Uploaded February 2016 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
It's been nearly four years since Macklemore & Ryan Lewis broke through into the national consciousness with the independent release of their platinum-selling, GRAMMY-winning debut album The Heist, but the Seattle duo has finally returned with their long-awaited follow-up, entitled This Unruly Mess I've Made.
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The album total 13 tracks, and is preceded by lead singles "Growing Up," "Downtown," "Kevin" and, of course, "White Privilege II."
Ryan Lewis handles all production on the album, which features Anderson .Paak, Carla Morrison, Chance The Rapper, DJ Premier, Ed Sheeran, Eric Nally, Grandmaster Caz, Idris Elba, Jamila Woods, Kool Moe Dee, KRS-One, Leon Bridges, Melle Mel, Mike Slap, XP and YG.
Released on Friday, February 26, This Unruly Mess I've Made - which has already received our 1 Listen Review treatment - is now available for digital purchase on iTunes and free streaming via Spotify.
Tracklist:
1. Light Tunnels (Feat. Mike Slap)
2. Downtown (Feat. Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee & Grandmaster Caz)
3. Brad Pitt’s Cousin (Feat. XP)
4. Buckshot (Feat. KRS-One & DJ Premier)
5. Growing Up (Feat. Ed Sheeran)
6. Kevin (Feat. Leon Bridges)
7. St. Ides
8. Need to Know (Feat. Chance The Rapper)
9. Dance Off (Feat. Idris Elba & Anderson .Paak)
10. Let’s Eat (Feat. XP)
11. Bolo Tie (Feat. YG)
12. The Train (Feat. Carla Morrison)
13. White Privilege II (Feat. Jamila Woods)
Script: What up? This is Brendan Varan and this is First Thoughts on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 'This Unruly Mess I've Made.’
Let's be honest, at this point you already have decided whether or not you're a fan of Macklemore. Now it's been 3 and a half years since the debut album Macklemore & producer Ryan Lewis released, and in that span of time he has relapsed, had a child, lost himself, and then found himself again. Unfortunately it seems as if he still hasn't found if he wants to be a cheesy pop star or convince the hip hop world that he does actually belong.
So let's get into it. What do you absolutely need to hear from this album?
Well first up is single, Kevin. On which Macklemore discusses the loss of a friend and the struggle of drug addiction which resonates that much more as Macklemore is a recovering drug addict himself. Also, if Leon Bridges is singing and you don't feel it in your soul, it's because you don't have a soul.
Two songs later we have 'Need To Know' one of that features Chance The Rapper and manages to balance honest and thoughtful lyrics but also be very happy and uplifting. Honestly though, the highlight is Chance The Rapper's verse and it kind of makes you just want to listen to more Chance The Rapper.
Lastly we have 'Bolo Tie' a collaboration, which no one expected, between Macklemore and YG. Even though it sounds like the most awkward studio session ever, Ryan Lewis' amazing production bridges the two worlds together well. Even though bolo ties are still super lame, this ends up being the hardest record on the album by far.
This album is frustrating, it seems to live in two completely separate worlds entirely. At one moment, you're connecting emotionally to the lyrics, Macklemore is speaking on important subjects like losing a friend, racial tension, drug addiction. Suddenly you're transported to a Broadway show tune about mopeds or you're listening to some bizarre song where he says he's Brad Pitt's cousin. At one point he puts his cat on a track and you're not sure whether you should be laughing or just cringing. There are some good records on the album, there are some bad records on the album. There's 'Dance Off' which might be the worst song I've ever heard in my life, and not even the presence of Anderson .Paak could save it. Now Ryan Lewis' production remains excellent throughout the entirety of the project. For those of you who love Macklemore and are proud to say that you love Macklemore, you're probably going to eat this up. If you don't like Macklemore, you're probably going to be driven insane by the pop friendly tracks on the album. If you're like me, you think is super corny but respect his willingness to combat complex subjects and speak very honestly and thoughtfully, you're going to wonder why he doesn't just drop the cheesy pop stuff and focus on what's important. His heart's in the right place, there are some great messages on the album, but unfortunately they seem to get lost in the shuffle with everything else going on.
--
Videos focused on underground and independent hip-hop so you know tomorrow's biggest hip-hop stars before they blow, plus coverage of the best and most noteworthy mainstream artists. From dope songs to classic albums, must-hear mixtapes to buzzing rappers, DJBoothTV is the authority in hip-hop.
