-
:swansong.
User deleted
IT
«Sono solo uno che ci ha provato per 15 anni infischiandosene dei flop e dei fischi».
«Per anni, mi sono esibito davanti a una trentina di fan hip hop del mio quartiere. A Seattle c’erano un paio di serate alla settimana tipo microfono aperto. Mi presentavo in un improbabile centro culturale con le mie rime, declamavo per 20 minuti come un matto nel deserto e me ne tornavo a casa a scriverne altre».
«Bevevo, mi drogavo e mi sono fatto rinchiudere in un rehab. Dopo tre anni di sobrietà ho rovinato tutto andando fuori di testa con un potentissimo sedativo per la tosse. Una ricaduta, ma adesso sono sobrio».
«Io e la mia fidanzata, Tricia Davis, siamo un team micidiale. Tricia mi fa da tour manager e cura il merchandising. Che donna...».
«Al liceo credevo di essere gay. Mi emozionavo guardando il musical “Cats” e i compagni mi massacravano. Adesso mi chiedono l’autografo per la figlia».
«I diritti gay sono diritti umani, non c’è separazione».
[Riferito a Ryan Lewis] «Ryan è uno dei miei migliori amici in questo mondo. E’ il mio produttore. E’ il mio compagno d’affari. E probabilmente è uno dei miei critici più severi, una caratteristica fondamentale per un compagno di squadra. Mi fido di Ryan. Mi fido del suo udito e della sua vista. Della sua estetica creativa. Non sarei in questa posizione se non fosse per lui. Passo più tempo con Ryan che con chiunque altro nella mia vita. Siamo una squadra, e ne sono estremamente fortunato».
«Sono femminista».
EN
«Gay rights are human rights, there is no separation».
[Riferito a Ryan Lewis] «Ryan is one of my best friends in this world. He’s my producer. He’s my business partner. And he’s probably one of my toughest critics, which is an imperative trait of a teammate. I trust Ryan. I trust his ear and his eye. His creative aesthetic. I wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for him. I spend more time with Ryan than anyone else in my life. We’re a team, and I’m extremely blessed because of it».
«I’m a femminist».
“the heist” 1 year anniversary. a look back on the year that changed everything
«One year ago today, Ryan and I were posted in front of a laptop in our 500 square foot studio & merch “distribution center,” staring intently into the illuminated screen as our album The Heist was finally released into the universe. A dense mix of excitement, fear and relief was heavy in the air».
«We fell in love with songs, and then days later hated them. In moments we believed we were geniuses and hours later we despised ourselves, and the art that we were butchering».
«We put every ounce of ourselves into this body of work that was now being set free».
«When we decided to release The Heist independently, forgoing the offers we had gotten to sign to a record label, we knew there were going to be sacrifices. For one, we would never get played on the radio; that was a fact. We wouldn’t end up with a big advertising budget or have the capital to take over full blog sites with our banners. The rollout to our campaign wasn’t going to be nearly as grandiose as our peers who had label backing. Yet in our minds, maintaining our independence and thus creative control was far more important in the end».
«When the album officially went up for sale on iTunes, the electricity I felt was like when Obama won in 2008. Not that our album was in any way a comparable feat, but the vibe and the high we were on was reminiscent of that I can’t believe this is finally happening, tears-in-your-eyes feeling. Refreshing the page in 2-minute intervals, we watched our album make a climb that we never thought was possible. #9 to #7. #4 to #3. And finally, we ended up in that slot that is unattainable, yet you can’t help but distantly dream of: the #1 album in the country on iTunes.
I honestly thought iTunes was broken. And if it wasn’t broken, our position would surely descend in a matter of minutes. But we ended up holding onto that spot for 4 straight days. We had hoped for 20k-30k in sales the first week. Then the projections came in at 70k-80k and now I was POSITIVE iTunes was broken. We ended up selling 78,000 copies that week, which turned out to be the most unexpected and overwhelmingly beautiful 7-day stretch of my life».
«The media couldn’t pretend we didn’t exist. It was finally a story. Seattle was on. But the very best part about it was that our story was driven by THE PEOPLE. The fans. No cosigns. No label backing. No media leg-ups. Just the strength of person-to-person connectivity through our music».
«It was everything that we had always wanted: maintaining our independence with access to radio and thus the masses».
«And I’ll never forget the way that Zach explained what this deal meant in regards to me.
He said, “Basically, if you sign this deal there is a potential that you will turn into a super star. Your life will change drastically. And once that happens, there is no going back. If we don’t go this direction, there is a ceiling to your career. You can continue to play the same rooms you’ve been playing and have a strong run as an underground rapper. But taking it to the next level will not be attainable. I see positives and negatives to both sides, and will support you either way. What do you want to do”?
