This Unruly Mess I’ve Made – Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

The past few weeks have been very exciting for hip hop fans.  Both Macklemore and Kendrick Lamar have released new music.  I will discuss Kendrick’s new album in more detail after this one.  Macklemore, a man who claims he is not a rapper, but rather a professor, has just recently released his second album.  “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made” shows the same side of Macklemore that the world has grown to love.  While some will always be faithful, you are bound to find critics that try to drag musicians down.  Unfortunately, I do not show the same side of love that others do for this rapper.  I respect Macklemore and a majority of his messages but I am not always the most supportive of his music.

Macklemore first became a household name through his single “Thrift Shop.”  It was at this point that I, personally, was most irritated with the rapper even though it was not his fault, but rather the music industries.  I disliked that a song that meant so little could make such a huge impact on a musician who so openly spoke his mind.  It was not until later that his song “Same Love” became a well-known track.  With this new album, Macklemore followed in the same pattern by first releasing “Downtown,” a song that has little to no meaning, but is catchy nonetheless.  Later, “White Privilege II” was released where Macklemore explains what it is like to be a white person living in a world that is pushing so hard for equality.  In my opinion, this is the most personal and outspoken track on the album.  Other tracks set an idea that Macklemore is upset with the way he became famous and also that he wishes he could go back to the days where he was less known.  It is not often that musicians make that thought known through their music and in this case, I think he actually means it.  This album is not as good as his first, but it shows that he is willing to do what it takes to remain popular in the main stream of hip hop.

Average Critic Rating: 60/100
My Rating: 70/100

Untitled Unmastered – Kendrick Lamar

The astonishing rapper, who some may say is currently the best in the business, has put out a brand new, unexpected album.  This album contains tracks that Kendrick wanted to initially put on “To Pimp a Butterfly,” but due to time constraints and copyright issues, the songs were postponed and never released on the album.  Instead of just throwing these songs away like some rappers have been known to do, Lamar kept his collective to himself and released them all together on one new album.

If you are familiar and keep up with the work of Kendrick Lamar, you may recognize some of these songs as he has performed them live on late night shows and at the Grammy’s.  All songs on the album were and currently remain untitled.  I find this to be a very bold move on his part.  Speculators and critics may have trouble keeping track of each song while large fans of his music will come to memorize each song by the sound and lyrics.  Much like “TPAB,” these tracks show a heavy emphasis on free jazz and samples keeping his music fresh and above many others in the genre.  On the second track of the album, you can hear Kendrick change his flow numerous times.  If you really listen to this track, you will notice that he is almost mocking the sound and flow of Drake while also performing better.    

While Kendrick seems to be triumphing as an outspoken leader in the hip hop world, I can only assume that he will continue to speak his mind and fight social injustice through his music.  In 2015, Kendrick knocked it out of the park with his politically correct album on the life of African Americans and the suffering that has been overcome.  It will only be a matter of time before Kendrick moves past this piece and provides even more material to not only get his fans grooving, but to also educate the world.  As always, his music needs to really be listened to before you can make an appropriate interpretation of it. 

Average Critic Rating: 86/100
My Rating: 90/100