the simple rhyme schemes. His lines are basically long sentences that rhyme at the end. He also frequently makes long pauses (a criminal offense in hiphop, IMO). Allow me the use of a simple example to show you the difference between him and an amazing MC (rhymes are marked as -): > Macklemore: I call that getting tricked by a business, that shirt's -hella dough- And having the same one as six other people in this club is a -hella don't- Peep game, come take a look through my -telescope- Trying to get girls from a brand? Then you -hella won't- > Nas: It ain't hard to -tell-, I -excel- then -prevail- The mic is contacted, I attract -clientele- My mic check is -life or death-, breathing a -sniper's breath- I exhale the yellow smoke of buddha through -righteous steps- Deep like the -Shining-, sparkle like a -diamond- Sneak a Uzi on the -island- in my army jacket -lining- Hit the Earth like a comet –invasion-! Nas is like the Afrocentric -Asian-, half-man, half--amazing- Cause in my physical I can -express- through -song- Delete -stress- like -Motrin-, then -extend- -strong- I drink Moet with Medusa, give her shotguns in -hell- From the -spliff- that I -lift- and -inhale-, it ain't hard to -tell- --- Also note the abundance of alliterations in Nas' quote. EDIT: fixed formatting EDIT2: couldn't resist doing the whole verse for Nas. Illmatic is so good...
        • mikeevans 14y ago
          Here's a pretty good YouTube video I've found that explains what separates the great rappers from the average rappers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miIxNCn-vjY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miIxNCn-vjY
          • jgj 14y ago
            That's, at best, one thing that can separate good writers from average writers. Great rappers don't necessarily need to have complex rhyme schemes, and a complex rhyme scheme does not a great rapper make. Neither does a complex rhyme scheme alone make a great writer, as content and the use of various literary devices come into play as well. IMHO, the mark of a truly great rapper is the ability to become an instrument on the track while still communicating a great deal in a small number of words. Flow and presence are as important as lyrics and rhyme schemes, and a great rapper is one who has at least 3 out of those 4 qualities at a high level, with the 4th not bad enough to detract from the others.
    • watty 14y ago
      "Awful rappers" don't make it to the top of the charts, especially unsigned ones. I think it's safe to say your opinion on his abilities to rap are in the minority.
      • jgj 14y ago
        Awful rappers make it to the top of charts on a regular basis. Rap music sells because of the beat and, to a lesser extent, the hook. Macklemore isn't awful, but as rappers go he's nothing too special. His hustle should be admired as should his ear for beats.
      • Avshalom 14y ago
        topping a chart requires a plurality not a majority. 98.9% of people could hate him with every fiber of their being and he'd still top, as long as their votes were evenly distributed across 99 other songs.
        • watty 14y ago
          I don't disagree I just don't see how this means he could be "awsful". I think "awful" is an awfully sensational word for describing someone who is famous, playing on the radio, makes it to #1, and isn't even signed. Awful is me trying to rap.
    • JPKab 14y ago
      I'd hardly call him awful...... then again, Bob Dylan is an "awful" singer compared to Clay Aiken, but his lyrics make for great songs that speak to the listener at a deeper level. Does he have the speed of Eminem, or the flow of Lil' Wayne? No, but he doesn't have to. Steve Vai is a fantastic guitarist, but his music BLOWS. I would way rather listen to someone who isn't quite as talented in delivery but creates, on the whole, superior music.
      • smallegan 14y ago
        Bob Dylan vs. Clay Aiken, the showdown!
• duggieawesome 14y ago
  It's a great example of a community's positive impact on an individual, in this case, Seattle's hiphop collective and Macklemore. A lot of great artists are coming out the Northwest and I hope they'll earn recognition they deserve.
• dominicmauro 14y ago
  Lisa Loeb also did it. http://www.merrimackhall.com/lisaloeb.html http://www.merrimackhall.com/lisaloeb.html I winced when the guy hedged by saying "in modern history" — remembering this doesn't make me that old.
  • loso 14y ago
    When I read the article I had in the back of my mind that this had been done before but I could not remember who. Thanks for the reminder. Her song was introduced to people because of the movie Reality Bites. This song going number one I will take as a positive thing because it shows the still growing influence of the internet.
    • dominicmauro 14y ago
      Oh, agreed entirely that it's apples and oranges. Reality Bites was a Universal movie, the soundtrack was on RCA, and they put five tracks on MTV. It was very much top-down. Now these guys, on the other hand...
