Macklemore Speaks Out and Gets Personal on the Latest Spout Podcast, Listen Now

Macklemore Speaks Out and Gets Personal on the Latest Spout Podcast, Listen Now

Grammy-winning hip-hop artist Macklemore makes a compelling return as a guest on The Spout Podcast. The episode promises a revealing conversation as Macklemore opens up about new hobbies, his music, and the profound changes that shaped his six-year hiatus from the music scene. Host Erik Zachary leads the discussion, delving into Macklemore's transformative journey and the evolution of his creative expression.

Reflecting on his return to the music scene in 2023, Macklemore shares insights into his tour, which takes a markedly different approach compared to his previous experiences. Rediscovering a love for venues and acknowledging the power they hold, and the connection to the audience, he expressed, "This is an opportunity for me to get a deeper experience through my own art and to share that with everyone that's come out."

During the podcast, Macklemore unveils his newfound passion for photography, sharing glimpses of his experiences in each city he visits. Macklemore humorously notes, "Well, I got a camera and I've been taking a lot of pictures...It's justifiable in my head because I'm like, you know how many people have taken creepy pictures of me before? It's payback. So, I really enjoyed that. I enjoyed documenting."

All joking aside, the rapper explains, “I think, for so many years, It's really easy to, like, get into a city and be like, ‘all right, I'm in Portland. I'm going to go to Nike Town’ and, um, I went to Nike Town today, but, I want to get outside. I want to do different stuff. I don't need any more things. I think that it's about getting outside in nature and meeting people and eating great food and walking and just being a part of...”

Host Erik Zachary acknowledges Macklemore's self-awareness within the music industry, particularly referencing the artist's 2005 song "White Privilege" from the album The Language of My World. Macklemore reflects on his early exploration of cultural appropriation and emphasizes the importance of honesty and self-examination in his artistic journey.

"For me, music is a means of finding my truth. Finding the truth about the world and my place in it. I started writing that in 2003 and there was, like, a changing of the guard 20 years ago. There was a changing of the guard happening in terms of, um, of pop culture and hip-hop music," states Macklemore.

He goes on to explain further, "And I was seeing that, and I just wrote about it, and I wrote about my place in the culture questioning cultural appropriation where I stood. And that's what art always is. It's like the paper is a means of reflection. It's a means of, um, getting to that core and exploration. And one of the things I never wanted to do is just be like, I'm a white guy that raps, and let's just pretend, like, that's not the case and keep benefiting off of the culture versus examining it. And, um, at the very least, being honest about my place in it.”

Adding another layer to the conversation, Host Erik Zachary addresses the curiosity surrounding Macklemore's reunion with producer Ryan Lewis asking, "One of the producers on the latest album, BEN, is Ryan Lewis, which has fans wondering when you guys did reconnect, how did you toe the line of, 'Hey, let's be friends again before we work together?' And how fast did that happen?"

"That's a really personal question. And I do not shy away from personal questions at all," says Macklemore. "And, um, yeah, I think that period, you know, that breakup was hard, I think, for both of us." Continuing, Macklemore shares the depth of his connection with Ryan Lewis, expressing their brotherhood and how he is “rooting for him always.”

Detailing the importance of connecting on a human level before delving into the technicalities of music production, Macklemore explains, "I wanted to connect on a human being level more than just like get into the, you know, what BPM and what key are we going with and what's this song about? It's like, no, let's just like, have fun and go get coffee and talk. And that's where actual, like, real connection and music comes from. It's sometimes so easy to get caught up in the mind in the studio. And I think throughout the years Ryan has, like, got into his bag just in terms of, like, living life and loving it. And I think that I've done the same thing. And when we create together, there's still that spark and that magic."

Listen to the full interview with MACKLEMORE on The Spout Podcast NOW. The Spout Podcast can be heard on Spotify, Google, iHeart, Apple Podcas t, Amazon Music, or any other major podcasting platform.