There's More to Macklemore

Recently there have been a number of tweets and articles about the use of the song Wings by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis as the introduction for the 2013 NBA All Star Game. It seems that once again, the public has been quick to jump to the conclusion that another talented, passionate artist is selling out.

The more an artist grows, the more people seem to toss this phrase around. The very definition of selling out is compromising one’s artistic integrity for money or fame. Macklemore’s response to this appeared in his blog post where he confidently stated, “In my heart, I can tell you that my personal artistic integrity remained completely intact over the weekend.”

Macklemore says the song Wings is about the pursuit of identity through the means of consumerism. The subject he focuses on throughout the song is a pair of shoes but the broader message is about being a consumer by reminiscing back to his first memory of retail-driven desire.

The situation is more complicated than trash talkers may realize. For example, the writers for the All Star intro re-arranged the structure of the song Wings. It wasn’t until after Macklemore had accepted, when he arrived and read the script that he realized they’d done this. “I didn’t know prior to that day that my lyrics were going to be edited,” he said. “But to be 100% honest, I didn’t really care once I learned they were.” Macklemore explains that in any licensing deal your music is going to be edited. It’s simply not possible to fit a four-minute song into a 30 second trailer or ad. Lyrics get cut to fit the organization’s purpose.

There is a story behind Wings that chronicles Macklemore’s love of basketball and his life as a kid who wanted to be just like Michael Jordan. It only makes sense that this is the angle of the song the NBA wanted to focus on. For the group, this was an opportunity for Macklemore’s name to reach millions of people. If that audience enjoys the song, they may take the initiative to listen to the full version; to hear the song in its entirety and discover what gives the song depth. Perhaps some of these people may even appreciate the song and become real fans.

It would make sense for people to claim that Macklemore had sold out if Wings had been matched to a shoe commercial. That would be blatant insincerity and would completely contradict the song. But that’s just not the case. It’s like Macklemore said, “TNT used our song. They’re still my words. They picked the parts that fit their ad campaign and visually matched it to us performing.” The point is, if you remove the consumerism cautionary aspect of Wings, a story still exists; and Macklemore says it’s a story he is still proud of. “It’s dope to me that it’s relatable enough for TNT to want to use it” he states.

If more people understood why Macklemore agreed to do the intro and why he accepted the restructure of the song, they might not be so quick to judge. Macklemore has loved the NBA since he was young child. That’s why he quickly accepted the TNT All Star game intro. The song was embraced. Sports fans worldwide tuned in and from there more people checked out the full version of the song. They received Macklemore’s original message and strangers were transformed into fans. If anyone really believes that’s selling out, that’s fine. I’m with Macklemore when he says, “to me that’s nothing but an all around win.”

Macklemore is an artist of integrity and passion. Addressing the criticism and negativity surrounding this topic was a brilliant decision. It allowed Macklemore to explain his side of the story and clarify his decision. Although he doesn’t necessarily have to explain himself (considering how quickly he has climbed to the top of the charts), Macklemore chooses to maintain honest and open communication with his audience. This displays respect, which is something the public should be returning to him. Before jumping to conclusions and trash-talking Macklemore and Ryan Lewis for taking part in the intro for the NBA All Star game, perhaps people should have considered the artists’ side to better understand the truth.

People love to hate. There will always be some amount of negativity surrounding any artist but Macklemore’s method of personally responding in a timely and respectable manner is magnificent reputation management. Not only does he posses unbelievable talent but Macklemore is a genuinely passionate artist who deserves the all-star reputation he is quickly building for himself.

Check out Wings and many other Macklemore and Ryan Lewis songs on YouTube!