I knew immediately that this a decision that would alter my life forever. I knew that getting played on the radio would alienate a core group of fans; that I’d be labeled a sell-out, maybe even a “one hit wonder” if the song got big. But despite those risks, I knew at the core what I wanted».
«My logic was simple. If “Thrift Shop” blew up, the floodgates would open. People beyond even the core group of supporters would learn about our music and buy the album. The masses would not only hear a song about saving money and bargain shopping, but would discover songs about marriage equality and homophobia, consumerism, addiction, sobriety, relapse. My story would be told. That is what mattered to me».
«I always stood behind Thrift Shop. The raps, beat, hook and the message. But there was more that I wanted to share with the world. Ever since the age of 17 when people would ask me how big I wanted to be as a musician, my answer has always remained the same. I want my music to be heard by as many people as possible. This was the way to do it».
«As we hit the beginning of 2013, a monster had started to grow that nobody could keep up with: a little song called “Thrift Shop”».
«We never planned for this year to be as busy as it’s turned out to be. We planned to do a handful of colleges in the spring. Ideally our weekly schedule was going to be 3 days of shows then off for 4 days to rest at home and get back in the studio. Yea, right. We were literally on a flight every day for months on end. The airport was our home and the coach seats we occupied were our beds. We were all fried, operating on 1-3 hours of sleep a night. And while all of this was happening, “Thrift Shop” had undisputedly become the biggest song in the world. You couldn’t get in a cab, go into a store or walk past a nightclub without hearing a saxophone and Wanz’s baritone voice. It was everywhere…and so was the criticism.
To many skeptics, I was immediately casted as a “one hit wonder,” the new Vanilla Ice, “just another white kid appropriating a culture”. Despite my self-assuredness, it began to wear on me. The fear crept into my psyche: what if I’m only known as the ‘Thrift Shop guy’ for the rest of my life? What if they never hear the other songs I’ve written?».
«Due to that fear, combined with lack of sleep and virtually no down time, I began to unravel a bit. I was in that fucked up place of just wanting to escape the success I had always dreamed of. What had I signed up for? I literally couldn’t go outside without it turning into a photo shoot. My privacy was gone. Even the old baseball hat and hoodie trick were proving to be ineffective. I felt corned by a song I once loved, and was at times regretting what the radio had made it».
«And then… ‘Can’t Hold Us’ happened.
Sure, it didn’t come with a social message or deep underlining meaning. But it didn’t have to. It was a record that wasn’t “Thrift Shop,” and the radio began eating it up. Soon, “Thrift” began to fizzle and “Can’t Hold Us” replaced it as #1 on the Billboard charts».
«“Can’t Hold Us” didn’t live for as long as “Thrift” at radio, so naturally the program directors were pushing us to give them a 3rd single. With two back-to-back #1’s, we now had leverage, and a chance to give them something of substance. Something that was long overdue. A record that I believed in more than any other song I’d ever written. “Same Love”».
«With debates in the Supreme Court over marriage equality simultaneously happening as the song was released to radio, it couldn’t have come at a more influential time. This is what was on the minds of America, and with “Same Love” getting played on the radio; it became a component to the conversation. This was the type of impact I had strived for, the music I wanted the world to remember me by».
«Every song I’ve ever put out, I have believed in. But Same Love was different. It was a moment that was way bigger than us. Watching teenagers come up to me after shows, with tears in their eyes, gasping for breathe in attempts to find the right words to explain to me that they came out to their family after hearing the song…that reaffirms everything. That. Right there. That is the reason why I do this. That is no publicity stunt. That is no calculated move. That is art affecting the quality of people’s lives, the way that other artists influence mine».
«Same Love was the scariest song I’ve personally ever put out. “When I was in the 3rd grade I thought that I was gay”? That’s my favorite bar I’ve ever written. Cause it’s the truth. It was scary as hell to say that shit to the world, and I did it anyway. I was even afraid ScHoolboy Q wouldn’t want to be on the album. I assumed Hip Hop would think I was gay (which probably 25% of the world still does). But that means nothing to me now. I knew it was beyond me. If I could approach this subject with 100% authenticity, it would potentially give others a platform to do the same. And THAT is why I make music. THAT is why ‘The Heist’ worked. People were so thirsty for something NEW. Somebody that said what they were ACTUALLY thinking, not what they thought people wanted to hear. Production that was inspired by all different genre’s, that redefined what Hip Hop music sounds like. That is progression. And the masses were ready to make progress».
«At some point in the quest for success, you peer group begins to change. It’s almost like I woke up one day and we were at the VMAs, tied for the most nominations with Justin Timberlake. I walked the red carpet with my fiancé who has been with me since I first pressed up Macklemore t-shirts, when we needed to sell at least $100 worth of merch at the show in order to pay rent or else we were fucked».
