Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are back, somewhat. Making it mark on almost 3 years since the release of their album, The Heist, the duo have took the past year to ready new material for the world. In the time being, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have dropped off a new record, but it comes in form as a dedication to Macklemore’s baby girl, Sloane. In an open letter, Macklemore discusses the mental state he was in when he received along with finally being able to reach a point where he enjoyed making music again.
I wish that I could say that I was in a “better place” when I found out the news. It would make for a far more polished and respectable story. But I think back to that night: praying on the floor at 2am as Tricia went to the bathroom to take the pregnancy test I’d just purchased from Walgreens. I was scared. Scared to start working on new music. Scared of trying again and failing. Scared of the process of staring at myself through a page and seeing someone that I wasn’t proud of. Someone that I didn’t like. Someone that wasn’t ready to be a dad.
I’ve always had some make-believe image in my head of who I would be as a father. I held on to clear expectations of where I wanted be in my career, my age, my level of self-care, and my maturity. I basically assumed that I’d have it all together. But in actuality the hypothetical “dad” version of me looked completely different than the man whose heart was beating out of his chest on the carpet, praying to a god or spirit I hadn’t talked to in months. When Tricia walked out of the bathroom, I knew. And I knew I had to change.
Featuring Ed Sheeran, the sentimental record definitely reflects that the rapper is in a good space. You can check out the rest of the open letter, here, and listen to ‘Growing Up (Sloane’s Song)’, below.
