So this just dropped. Pretty epic from the minds of Ryan Lewis, Jason Koenig and Jon Augustavo (credited as co-directors, though Ryan cites the importance of other parties’ influence in the video write-up). Also Macklemore wrote some raps for it. I hear these guys are pretty popular these days.

[Update: 4.17.13, 2pm PST]

A few more stream of conscious thoughts I had while watching this video:

• “Magical brown people” all over the place. John Coffey, Bagger Vance, et al.
• Macklemore stunting wildly on a “pirate ship” / “Can’t Hold Us”‘s re-appropriation of soul music. Hmm… (Editor’s note: This thought credited to my friend; name withheld.)
• The Space Needle as Mack’s metaphorical penis.
• This some bullshit, fam.

And…

• I know hella white dudes who “planted their flag” on the tops of really tall shit — whether that means proposing to their girlfriends, or just summit-ing a damn mountain because it’s really big. (And yeah, this is a masculine thing not unique to the color of one’s skin, but still…)
• I don’t think there was menace behind any of the stuff in this video, but that doesn’t change the fact that this kind of imagery is pervasive. (And often damaging.)
• Yeah, I’m grinding axes. Deal with it.