«I felt like I’ve snuck into this award show, made it past the metal detectors, bypassed the security guards and for some reason didn’t get caught. Like I’m not supposed to be here, yet ended up with the best seats in the house. I walked over to Birdman and chatted for a couple minutes. Drake came over, and we’re cracking jokes. Bruno Mars strolled by, gave me dap and told me he’s a fan, how proud of me he is. 2 Chainz walked over to congratulate me, and I realize at this point I’m actually friends with 2 Chainz. Lady Gaga tweeted about our performance and cheered when we won an award. Shit is really weird. And this is legitimately my life now. And it’s not better. Or cooler. It’s just different».
«It’s still weird. It’s strange to walk around Europe with a hat, sunglasses and hoodie hopping you can go about your day causing as little of a scene as possible. I try to be as appreciative and polite as I can, but at a certain point it begins to wear on you. The zoo that Kanye speaks about is very real, and sometimes you don’t want to be the animal people are staring at. Following. Taking pictures of. Standing outside of your hotel waiting for you to leave. BUT, I understand it. I was that person waiting outside of the venue at one point in my life. And those people are the ones that have made this experience what it is. I always try to remember that, have patience and show gratitude».
«Here I am. On a hotel bench in Milan Italy a day after concluding our European portion of our World Tour (still beating people over the head with that phrase. It just sounds triumphant). We played 25 shows to over 200,000 people, in sold out arenas all across Europe. We watched arena’s full of young people, in thick French/Irish/German/Italian accents singing the Chorus to ‘Same Love’ or rapping ‘Wings’ word for word with me. The experience brought tears to my eyes during numerous performances».
«Headed back to the US for 2 months of straight shows, I’m ready. I’ve spent over half of my time on this earth, studying my craft in front of audiences of 20 people, 35 people, 100 people. I learned the art of performance in venues where nobody knew or cared who I was. Where they would rather drink at the bar and socialize than hear what I had to say. I worked for their attention. I know to a lot of you, this last year seems like it happened overnight. And for how big it’s gotten, there have been times where I’ve felt the same. But I’ve fought for this. Ryan fought for this. Our team has fought for this. And we sacrificed everything for what has transpired».
«With all those accolades listed and experiences etched into history, the most meaningful and fulfilling experiences have come from being on a stage in front of the people that got us here. You all. There are the fans that will hop onto the Thrift Shop bandwagon when it rolls through, and the people that will still be here when it leaves. You are the people that are still reading this novel after 6 pages (ha!). I have you guys to thank. You’ve made this year what it is, and I will never be able to find the words to properly articulate my gratitude. I can only give you everything I have in me, night after night, and hope that when this all slows down a little bit, I’ll have enough courage to write about this insane experience. I Love you all. #Sharkfacegang.
Ben».
«Ci sentivamo innamorati delle canzoni e il giorno dopo le odiavamo. In alcuni momenti credevamo di essere dei geni e ore dopo disprezzati e tirati. Non si possono contare i limiti raggiunti. Onestamente,non esiste altra documentazione oltre la musica. Abbiamo messo tutte le forze nel nostro corpo per il nostro lavoro che doveva essere libero».
«Quando l’album era ufficialmente in vendita su iTunes, l’elettricità in e era come quando Obama vinse nel 2008. Non che il nostro album è stato in alcun modo una prodezza simile, ma l’atmosfera così accesa mi ricordava quello. Non posso credere che questo stesse accadendo, avevo le lacrime agli occhi. Ricaricando la pagina nel giro di due minuti, abbiamo visto il nostro album fare un salto che noi non credevamo fosse possibile. #9 al #7. #4 al #3. E finalmente il nostro distante sogno: il #1 album del paese su iTunes. Onestamente pensavo che iTunes fosse rotto, che la nostra posizione sarebbe scesa in pochi minuti. Ma abbiamo mantenuto quel posto per 4 giorni. Abbiamo sperato per 20k-30k in vendita nella prima settimana. Ma salirono a 70k-80k e adesso era per me iTunes era assolutamente rotto. Abbiamo venduto 78000 copie in questa settimana, i 7 giorni più belli, inaspettati e schiaccianti della mia vita».
«I media non potevano pretendere che noi non esistessimo. Era finalmente una storia. Seattle era attiva. Ma la parte migliore della nostra storia sono LE PERSONE. I fan. Non la classifica. Non i media. Solo la forza delle persone connesse attraverso la nostra musica».(Ben Haggerty, Macklemore.)
music
Edited by :swansong - 15/10/2013, 20:39. -
:swansong.
User deleted
ho aggiunto alcune parti tradotte di “the heist” 1 year anniversary. a look back on the year that changed everything (:
e ringrazio Ben Macklemore Italian Fan Page (:.
ben haggerty (macklemore) |
