Review - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

 I realize with the cool kids and hipsters, I am soooo late to this party!  But I finally listened to this album and wanted to let you know what I thought of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' The Heist.  I was intrigued to hear the whole album, wondering if all the songs were of the novelty nature, like Thrift Shop.  They aren't.  This is a smart album, with a real message, unlike other rap albums recently.  Also, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis wrote, produced and recorded this album all on their own, without a major label.  They want to prove that you don't have to give in and use the big companies to make music (as you can hear about in the song Jimmy Iovine).  It works.  The Heist doesn't feature one sample, which is virtually unheard of in the rap game.  I particularly like Ten Thousand Hours, which is a testament to putting in countless hours of hard work to gain success.  They have been quoted saying they work at least an 80 hour work-week.  The Heist proves that there are creative artists who can stay true to themselves, have fun and put out music unlike anything else.  The Heist went to number one within hours of being released and Thrift Shop currently has more than 96 million views on YouTube (video shot, produced etc by the artists themselves).  Also a stand out track on The Heist is SameLove, a tribute to same sex marriage, another testament to going against the grain in the rap game.  The result is a beautiful track I have had on repeat. 

Overall this is a rap album unlike anything else I have heard.  If you aren't a rap fan, or have a tough time to questionable language, it's probably not for you.  But I am blown away!