In his first ever American Music Awards performance, Seattle Grammy winning rapper Macklemore performed “Kevin” with a full gospel choir where he raps about substance abuse. The rapper himself dealt with the issue in his earlier days and last night his performance was a reminder of the dangers of it.
Kevin, which he performs with soul singer Leon Bridges, is about the scourge of prescription drugs in Middle America. Macklemore has been outspoken about his history with drug addiction, so surely this is a personal project for him — and yet the result is surprisingly generic. “Kevin” doesn’t take the topic anywhere new or interesting.
“Doctor, Please give me a dose of the American dream,” Bridges sings. “Put down the pen and look in my eyes/ We’re in the waiting room and something ain’t right/ All this is on you, we’re overprescribed.” Macklemore follows with a verse including the line, “I blame the pharmacy companies.” Check out his full performance above.