  • robrenaud 14y ago
    When Lisa Loeb hit #1 in 1994, less than 50% of Americans approved of Black-White marriages. Maybe 1994 really isn't modern. [1] http://www.gallup.com/poll/149390/record-high-approve-black-white-marriages.aspx http://www.gallup.com/poll/149390/record-high-approve-black-...
    • deleted 14y ago
      [deleted]
    • dominicmauro 14y ago
      Absolutely perfect.
• nate 14y ago
  Love this guy. He's even got a song about Malcolm Gladwell and the 10,000 hours stuff (that I wrote about a bit ago.)
• gallamine 14y ago
  As a white middle-class male who never listens to rap (I was a classical nerd in HS), I find _The Heist_ an enjoyable album. Go figure. It's available for streaming on Spotify. I'd recommend a listen.
  • eshvk 14y ago
    If you enjoy it on Spotify, please consider buying the CD. The amount of money independent artists make through spotify is pennies per month compared to the money they would make if you bought the CD.
    • rwhitman 14y ago
      To use as wall decoration?
      • delinka 14y ago
        To support the artist. Dump the disc in the trash if you want.
        • Djehngo 14y ago
          I would rather give money via a donate link in that case.
          • ynniv 14y ago
            The point is that spotify practically doesn't pay artists.
        • rwhitman 14y ago
          Buying some useless plastic that goes in the trash in order to support an artist is really flawed logic, and if a musician is still relying on that method then they are setting themselves up for a sad, obviously losing battle. You might as well donate to a kickstarter campaign, or buy a poster or something. Go to the concerts. Anything. But this expectation that fans are going to buy useless outdated junk in order to show their support is a nostalgic pipe dream
• startupfounder 14y ago
  TRUE FANS! [http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/03/1000_true_fans.php http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/03/1000_true_fan...] This song in really interesting in two ways. It was most likely made for close to nothing with a laptop, Protools/Logic and a mic. And secondly and more important the song is all about going thrift shopping and being thrifty! 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 f[*]cking awesome He can record a song for close to $0, he can connect with his 1,000+ true fans directly for $0 and when someone torrents his songs he doesn't care because he is so thrifty that an extra $20 when 1 out of 10,000 who listen to his song go to his show he is syked.
  • ScottWhigham 14y ago
    He can record a song for close to $0 That's a lot of speculating for us to agree with you on. A laptop capable of that costs $2000, the software is $200 (Logic) - $600 (Pro Tools). The monitors, room, headphones, plugins, etc to create the sound is another $2,000+ minimum. The sound on that record is not what someone does is a bedroom w/ a laptop and headphones - trust me. I'm sitting here listening on $3000 monitors in a well treated recording studio and the sound is killer. You do not get crisp, clear sound like that if you are mixing on headphones or crappy "speakers" in an untreated room.
    • ynniv 14y ago
      Headphones go a long way, but according the to artist it was recorded and mixed in a 500 sqft studio they built. Looks like acoustic foam on the walls, a decent mic, monitors, protools, used rack equipment, etc. Probably close to $5k, but nothing compared to a big label studio. [ http://blog.kexp.org/2012/07/19/macklemore-ryan-lewis-release-the-heist-online-trailer/ http://blog.kexp.org/2012/07/19/macklemore-ryan-lewis-releas... ]
      • ScottWhigham 14y ago
        Nice - I dig that. But sorry - you're way off on that estimate of $5000. I see some stellar gear there - $2500 API channel strip, $3200 Tube Tech compressor, $3500 Neumann U87 mic, $2000 laptop, $600 monitor, $4000 Neve Portico EQs (I think), (2) Empirical Labs Distressors ($2000 ea). That's the gear you see and that I recognize. There's probably another $500 in cabling, $200 in stands, and I'd assume there's a desktop computer in there too ($2500 worth, I bet). And then there's the plugins you don't see - a reverb plugin, for sure, along with more EQs and compression. Probably a mastering plugin too. Call it $1500 worth of plugins. And the monitors - those look like Adam A7xs which are $1500/pr. Oh and $200 worth of headphones. And the instruments - no way that they have less than $1000 invested there. And the acoustic treatment - not less than $300 but probably not more than $1000. And the other things in there cost money too - studio desks are special b/c they can't vibrate when loud noise/bass is present (so you aren't using a $100 craigslist desk w/o some serious re-tooling). Studio racks (for the rack gear), instrument stands, etc. I lost count of the total but it's probably safe to say that the gear/room pictured in that video is a multiple of $5000.
