This Week in Local Rap Music Videos: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis Break Slump With an Old Song; Tyrone Takes a Look Back With "The Coolest Bruva" Remix
"Otherside" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis was originally released on their VS. EP in December 2009, then released in its remixed, Fences-featured form last November as part of the extended VS. Redux release. What jumps out on both versions is Macklemore's personal, extremely emotive lyrics, and the fact that the heaviness of the message doesn't weigh down the track, but actually makes it what it is. On the remixed version, the regrettable Red Hot Chili Peppers sample is swapped out for a pretty piano-based instrumental with string frames. Finally, we had a fitting backdrop for Macklemore's striking rhymes, and now we have a well-done, matted video to go with it (see above), which was co-directed by Jason Koenig, along with Ryan Lewis and Macklemore themselves.
The video--and reappearance of the song--breaks a bit of a slump for the MC/producer duo: Their recent video for "Wings" (and the song's overblown instrumental) drug down what was an otherwise moving spoken-word piece; their next-to-newest video for "My Oh My" was a forgettable tug on the town's heartstrings; and their new single "Can't Hold Us", just really isn't my thing.
On a completely different note...
Local MC/producer Tyrone just put out a pretty great video for a remix of his song "The Coolest Bruva.. The song's a cool ode (with a sitcom-style voice-over intro) to childhood, and growing up Tyrone, complete with silly animation and live-action re-enactment. Nice work, guys.
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