This Unruly Mess I've Made
| Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
This Unruly Mess I've Made
This Unruly Mess I've Made is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. It was released on February 26, 2016, by Macklemore LLC and Alternative Distribution Alliance. The album was supported by three singles: "Downtown" featuring Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Deeand Grandmaster Caz and "Dance Off" featuring Idris Elba and Anderson Paak, along with "White Privilege II" featuring Jamila Woods, which was released as the album's promotional single. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
It’s an occasionally inspiring, often corny rap album.
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Rolling Stone
“Make better music,” he wills himself on “Bolo Tie.” And sometimes he does.
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NME
When Macklemore concentrates on being a doofus, not a serious rapper, he’s actually kinda loveable.
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Hot New Hip Hop
This Unruly Mess paints a portrait of Macklemore as a man psychologically bruised from running the infinite internet gauntlet since the “Thrift Shop” video dropped three-and-a-half years ago.
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The Guardian
Garish TV theme-tune-style melodies, Macklemore’s contrived, am-dram-ish tone, and lyrics that lie outside the boundaries of sense coagulate into writhing and indestructible earworms.
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Consequence of Sound
Ryan Lewis’ production — especially his command over the piano — saves the LP, salvaging a good number of tracks from the trash heap.
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The Atlantic
This Unruly Mess I’ve Made uses novelty rap to disguise self-loathing, barely.
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Pop Matters
For every good song, there are two mediocre and/or forgettable ones next to them.
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Entertainment Weekly
a self-aware, uneven album that spends an ill-advised amount of time playing defense
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XXL
The album isn’t necessarily a classic, or better than The Heist, but it does prove Macklemore is here to stay.
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All Music
Unruly is surprisingly good at dealing with guilt and expectations, exorcizing its demons in a way hardcore fans can enjoy, and casual listeners can avoid.
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AV Club
Listeners can find everything that made Macklemore popular in the first place, mixed with everything that lead to the intense backlash against him two years ago.
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Tiny Mix Tapes
insufferable because of its cultural misreadings.
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Hip Hop DX
For now, the game’s odd man out can revel in a personal win for his catalog.
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Irish Times
While Macklemore’s heart is undoubtedly in the right place, he just doesn’t have the clarity and heft here to back up the more weighty themes.
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Immortal Reviews
There are some incredible moments on it, but also some very strange ones, as well. It’s made it’s mark, though. That’s the important thing.
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USA Today
for fans waiting to see Macklemore prove himself as a legitimate force in hip hop, this album isn't it
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New Zealand Herald
mostly, This Unruly Mess lives up to its name
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blank Gold Coast
This Unruly Mess is just that – confusion, guilt, regret, self indulgent, perspective shifting, clever, witty…it’s a shinning light on a beautiful Americana mess.
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Irish Examiner
The album both embraces fame and pushes it away — and the result is a queasy hodgepodge.
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Rhyme Junkie
I have really enjoyed this album so far and it is definitely worth a listen
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Student Life
It offers listeners a full smorgasbord of the duo, throwing together the good, the bad, the ugly and the frustratingly almost-brilliant.
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Mashable
The album is very much the work of someone who can't land on an answer.
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The Daily
tries to balance political statements, life events, and ridiculousness all on the same album, but comes up shy
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Student Edge
Amongst well-intentioned pleas for social change of all sorts, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have fallen just short of the banal-profound threshold.
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Gigwise
they’ve made a solid album full of content for discussion over a much improved selection of production and delivered in a way that can be understood by all who listen.
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The Province
If you liked the Heist, This Unruly Mess I’ve Made is certainly not a disappointment.
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Stuff
Worth a listen? Anything is, at least once. Past that? Not for me, but Macklemore fans will no doubt be able to get on board.
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The Diamondback
Unfortunately for Macklemore, his album's title is all too accurate a description of its content.
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The Independent
this artist cares about sound as well as words
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Clash
Macklemore remains unsure of himself throughout, lacking the rapping skills and natural charisma needed to get things onto a surer footing. In the end, it’s a sadly fitting album title.
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The Early Registration
this album is something that will shake up the status quo for the rap game.
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The Strand
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis continue to write songs about the issues they care deeply about; debating how well those songs address a certain issue is inherently better than an artist that doesn’t address any societal issues at all.
