photo credit: Cindy Ord l Getty Images
Every year since 2014, hip-hop fans are relive one of the most talked about moments in rap, when Macklemore and Ryan Lewis won the Best Rap Album Grammy, beating out the likes of Drake, Jay-Z, Kanye West, and infamously Kendrick Lamar.
While Macklemore took home his first Grammy win seven years ago, it was the text message seen around the world that fueled the outrage behind Lamar’s loss. During a recent appearance on Talib Kweli’s People’s Party, the Seattle native rehashed how his message to Kendrick Lamar was viewed as “white guilt”. Macklemore first shared his struggle to understand why he initially received backlash for being in the rap conversation for his debut album ‘The Heist’ explaining, “There was a big conversation around whether we should be in the Best Rap Album category, and I’m like, ‘What the f*ck? Do I not rap? Is this not a rap album?’ I get that there are pop sensibilities. I get that there are unapologetic pop moments. But is ‘Jimmy Iovine’ not a rap song?’ Is ‘Make The Money’ not a rap song?”.