• shaaaaawn 14y ago
  This guy is incredible! Actually rapping about things that matter. Seems trivial but it's a huge undertaking. Applaud and support the effort. Will keep buying
  • marknutter 14y ago
    > This guy is incredible! Actually rapping about things that matter. to you..
    • CGamesPlay 14y ago
      In any case, rapping about social issues rather than how much money and women he can collect. Sure, he's got for fun songs like Thrift Shop, but his music is creating awareness of active social issues. Otherside, about drug abuse: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvDQy53eldY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvDQy53eldY Same Love, about gay rights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlVBg7_08n0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlVBg7_08n0
      • salemh 14y ago
        Thank you! I thought I had seen Otherside somewhere. Since it was a bit back, I never would have equated such an emotional / well produced song with the same artist as Thrift Shop (also exceptionally produced, but such a different emotive affect). I'm always interested in when artists can "recreate" quality versus a single one-and-done, i.e. can they continually output "hits" versus just a singular confluence (luck, the right creative spot, a band member, who knows).
  • ritchiea 14y ago
    like thrift shops?
    • nickv 14y ago
      He might be referring to another one of his songs, "Same Love"... sampling of lyrics: 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
• ISL 14y ago
  Macklemore/Ryan Lewis have a lot in common with modern startups. If you know Seattle, they have a small studio on Aurora. Software and shrewd attention to quality put them where they are today. It's been fun to watch their rise; I hope it continues to go so well. (And, if Macklemore becomes mayor of Seattle in 2025, it'll be funny as hell.) Pitch for their first album: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNXWOl81mBE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNXWOl81mBE Giving away tickets on Craigslist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG30mzdOzoc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG30mzdOzoc Kickstarteresqe promo video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGcm4lOr9CQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGcm4lOr9CQ Jumping on the Tiny Desk at NPR: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrEJmvuKSwo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrEJmvuKSwo
  • gideon_b 14y ago
    Documentary filmed just before Thrift Shop blew up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JErUzr8GSvU&t=10m14s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JErUzr8GSvU&t=10m14s That link skips to the point where Macklemore and Ryan Lewis explain why they have stayed independent. They talk about record deals the exact same way startups talk about raising capital.
• loso 14y ago
  In the past few years this has been happening a lot when it comes to rap. A lot of artist have been powered by the internet, gain a big following, but then they end up signing up to a major label. Drake, Soulja Boy, ASAP Rocky, Odd Future, etc. So far this guy has signed to no one and was able to break out the internet only sphere and get to the top of the charts. I hope this happens more often. I am not anti corporate by a long shot but the labels have gotten worse not better since the days of Napster. Doing it this way an artist is able to make money but still avoid the dreaded 360 deal.
  • hndude 14y ago
    link for anyone else curious what a 360 deal is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/360_deal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/360_deal
  • homosaur 14y ago
    OF's deal is way different than those others though, it was basically a 2 album deal and the label has to more or less stay away from what I understand. Probably more like the deal Wu-Tang signed in the early 90's. Even though Wu-Tang was technically signed to a label, the only rights the label had was basically to make money off them because none of the rappers individually or as groups were bound by the deal. Of course I may be misinformed.
    • loso 14y ago
      I agree with you about OF's deal being similar to Wu Tangs. My main point was that in the end they did sign and on a side note I think they are a group that really did not have to. I think they might have less buzz now than they did when they were independent.
  • picklefish 14y ago
    One of their songs on The Heist is about being offered a record deal by Jimmy Iovine (head of interscope), but it being more like a loan and thus turning it down.
• josefresco 14y ago
  I'm sorry to bring this into the discussion (ducks), but does it really matter that this guy is white? Is he the first white, unsigned musician to hit #1? I get that "white" rappers for the hip-hop ignorant are somewhat of a novelty but come on ... linkbait headline at it's worst IMHO.
  • loso 14y ago
    Honestly, I agree with you. When I submitted the story to HN the title was "First unsigned artist in modern history to hit #1 on U.S. Charts" but HN changed it to the title on the blog. I wanted to highlight why I was posting it in the first place. Race can play an important part of a story but this time it kind of takes the focus off of the important part.
    • charliepark 14y ago
      This isn't the first time an HN editor's change has made a post's title less relevant to the HN readership[1]. I'm really tired of it, but since it's all done behind the scenes, I don't know how to productively comment on it or suggest that they stop doing it. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4994745 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4994745 (and that link's parent: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4993953 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4993953)
      • deleted 14y ago
        [deleted]
      • smallegan 14y ago
        If it is the title of the article how does that make it less relevant?
        • rjsamson 14y ago
          I think at times a different title may serve as a way for the poster to convey some relevant and appropriate commentary on why it is being posted.
• dougk16 14y ago
  Without "knowing" rap, and only listening to _The Heist_, he seems to border more on a satirical Weird Al type of line, rather than being someone that true rap fans would necessarily enjoy. Regardless, it had a good message, delivered in a funny way, and I enjoyed it. Happy to see this guy succeeding without help from the man.
  • scrumper 14y ago
    > true rap fans Oh no, please don't do that! :) > Regardless, it had a good message, delivered in a funny way, and I enjoyed it. All is forgiven; you're not trying to stir. If you like that kind of cleverness and satire then you might enjoy DJ Format. It's older stuff, but still fun.
    • dougk16 14y ago
      Heh, true, I should have said "true rap fans" and not true rap fans.
• neya 14y ago
  >How an unsigned white rapper changed music This is fucking racism. Why does it matter to you if the guy is white/black/tall/short/smart/stupid/dick? Well, fuck you linkbaits.
  • quasque 14y ago
    Who is it racist against?
    • aw3c2 14y ago
      Racism is not against someone. It just is.
  • scrumper 14y ago
    It doesn't really have much to do with the story, which is why I think the headline has changed on HN. That being said, it's a headline. It's designed to attract attention. What you call "linkbait," a subeditor calls "doing their job." It's taking an unusual attribute about the subject of the story to highlight their relative scarcity, thus giving more weight to their achievement in changing the industry. It's like saying, "110lb defensive tackle signs to Giants for record sum." Well now I'm even more curious about this kid than I was before. There's nothing wrong with this article to justify a pejorative like "linkbait." The attribution of something sinister, unpleasant or suspicious to the word "white" is all you.
  • bromang 14y ago
    why is it racism? I think you need to explain this rather rude and baffling comment.
• prof_hobart 14y ago
  IMO, this is the real threat that the record labels/RIAA etc have been worrying about when they go on about piracy. They've realised for some time that they have little to offer to artists these days as far as promotion or distribution are concerned. So the only way that they can attempt to stay relevant is to create a big bad guy (in the shape of piracy) that can only be stopped by huge organisations with huge banks of lawyers. Their repeated suing of fans has not really been to send a message to the pirates - it's been to send a message to the artists - "Get rid of us, and piracy will destroy you".
  • INTPenis 14y ago
    I don't think they have much to fear at all, they simply need to re-invent themselves. Artists are no longer driving from state to state with their trunk full of CDs and tapes. They can now distribute on their websites. However, marketing is still the same online as offline. The big bucks will still win in the long run because they will have access to massive marketing deals. Distribution is just one part of the game. Now don't get me wrong, I am for free distribution of culture. I'm just speaking my mind here.
    • vajrabum 14y ago
      A few years back I found all kinds of cool new music through the star ratings of cover tunes on YouTube along with the number of viewers. Now I notice that it's much harder to find the non-music industry covers, the stars are gone, and you can only see the number of likes and dislikes when you click on the video and it's a lot rarer for me to find something new and cooler just by browsing and searching YouTube. The tradeoff is that we see many fewer takedowns.
• tiredoffps 14y ago
  What I love about Macklemore is that he puts a lot of heart and soul into his lyrics. It's something you see with Peyton Manning in football, Kobe Bryant in BBall. You can just tell he loves what he does. For example, in Make the Money is about following your passion, not for the money but because you love what you do. With this mindset, the money will come. A lot of us in the tech/startup industry can relate to this. Follow the money and most startups fail.
• heshamfahim 14y ago
  he knew how to be different, he subconsciously used the lean methodology Build, test and measure and maneuvered his way to climb the ladder to be #1
• afandian 14y ago
  This should really say "mainstream American commercial music".
• trentlott 14y ago
  Not Li'l B? Terrible article.
• bigdubs 14y ago
  what's facscinating, and this isn't really proof of anything, but has "Thrift Shop" been getting terrestrial radio airplay? I can't find it on http://www.z100.com/iplaylist/playlist.html?net=1 http://www.z100.com/iplaylist/playlist.html?net=1 (my local pop radio station's playlist)
  • charliepark 14y ago
    As two datapoints ... I first heard it on the local (terrestrial) pop radio station a few days ago. I'm not sure when they started playing it, though. I e-mailed the YouTube video to a friend in Atlanta, and she said that she'd heard it on her pop radio station as well.
