Macklemore x Ryan Lewis - Otherside

Are musicians who glamorize drug use responsible when listeners follow their example and suffer the consequences? That’s a tough question to answer but, having experienced firsthand the horror of addiction, Booth newcomer Macklemore isn’t taking any chances – on new single Otherside, he states in no uncertain terms that those who indulge in codeine-laced syrup are more likely to end up strung out or dead than to enjoy enhanced creative faculties a la Lil Wayne. Fittingly, Lewis backs Macklemore’s cautionary bars with a sample from the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ hit single of the same name (which dealt with frontman Anthony Kiedis’ addiction to another member of the opiate family, heroin), blending the unmistakable guitar riff with driving percussion and, later, tearjerking string harmonies. Bookended by snippets of news reports regarding Pimp C‘s tragic death due to a combination of codeine and sleep apnea, this poignant cut and much more can be found on the emcee/producer duo’s debut EP, VS, when it drops on the 27th.