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Nouse
Macklemore moves on from his struggles with himself, and takes on society as a whole.
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The Reflector
Macklemore gives off a goofy vibe when he raps and always has some really strong instrumentals from Ryan Lewis.
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Music Times
While his honesty is refreshing and necessary, at times his genuine nature can be a little too much.
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The San Diego Union Tribune
It's a message with gravity that needs to be heard. But on this album, the vibrations are drowned out by one good message too many.
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The Pop Break
better than a lot of people will want to admit.
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Zumic
But overall, it came together as a collection of wild, hilarious, and emotional tunes.
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Newsday
Struggling to figure out what to do with their unexpected hip-hop success.
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Exclaim!
coupling carefully varied subject matter with Ryan Lewis' piano-heavy beats and horn arrangements to make this Mess he's made far from unruly
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The Student Playlist
Macklemore’s attempt to win back some of the critics will receive no such credit
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The Filtered Lens
Macklemore doesn’t know where he currently stands in the rap scene – and Mess shows.
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Renowned for Sound
This could be a dark, dramatically-charged concept for a record, but in his hands it comes off as unfortunately clumsy.
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Audio Hammock
not without its battle scars
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Kicks to the Pitch
There are bits of originality here that are a welcome break from the silly comedy or cheesy pop songs, but they are too few and far between.
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Forge Press
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis manage once again to keep the balance between songs that are born to be played over and over again on the dance floor... and songs pondering on controversial concepts, i.e. addiction, homosexuality, consumerism.
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Flood Magazine
comes off like the work of a devoted outsider curating a scooter tour through hip-hop history
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Hit the Floor
the duo haven’t done themselves any favours by making an album that lives up to its title so literally
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Ranting About Music
The title gets it right for two out of three: Macklemore made it, and the album is indeed a mess. But unruly, it ain’t.
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The West Review
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis seem torn between ‘big single’-quality tracks, and intuitive layered album gems, unfortunately, these two intentions just clash, in the end displaying the worst of both.
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Noisey
carries all of the pandering to jibing demographics of a campaign for political office
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Eagles's Cry
Ryan Lewis makes “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made” both innovative and unique
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Rap Reviews
it still shines. Ryan Lewis produced the album in its entirety and has proven to be a versatile hip-hop beatsmith who should no longer be slept on.
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Dozens of Donuts
I won’t accuse Macklemore of being self-absorbed but his constant self-referrals about his humbleness becomes tiresome after every time “it’s not about me, but here’s more of me.”
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The Sound Board Reviews
The desperation sadly shows on this second album This Unruly Mess I’ve Made, although there are moments of brilliance.
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Thomas Bleach
I found this album incredibly enjoyable to listen to from start to finish with empowering thoughts and fun breakdowns and just good raps.
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Transistor
In addition to some of these tracks being absolutely repulsive, the Idris Elba featuring Dance Off is sickeningly inadequate, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have went in with great intentions but have came out with poor results.
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KMM Reviews
Ryan Lewis was good on this album and Macklemore was simply mediocre, not a patch on The Heist unfortunately.
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Buffalo Blog
Musically, the pair continues their brand of underground-cultivated indie-gospel, with heartfelt piano, dramatic strings and joyous choir. Unfortunately, the lyrical content is all over the map.
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Death of the Critic
At its best when it reigns itself in, in these quiet, personal moments, the album will stagger you with its impact.
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Alt Music Box
At its best, ‘This Unruly Mess I’ve Made’ is fun, easy and ultimately memorable
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The Verge
his Unruly Mess I’ve Made may have an unexpected positive effect on Macklemore’s career: it could liberate him.
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The Star
Honest opinion, it is an amazing attempt, but this album is inconsistent and doesn't cement the duo's abilities.
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Spectrum Pulse
only a recommendation for hardcore fans
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The Guidon Online
definitely an album I would recommend if you are a fan of hip-hop that has a meaning.
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Gig Soup
There is no consistency in quality, but there is consistency in goofiness; luckily, said goofiness is sometimes enjoyable. But only sometimes.
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Rosendblog
Macklemore means well, he’s just trapped in one of those roundabouts, circling around, not knowing how to be where he should be.
