Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Downtown (ft. Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee and Grandmaster Caz)

I watched the MTV VMAs the other day, and for so many reasons it pissed me off. It's been awhile since I've had any interest in American music, and a lot of that has to do with the culture surrounding it. Between Taylor Swift and Kanye West's obnoxious egotism and Miley Cyrus's constant need to "get high," I found myself embarrassed for the whole lot of them. Back when I was a teenager, the VMAs were such a big deal. I'm sure part of that was due to my age and my ignorance to the wider world, but it's really sad to see how far they've slipped. I don't remember hating American popstars the way that I do now. What ever happened to the modest performer who let their music and talent speak for themselves rather than bitch and moan and wax poetic and start needless "feuds" to stay relevant? Anyways, this post isn't really supposed to be about the VMAs. It's actually about the only performance that I enjoyed. When I heard the name Macklemore, my initial reaction was "absolutely no interest." But then, Eric Nally of Foxy Shazam strutted on out to sing the hook of this new track, Downtown. Eric Nally! On a major pop record! I was so pleasantly surprised, and what makes it even better is that the song is actually pretty awesome (minus the Macklemore parts, ironically). If this catapults Nally to the fame he's deserved for so long, I will be one happy camper. He is just the kind of solo performer we need right now: charismatic, uber-talented and raw.