{"id":91868,"date":"2023-03-07T15:31:12","date_gmt":"2023-03-07T20:31:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/panm360.com\/?post_type=records&p=91868"},"modified":"2023-03-07T15:31:16","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T20:31:16","slug":"macklemore-ben","status":"publish","type":"records","link":"https:\/\/panm360.com\/en\/records\/macklemore-ben\/","title":{"rendered":"Macklemore – BEN"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BEN <\/em>is Macklemore\u2019s third studio album that permeates with strong and emotional messaging. From personal reflections on fatherhood, the effects social media has on our youth, to analyzing the struggles of drug and alcohol addiction, this project evokes tons of emotion in its listeners. BEN <\/em>is written and produced incredibly well, and even if Macklemore\u2019s raps aren’t really your cup of tea, this album possesses a lot of other good qualities.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Macklemore generally gets flack for having great flows and cadences but mediocre raps. Now bar for bar, I won\u2019t argue that point at all, but sometimes what you\u2019re saying is more powerful than how you\u2019re saying it. The inspirational and relatable themes of projects like BEN <\/em>can often times say a lot more than a mind blowing and witty punchline. That being said, it is truly the producers and features on this album that bring it to life, with every artist involved really knocking it out of the park. Morray\u2019s performance on \u201cTAIL LIGHTS\u201d is utterly phenomenal. \u201cFAITHFUL\u201d hears NLE Choppa spit a verse over more of a boom-bap beat, which is out of the norm for him. \u201cSORRY\u201d featuring Livingston and \u201cLOST \/ SUN COMES UP\u201d featuring Jackson Lee Morgan are two tremendously well written songs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Macklemore himself shines brightest on songs like \u201cNO BAD DAYS\u201d featuring Collett. Those sort of catchy, radio bops that are easy to listen to and get stuck in your head all day. Hip-Hop nowadays is largely rappers trying to show-off the fact that they can do other genres other than Hip-Hop, and BEN <\/em>is no different. \u201cDAY YOU DIE\u201d features Sarah Barthel of Phantogram and is like a pop-punk song. Of course, there’s an ’80s style track called \u201c1984\u201d, which in my opinion, is the worst song on the entire album. The instrumental is awesome and the lyrics were great, but Macklemore\u2019s vocals just weren\u2019t hitting correctly. If someone else had sung that song it could have been a big hit. \u201cHEROES\u201d produced by DJ Premiere has a great throwback beat. I consider Premiere the G.O.A.T. That\u2019s why it saddens me to say that Macklemore\u2019s rhymes kind of ruined this song for me. It felt like a sly way for the emcee to sneak some “gangster bars\u201d into the album and it just felt really forced. Maybe I simply took it the wrong way, but first impressions are everything.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All in all, BEN <\/em>and Macklemore deserve praise for their unique messaging that is really needed in this thoughtless, “drugs, sex and violence\u201d era of Hip-Hop music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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