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The High End Theory
but in the end they fall flat too many times in their pursuit of a that new sound; bogged down by too much focus on telling a story or being deep for the sake of it, when they should just be trying to have fun
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The Seattle Times
from its party-time antics to its controversial conclusion, assures there will be another episode for Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. The album is that good.
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The Prospector
bringing ideas of vandalism, dancing, moped purchasing, fatherhood, relationships, racial tensions, and body image issues together in one album wouldn’t be any easy task. ... this album does just that and more in a new and spectacular way
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The Daily Reporter
an album I enjoyed listening to
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Sounds Purple
t gets harder and harder to commend someone for trying when what they preach oftentimes ends up working against the very thing they’re fighting for
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The Current Shift
does posses some great songs but they can’t out weigh the others you have to go through to find them
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Cicabe's Ramblings
A few funny tracks, a few introspective tracks, that works fine for me.
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B-Sides
a fantastic follow-up to their highly successful debut album
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Shameless Promo San Francisco
we get a truthful, honest glimpse into the artists that Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have been shaped into over the past several years
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Berkely B-Side
This Unruly Mess tries to replicate and magnify it, and the end result is an obnoxious, overblown hotbox of dick jokes and confused social commentary.
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Nappy Afro
Most of the high moments are either due to the production or the features. Every now and then Macklemore comes in and shines throughout
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Basementality
Ultimately, this LP is solid on the production front, Ryan Lewis delivering as always, but Macklemore struggles on the lyrical front to resist his urge to revert to his typical cornball self.
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Fox Force Five News
Overall the album isn’t as memorable as ‘The Heist’ but it’s a worthy successor and one that I’ve found myself going back to non-stop in the week following it’s release.
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Pop Magazine
in true Macklemore fashion he brings a witty lyricism and lighthearted cleverness to certain songs that underscore his commercial appeal.
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The National
Ultimately, Macklemore and Lewis are less an unruly mess, more a calculated display of zeitgeist-setting pop-rap.
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Medium
an enjoyable second [major] offering from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
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Cotter Chronicle
It’s not awful. The midsection of this album is solid, but it is not strong enough to carry the overload of dead weight.
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Baldwin Reviews
almost like a well-made parody of a rap album… in a good way
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Stereo03
On this record, it’s obvious that they had something to live up to after The Heist and I feel like they let that affect their music.
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The Daily Campus
disappointing overall
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Blasting News
their best work yet
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Full Shelf
Maybe at some point, they will blow us all away and put out a legendary album, but until that day, we will settle for decent...
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HIP-HOPinionated
This album lacked in entertainment and power, and made for a mediocre overall listening experience.
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Lemonade Magazine
This Unruly Mess I’ve Made could have easily been…well….a mess, but instead, they just continue to improve.
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Rukus
picks up almost perfectly where their debut breakthrough LP The Heist left off
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Tempelores
A great album to have a good time to.
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Sketchy Record Reviews
the album features well written/delivered verses from Macklemore, some great production from Ryan Lewis and a range of fantastic guest spots.
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The Bacon Review
The brutal honesty of Macklemore’s lyrics on this new record, the duo’s second full-length collaboration, step well beyond the refreshingly lucid lyrics of their debut, The Heist.
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A Mind on Fire
If you enjoy hip hop with a purpose, back to the time of the 80’s and 90’s, this album may be for you.
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USA Breaking News
the record demonstrates that the duo’s skills haven’t yet caught up to their ambition
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Rumored Nights Press
this album is very well-made and excellently produced, but it just doesn’t capture the magic that The Heist had when I first listened to it
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Romans Rap Up
uses simple, fun themes like mopeds in order to tackle bigger subjects like songs in Heist; however, their new album attempts to tackle a higher caliber of political and social standing.
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Bridget Campos News Features
There are lots of highs and lows in the album.
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The Corsair
it was a good listen that focused on many different topics.
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Music Related Junk
Even if the delivery isn’t always right though, Macklemore’s heart seems to reliably be in the right place, and Ryan Lewis’s production seems to be largely on point.
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CSVX Music
Overall this album didn’t do a lot for me, I didn’t have high expectations for it.
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Immortal Reviews
There are some incredible moments on it, but also some very strange ones, as well.
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The Advocate
the vibrations are drowned out by one good message too many.
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Clarion Call
this second record has enough originality and creativity as the previous.
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