Macklemore dropped the video on Aug. 27, and it has the same sense of humor the “Thrift Shop” rapper is known for. Macklemore starts off resting on a moped, before breaking out a few dance moves with his crew. From there, the song becomes a love anthem to mopeds, motorcycles and all things on two wheels. “Have you ever felt the warm embrace,” Eric Nally, of the funky rock band, Foxy Shazam, sings on the hook, “of the leather seat between your legs?”
Mack trades his moped for a motorcycle with a stuffed moose head, with antlers, on the front. Amazing! It’s almost as incredible as the cameos of Rap icons Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel and Grandmaster Caz. Ken Griffey Jr. even recreated his 1989 rookie card in the video, reports Bleacher Report.
Eric makes his epic entrance into the video in a steel chariot being pulled by four motorcycles and his biker gang follows. It looks like he and Macklemore are about to go at it in a street fight. But like Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” the two beefing crews break solve their issues through dance moves. The video ends with a huge parade and everyone joins in!
Macklemore and Ryan are slated to perform “Downtown” at the MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 30, reports MTV. Will their performance top this video in epic, funky ridiculousness? We’ll just have to tune in to see.
Lyrics:
I went to the Moped store, said “F*ck it”
Salesman’s like “What up, what’s your budget?”
And I’m like “Honestly, I don’t know nothing about Mopeds”
He said “I got the one for you, follow me”
Ooh, it’s too real
Chromed out mirror, I don’t need a windshield
Banana seat, a canopy on two wheels
Eight hundred cash, that’s a hell of a deal
I’m headed Downtown, cruising through the alley
Tip-toeing in the street like Dally
Pulled up, moped to the valley
Whitewalls on the wheels like mayonnaise
Dope, my crew is ill, and all we need is two good wheels
Got gas in the tank, cash in the bank
And a bad little mama with her ass in my face
I’m a lick that, stick that, break her off, Kit-Kat
Snuck her in backstage, you don’t need a wristband
DopeKilling the game, ’bout to catch a body
Passed the Harley, Dukie on the Ducati
Timbaland, Khaled, Scott Storch, Birdman
God damn man, everybody got Bugattis
But I’m a keep it hella 1987
Head into the dealership and drop a stack and cop a Kawasaki
I’m stunting on everybody, hella raw, pass the wasabi
I’m so low that my scrotum’s almost dragging up on the concrete
My seat is leather — all right, I’m lying, it’s pleather
But girl, we could still ride together
You don’t need an Uber, you don’t need a cab
F*ck a bus pass, you got a moped man
She got 1988 Mariah Carey hair
Very rare, mom jeans on her derriere
Throwing up the West Side as we tear in the air
Stop by Pike Place, throwing fish to a playerDowntown, downtown (Downtown)
Downtown, downtown (Downtown)
She has her arms around your waist
With a balance that could keep us safe
(Downtown)
Have you ever felt the warm embrace
(Downtown)
Of the leather seat between your legs
(Hey-ey-ey-ey, hey-ey-ey-ey)
(Hey-ey-ey-ey, hey-ey-ey-ey)Downtown
You don’t want no beef, boy
Know I run the streets, boy
Better follow me towards
Downtown
What you see is what you get girl
Don’t ever forget girl
Ain’t seen nothing yet until you’re
DowntownDope
Cut the bullshit
Get off my mullet
Stone washed, so raw
Moped like a bullet
You can’t catch me
A po-po can’t reprimand me
I’m in a B-Boy stance, I’m not dancing
I got your girl on the back going tandem
Cause I’m too damn quick, I’m too damn slick
Whole downtown yelling out “who that is?”It’s me, the M, the A-C, the K
Stunting like a French pimp from back in the day
I take her to Pend Oreille and I watch her skate
I mean, water ski, ollie ollie oxen free
I’m perusing down fourth and they watching me
I do a handstand, the eagle lands on my seat
Well hello, but baby, the kickstand ain’t free
Now do you or do you not wanna ride with me
I got one girl, I got two wheels
She a big girl, that ain’t a big deal
I like a big girl, I like ’em sassy
Going down the backstreet listening to Blackstreet
Running around the whole town
Neighbors yelling at me like, “You need to slow down”
“Going thirty-eight, Dan, chill the f*ck out
Mow your damn lawn and sit the hell down”
If I only had one helmet I would give it to you, give it to you
Cruising down Broadway, girl, what a wonderful view, wonderful view
There’s layers to this sh*t player, tiramisu, tiramisu
Let my coat-tail drag but I ain’t tearing my suit, tearing my suitDowntown, downtown (Downtown)
Downtown, downtown
She has her arms around your waist
With a balance that could keep us safe
(Downtown)
Have you ever felt the warm embrace
(Downtown)
Of the leather seat between your legs
Downtown
You don’t want no beef, boy
Know I run the streets, boy
Better follow me towards
Downtown
What you see is what you get girl
Don’t ever forget girl
Ain’t seen nothing yet until you’re
DowntownYou don’t want no beef, boy
Know I run the streets, boy
Better follow me towards
Downtown
What you see is what you get girl
Don’t ever forget girl
What did you think about Macklemore’s video for “Downtown,” HollywoodLifers? Leave your thoughts below.
— Jason Brow