  • smallegan 14y ago
    I hear it locally in Grand Rapids, MI non-stop. So it is, at least in some areas.
  • svachalek 14y ago
    Gets pretty regular play on my local (SF Bay) hit music station: http://997now.cbslocal.com/playlist/ http://997now.cbslocal.com/playlist/
  • georgemcbay 14y ago
    The first time I heard the song was sometime in December on KROQ in LA. I heard it on the radio before I heard about all this internet hype it is getting, but then I don't follow a lot of music blogs.
• nchlswu 14y ago
  No. The rap industry especially especially embraced blogs long before Macklemore got his number 1 hit. In fact, now it's become routine for major labels and artists to seed music and do releases through blogs. These same blogs push unsigned hype and labels respond by signing these artists for a major debut. Drake is probably made the best use of the internet and blog to grow his stock and ignite a bidding war among majors. Many people speculated that he could remain independent and still be successful. He opted to sign to a major and he's now a superstar. The relationship between artists and labels has shifted for a long time. From what I know, Macklemore made use of the internet in a way that's more or less routine nowadays. I'm not going to take away from him hitting #1, but the dynamics between a label and artists have been different for a long time
  • ryusage 14y ago
    You're right that his use of the internet wasn't new, but I think you're seriously downplaying the significance of this. The difference is, before now, the record companies could still say, "Sure, that internet stuff might be really useful...but no one, in the history of ever, has made a number one hit without the help of a label. You need us." Macklemore just became the first example that an independent musician can point to and say, "He did it independently, and so can I." Who knows, maybe if Drake had had that example, he wouldn't have signed that contract.
    • InclinedPlane 14y ago
      Indeed. The "don't you want to be REALLY rich and famous?" and "don't you want to be heard on the radio?" FUD has been a pretty powerful selling point to up and coming artists, I think. The fact that there are so many examples of successful musicians doing it a different way only helps at the point where someone is trying to counter-sell, but for obvious reasons there aren't roving gangs of salesmen out there pressuring artists to go it alone. In order to make a big dent in the nature of the industry there needs to be a shift in the popular perception of how one succeeds in the music industry, and this sort of thing can have a big impact on that.
    • nchlswu 14y ago
• jmduke 14y ago
  This isn't new. This has been happening for a while. Whether or not you love or hate the music, hip hop is one of the most meritocratic facets of the music industry. Look at Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Kanye West -- all people who got their starts on the blogosphere.
  • homosaur 14y ago
    All those guys were heavily promoted by Big Music though, the new thing is that aside from a spot in the Freshman class at XXL (which is probably a huge negative in 2013), Macklemore is almost entirely an internet phenomenon and unlike everyone else you named is completely unaffiliated with Big Music. The point is not that blogs are popular, it's the degree to which they are popular.
    • nchlswu 14y ago
      For all intents and purposes, blogs are pretty much affiliated with big music now though. And for what it's worth, Drake was only really affiliated with big music after he made it big on his own. Even when he was (allegedly) promoted by big music without being signed, that was in a bid to win build him and win him over. While I agree that an entirely internet phenomenon is a bit different, I don't think it's a unique case. Macklemore just happens to be exemplifying an extreme case of a trendthat's been going on for a while.
  • rdouble 14y ago
    Kanye was a producer for Roc-a-Fella before blogs were even a thing.
  • jilebedev 14y ago
    RapGenius is also a big factor in the meritocratic rise of quality hip-hop. A track like Kendrick Lamar's Keisha's Song[1] would have been inaccessible and quickly discarded by a human like myself had it not been for the RapGenius page[2] for that track. [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpX--7xb2IA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpX--7xb2IA [2] http://rapgenius.com/Kendrick-lamar-keishas-song-her-pain-lyrics http://rapgenius.com/Kendrick-lamar-keishas-song-her-pain-ly...
• finkin1 14y ago
  I'm curious how he was able to become so popular so quickly. What music blogs promoted his album? Did he already have relationships with the blogs or did he just submit his album like everyone else and the quality spoke for itself?
  • benhebert 14y ago
    A catchy song that does well on hypem and then gets picked up by the blogosphere. It's all about how the artist markets themselves from there.
