Admit it, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have had one hell of a year. Successful singles ranging from used clothes (“Thrift Shop”) to gay rights (“Same Love”) helped earn the duo a Best Rap/Hip-Hop honor at the American Music Awards Sunday (Nov. 23). Which naturally meant slander from the Twitter peanut gallery.
The Seattle natives snatched up their award via satellite from Miami, and during his acceptance speech, Macklemore quoted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and mentioned Trayvon Martin:
“Due to the fact that we are in Florida tonight accepting this award I want to acknowledge Trayvon Martin and the hundreds and hundreds of kids each year that are dying due to racial profiling and the violence that follows it,” the rapper announced. This is really happening. These are our friends, our neighbors, our peers and our fans, and it’s time that we look out for the youth and fight against racism and the laws that protect it.”
Interesting timing indeed but for what it’s worth, we already know that Macklemore tackles taboo issues, and isn’t scared to talk about race.
From a group perspective, he and Lewis are considered “Rap/Hip-Hop” at award shows (they won a similar category at the MTV Video Music Awards), and Macklemore earned a spot XXL’s Freshman Class cover in 2012. Furthermore, The Heist went platinum, and “Thrift Shop” sold over seven million copies worldwide. We can’t deny the facts.
And this look is as “Hip-Hop” as it gets, no?
Also, beating out Jay Z (Magn Carta Holy Grail) and Kendrick Lamar (good kid m.a.a.d. city) doesn’t come without a little slander.
Get into it in the following pages.
—
Photos: Twitter
