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“Make money, don’t let the money make you
Change the game, don’t let the game change you “
– Mackelmore
Seattle rapper Mackelmore has left an indelible impression on all music lovers. From king of hip-hop OG to creating controversial headlines and overcoming all odds – Mackelmore reminds us of a phoenix rising from the ashes, no matter what.
He managed to surpass the Billboard Hot 100 with the song âThrift Shopâ – stating he’s here to stay. He made his way to success without the help of any major label, based purely on word of mouth, YouTube (among other social media) and sheer unmissable talent!
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But her life has been anything but easy. Recently, I stumbled across the Luminary podcast “People’s Party With Talib Kweli” where the two discussed Mackelmore’s career, fighting addiction, dating politicians, and the journey to being a mega-star. This hour-and-40-minute podcast features Mackelmore in his most raw, real-life form – and is the boy worthy of a frenzy!
Star
Here are some of my favorite moments from the podcast:
Back to the days of âYo, do you have that tape? “
Mackelmore talks about the early days of his rap years when the rap climate was drastically different. The Internet was a whole new concept, and he wasn’t aware of the idea of ââa “World Wide Web” until later in high school.
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âBack then, you really had to dig into the crates to find music,â he said. There was an underground culture of âYo! Do you have this tape? He explains that in his early years, finding the bands and tracks you wanted was like finding a gem, it had its own charm.
How the elements of hip-hop change over time
Mackelmore started writing graffiti at a very young age, in 5th grade. It was his foray into hip-hop culture and it lasted throughout college. During the podcast, he explains how the elements of hip-hop change over time. He remembers going to park jams, hip-hop shows where you had to spray paint on the walls, there were MC battles, DJ battles, and whatnot! âEveryone was involved in the culture, everyone had their little piece, it was a really different time,â he said.
Art is a weapon of resistance
The podcast also discusses Mackelmore’s penchant for âpreserving cultureâ. He continues to stay true to his OG hip-hop values, learning curve, and classic hip-hop ingredients.
Talib Kweli and Mackelmore discuss the debut album of the latter “The Language of My World” where he discusses race, gender, homophobia and drug addiction. In fact, the album also contains a song by Bush where he raps with the voice of George Bush!
The podcast also highlights how Mackelmore is a white Seattle rapper who approached suppressing racist voters through his profession. There weren’t a lot of rappers of all races broaching this subject at the time.
Addiction – A disease
Mackelmore also spoke in detail about his struggle with drug addiction. When he was struggling with drug addiction, he didn’t know there was a recovery community. He didn’t know there were so many people in his town talking about his illness. âI’ve been thinking for years – why can’t I stop? When I wake up it’s the first thing I think of, âMackelmore said. He then discussed the therapeutic value that an addict has for another, how they help each other out of the dangerous dungeons of drug addiction.
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In this episode, he also mourned the disappearance of fellow hip-hop icons Mac Miller, Juice Wrld and Lil Peep, who died of mixed toxicity.
Intrigued a lot? Click here to listen to the full podcast and learn more about legendary hip-hop icon Mackelmore!
You can also explore the full list of Luminary podcasts here.
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