  • clicks 14y ago
    I think it spread because the song is just so catchy, the video is quite quirky and weird, and so it's really just something that's likely to be shared casually. Very established social-networking sites enable even quicker sharing and spreading of these videos than just a few years ago. Same deal as Gangnam Style pretty much.
  • jmintz 14y ago
    He worked his arse off for years and had a huge following before this album launched. This was his biggest song before The Heist was released: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWhx-CtPmBU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWhx-CtPmBU (story about addiction and his struggle to overcome it). When The Heist launched he emailed/tweeted/blogged his fans and got enough of a response to hit #1 on iTunes in <24 hrs. I saw him perform about 3 years ago in Bellingham, Washington so this overnight success story involved a lot of hard work to accomplish.
• guitarhacks 14y ago
  Down-vote me but his music is commercial. I am saying this as a professional musician. Even the pompous title says it all.. "unsigned white rapper changed music industry". I do not understand how this post gets so many up-votes. Listen to Damu the Fudgemunk for example, a young bright kid who does his thing with Y Society.
• benhebert 14y ago
  How he changed music? Hardly. Maybe if they follow this up with something substantial but as we've seen in electronic music... you can make hit music and then the labels will sign you.
• thebiglebrewski 14y ago
  United Music Group?! How about Universal Music Group.
• rwhitman 14y ago
  There are a LOT of artists these days who are not on labels and doing quite well. This guy may be the first to reach #1 on the charts but I think its a stretch to suggest he single handedly changed the record industry
  • rkuykendall-com 14y ago
    An unsigned artist reaching #1 may single-handedly change the record industry.
• qeorge 14y ago
  Not sure of the exact timing, but I thought Crank That (Soulja Boy) was #1 before he got signed (after getting popular on YouTube/MySpace). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soulja_Boy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soulja_Boy Drake comes to mind as well.
  • melvinmt 14y ago
    They're both not white, as the title of this post suggests.
• skylan_q 14y ago
  The beginning of the end of copyright. :)
• dailo10 14y ago
  Music video for Thrift Shop. Enjoy. :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8mJJJvaes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8mJJJvaes
• leepowers 14y ago
  My ignorance may be showing, but this article seems a tad hyperbolic. As mentioned by others Lisa Loeb also had a #1 (nearly 20 years ago!) while she was unsigned. Is Macklemore really a harbinger of things to come? Or an outlier, an aberration that appears once in a generation? I suppose time will tell. But the article builds a mountain of expectations from the success of a single artist.
  • thejsjunky 14y ago
    That's a fair point, I would note though that when Loeb hit #1 it was as part of a movie soundtrack that (with all due respect to Loeb) she probably would not have been included on if she wasn't friends with Ethan Hawke. She then went out and got signed to release her debut album. This isn't entirely unique, but I do think it's a product of changing technology/culture which is interesting and novel in many ways.
• abraininavat 14y ago
  From "Same Love" "And God loves all his children it's somehow forgotten But we paraphrase a book written 3,500 years ago" The Bible doesn't really need paraphrasing or eye-squinting to be interpreted as anti-gay, it's pretty clear in that point. I admire Mackelmore's overall sentiment and courage, and I'm not saying it doesn't make sense for a Christian to be anti-gay, but you can't make an uncomfortable part of the legacy of your beliefs go away by pretending it's not there. "Whatever god you believe in We come from the same one" Tolerance and unity doesn't often quite extend to atheists, does it?
  • hayksaakian 14y ago
    As someone not religious, I think his point still works. That whatever you do or don't believe, it applies to everyone, thus we all have the same greater origin, be it once specific god or an evolutionary ancestor.
• BeJoKo 14y ago
  I like to believe that there's always room at the top of any industry for people who really have a superior talent. I have to say, their boot-strapped scrappiness does give them a little special cred for me, but mostly, I just love their music. Their song, "Thrift Shop" is a trifecta, great tune, great lyrics, great social commentary. Also, bonus points for their ability to describe odors. "Smells like R-Kelly's Sheets."
• thomasfrank09 14y ago
  Is it bad if I thought this article was going to be about Froggy Fresh?
• jhowell 14y ago
  Too Short is the original hustler. Like his music or not, 50,000 records and tapes SOLD (literally, not digital, send a link to a friend). That's not counting copying, which a lot of people I knew did from the record or a friends cassette tape. Takes guts to hop out on the block and get people to listen to your music.
• martswite 14y ago
  I like him, his style (to me) is very similar to that of recent music by British artist Plan B, who I also happen to find brilliant.