Ah, the dollar sign returns. An ode to growing up, fitting in, sneaker culture and Michael Jordan. Before Thrift Shop put him on the map, Macklemore collaborated with Ryan Lewis (who he would later be joined at the hip too) on Wings.
Macklemore was the first artist I was legitimately listening to before he made it. Very hipster of me, but I remember hearing a song by an artist called Symmetry with Ryan Lewis on a Call Of Duty montage, of all things. From there, I found Macklemore and I remember listening to this song on the bus to school, thinking I was so edgy an ahead of the curve.
Now, after some weaker releases, he’s seen as a bit of a meme. This is a huge shame, as I was and am a big fan of his earlier work. Wings is an epic, angry rap-rant that goes on for a good five minutes. In it, Macklemore tackles the cycle of consumerism, specifically with Nike and their trainers. Air Max’s and Jordan 4’s are name-dropped, as the rapper goes on a journey from owning shoes that everyone envied when he played basketball at school, to them defining him as a person and the problems that can cause.
It eases in, then as the verses go along it picks up pace and momentum, gathering a viciousness and venom that stars as it reaches a crescendo. This is contrasted with a choir harmonising in the middle. A great touch, and gives the record space to breathe.
This might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for me, it is incredibly nostalgic. I think it holds it’s own and having relistened to it I now get more of the sneaker references that evaded me all those years ago. With 150 million views on Youtube, clearly I am not alone.
Spotify Playlist Link: https://spoti.fi/2CKuVex
A Song A Day 