Macklemore and Ryan Lewis Bring Hip-Hop Vets Along for the Ride in ‘Downtown’ Video
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis pay homage to the great hip-hop pioneers before them in the LOL-inducing, cinematic visual for "Downtown." Kool Moe Dee, Grandmaster Caz, Eric Nally and Melle Mel join forces with the duo as they stroll and cruise through the streets of Spokane, Wash.
"Go big or go home" is certainly the premise of this video. Besides it being over five minutes long, the clip plays out with some serious storytelling and visuals to match. Macklemore raps about buying a moped over a funky old school beat -- there's lots of horns and cowbell here -- while the hip-hop legends show up to contribute their signature vocals. Don't turn your eyes away from your screen because you may miss a cameo from Seattle Mariners player Ken Griffey Jr.
"My seat is leather, alright I'm lyin', it's pleather / But girl we can still ride together / You don't need a Uber, you don't need a cab / F--- a bus pass, you got a moped, man," the Seattle native rhymes.
Birdman, Mariah Carey, Timbaland and Blackstreet even get name-dropped while rival crews meet up, slick choreography is on display and outrageous bikes get their shine on the road.
The Grammy Award-winning team will perform "Downtown" (a song that took over a year to make) at the MTV Video Music Awards Sunday (Aug. 30).
Watch Macklemore and his entourage go for a ride in the video for "Downtown."
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