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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Macklemore, Lewis video goes live

Carolyn Lamberson
Seattle rapper Macklemore and his producer buddy Ryan Lewis spent a week in Spokane in July filming a video for the first single off their upcoming album. "Downtown" went live on YouTube this morning, and features Macklemore getting funky with collaborators Grandmaster Caz, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel, and Foxy Shazam's Eric Nally - and a whole lot of Spokane moped, scooter and motorcycle enthusiasts. The video, co-directed by Macklemore (real name Ben Haggerty), Lewis and Jason Koenig, has some of the same goofy vibe that made "Thrift Shop" such a smash. As Vulture.com noted this morning, "There are cowbells, name-spelling, and references to Blackstreet. Think of it as a sequel to 'Uptown Funk,' in the opposite direction."
 
And while it's unclear if the video is supposed to be set in Spokane - a reference to Pike Place Market seems to indicate otherwise - "Downtown" doesn't shy from showing the Lilac City's downtown, good and bad. The Fox Theater, the Paulsen Building, the skywalks and the Parkade are among the downtown landmarks getting some time to shine. There also are shots filmed around the decrepit Otis Hotel and parts of East Sprague Avenue, to add a gritty flavor.
 
This is the second video the duo has released in recent weeks. The first, "Growing Up (Sloane's Song)," dropped on Aug. 5 and centers on Macklemore becoming a new dad. The new album, the follow-up to the record-breaking and Grammy-winning "The Heist," is set to come out later this year.  Reportedly, the guys are scheduled to perform the song at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday.
 
Check out the video right here: