20 dollars in my pocket!!! The Life code of Hipster

The rapper Macklemore & the producer Ryan Lewis have risen to the top of the worldwide charts with Thrift Shop...

'Thrift Shop' is about three-quarters a comedy song. It could pretty easily be the work of Kiwi musical comedy geniuses Flight of the Conchords. The humour in 'Thrift Shop' comes from the juxtaposition between hip-hop posturing and more prosaic reality. The culture of hip-hop is traditionally one where honour and status are vitally important. Rappers always took great pains to establish their sense of honour, their sense of authenticity.

Musically, 'Thrift Shop' has a�dare I say it�thrift shop approach to sounds. The song starts off echoing in the mid-1980s hip-hop of the likes of Run-DMC, in the way they would rap over drum machine beats, with very little musical accompaniment.

For rappers, being blinged out is saying "just because I'm black doesn't mean I'm poor". In contrast, the rich spend large amounts of money on things that only their closest friends and family will see; personal trainers, expensive vacations, bathroom renovations, etc. Instead of worrying about bling and Gucci t-shirts, Macklemore presents himself as a hipster. I mean, it's a song called 'Thrift Shop'. Funnily enough, hipsters have a sort of reverse bling. Essentially, a hipster is a derogatory term for a well educated young white person who is poorly concealing their attempts to impress other well educated young white people.

This life lesson out last year in the U.S. is already double platinum in that country. Hip hop the good ship, in times of crisis. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis want to show that dressing vintage and cheap, it is especially unique and swag.

I�m gonna pop some tags
Only got $20 in my pocket
I-I-I'm huntin' lookin' for a come-up
This is fucking awesome

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