Shot & Edited by @EriksonCorniel
It's been nearly four years since Macklemore & Ryan Lewis broke through into the national consciousness with the independent release of their platinum-selling, GRAMMY-winning debut album The Heist, but the Seattle duo has finally returned with their long-awaited follow-up, entitled This Unruly Mess I've Made.
Subscribe to DJBoothTV: http://djbooth.it/djboothsubscribe
The album total 13 tracks, and is preceded by lead singles "Growing Up," "Downtown," "Kevin" and, of course, "White Privilege II."
Ryan Lewis handles all production on the album, which features Anderson .Paak, Carla Morrison, Chance The Rapper, DJ Premier, Ed Sheeran, Eric Nally, Grandmaster Caz, Idris Elba, Jamila Woods, Kool Moe Dee, KRS-One, Leon Bridges, Melle Mel, Mike Slap, XP and YG.
Released on Friday, February 26, This Unruly Mess I've Made - which has already received our 1 Listen Review treatment - is now available for digital purchase on iTunes and free streaming via Spotify.
Tracklist:
1. Light Tunnels (Feat. Mike Slap)
2. Downtown (Feat. Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee & Grandmaster Caz)
3. Brad Pitt’s Cousin (Feat. XP)
4. Buckshot (Feat. KRS-One & DJ Premier)
5. Growing Up (Feat. Ed Sheeran)
6. Kevin (Feat. Leon Bridges)
7. St. Ides
8. Need to Know (Feat. Chance The Rapper)
9. Dance Off (Feat. Idris Elba & Anderson .Paak)
10. Let’s Eat (Feat. XP)
11. Bolo Tie (Feat. YG)
12. The Train (Feat. Carla Morrison)
13. White Privilege II (Feat. Jamila Woods)
Script: What up? This is Brendan Varan and this is First Thoughts on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 'This Unruly Mess I've Made.’
Let's be honest, at this point you already have decided whether or not you're a fan of Macklemore. Now it's been 3 and a half years since the debut album Macklemore & producer Ryan Lewis released, and in that span of time he has relapsed, had a child, lost himself, and then found himself again. Unfortunately it seems as if he still hasn't found if he wants to be a cheesy pop star or convince the hip hop world that he does actually belong.
So let's get into it. What do you absolutely need to hear from this album?
Well first up is single, Kevin. On which Macklemore discusses the loss of a friend and the struggle of drug addiction which resonates that much more as Macklemore is a recovering drug addict himself. Also, if Leon Bridges is singing and you don't feel it in your soul, it's because you don't have a soul.
Two songs later we have 'Need To Know' one of that features Chance The Rapper and manages to balance honest and thoughtful lyrics but also be very happy and uplifting. Honestly though, the highlight is Chance The Rapper's verse and it kind of makes you just want to listen to more Chance The Rapper.
Lastly we have 'Bolo Tie' a collaboration, which no one expected, between Macklemore and YG. Even though it sounds like the most awkward studio session ever, Ryan Lewis' amazing production bridges the two worlds together well. Even though bolo ties are still super lame, this ends up being the hardest record on the album by far.
This album is frustrating, it seems to live in two completely separate worlds entirely. At one moment, you're connecting emotionally to the lyrics, Macklemore is speaking on important subjects like losing a friend, racial tension, drug addiction. Suddenly you're transported to a Broadway show tune about mopeds or you're listening to some bizarre song where he says he's Brad Pitt's cousin. At one point he puts his cat on a track and you're not sure whether you should be laughing or just cringing. There are some good records on the album, there are some bad records on the album. There's 'Dance Off' which might be the worst song I've ever heard in my life, and not even the presence of Anderson .Paak could save it. Now Ryan Lewis' production remains excellent throughout the entirety of the project. For those of you who love Macklemore and are proud to say that you love Macklemore, you're probably going to eat this up. If you don't like Macklemore, you're probably going to be driven insane by the pop friendly tracks on the album. If you're like me, you think is super corny but respect his willingness to combat complex subjects and speak very honestly and thoughtfully, you're going to wonder why he doesn't just drop the cheesy pop stuff and focus on what's important. His heart's in the right place, there are some great messages on the album, but unfortunately they seem to get lost in the shuffle with everything else going on.
--
Videos focused on underground and independent hip-hop so you know tomorrow's biggest hip-hop stars before they blow, plus coverage of the best and most noteworthy mainstream artists. From dope songs to classic albums, must-hear mixtapes to buzzing rappers, DJBoothTV is the authority in hip-hop.
Shot & Edited by @EriksonCorniel
