{"id":191142,"date":"2021-03-05T12:30:01","date_gmt":"2021-03-05T17:30:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=191142"},"modified":"2021-03-05T12:36:19","modified_gmt":"2021-03-05T17:36:19","slug":"exclusive-the-anti-woke-rapper-topping-the-charts-and-shocking-the-music-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-the-anti-woke-rapper-topping-the-charts-and-shocking-the-music-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"EXCLUSIVE: The Anti-Woke Rapper Topping The Charts And Shocking The Music Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fexclusive-the-anti-woke-rapper-topping-the-charts-and-shocking-the-music-industry%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=191142&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Rapper Tom MacDonald\u2019s father took his son aside after he released the first of many \u201ccontroversial\u201d songs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou may be a rapper, but what you\u2019re doing right now is rock \u2018n\u2019 roll. It\u2019s more about the truth and less about the music,\u201d MacDonald recalls of his father\u2019s advice.<\/p>\n<p>Tracks like \u201cFake Woke,\u201d \u201cClown World\u201d and \u201cCancelled\u201d pack so much \u201ctruth\u201d into their bombastic melodies they made MacDonald more than just a rapper on the rise.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s a musical revolutionary.<\/p>\n<p>Sound hyperbolic? What other musician, in rap or any other genre, stares down Cancel Culture with such precision?<\/p>\n<p>The list of subversive musicians daring to question media narratives on race, identity politics and more is microscopically small, and no one does it better, or bolder, than MacDonald.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a lyrical snippet from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2l6JUNFAJ9o\">\u201cFake Woke,\u201d<\/a> which hit no. 1 on Billboard\u2019s Emerging Artists chart earlier this month, to go along with nearly 10 million YouTube views:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>I think it\u2019s crazy I\u2019m the one who they labeled as controversial<br \/>\nAnd Cardi B is the role model for twelve year old girls<br \/>\nThere\u2019s rappers pushing Xanax at the top of the Billboard<br \/>\nBut if I mention race in a song I\u2019m scared I\u2019ll get killed for it<br \/>\nIt\u2019s backwards, it\u2019s getting exponentially dumb<br \/>\nIt\u2019s more difficult to get a job than purchase a gun<br \/>\nEminem used to gay bash and murder his mom<br \/>\nAnd now he doesn\u2019t want fans if they voted for Trump<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It\u2019s pure MacDonald, pulsing with raps that make you question what the media demands you believe. His songs crackle with rage and regret, spiked by humor and self-reflection. Plus, there\u2019s a unifying theme to some numbers, an element of his music conveniently overlooked by his detractors:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>So go ahead and hate the racists, I pray for their extinction<br \/>\nIf you wanna hate the white people, just make a distinction<br \/>\nBetween the ones who want the best for everyone regardless<br \/>\nAnd the ones who built the system just to smother you with hardship<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>His YouTube channel boasts nearly 2 million subscribers, with videos like \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=koO35JqBQMI\">Clown World<\/a>\u201d generating more than 3 million views in mere days, with lyrics like:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>I\u2019m offended that you\u2019re offended by me takin\u2019 offense<br \/>\nTrump can\u2019t build a wall, why does your house have a fence?<br \/>\nI believe in two genders, I\u2019m not mad at the rest<br \/>\nI\u2019m just confused when a dude has a beard and some breasts<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Over at Spotify his songs score big, too. Some tracks, like \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Vny0W0axomc\">Everybody Hates Me,<\/a>\u201d boast 21 million listens. He does it all with no record label, marketing team, manager or PR firm at his disposal.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s attracted a fair number of enemies along the way.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image\"><\/div>\n<p>They dub him racist, far-right and other pejoratives that don\u2019t align with his music or lyrics. Veteran Hollywood journalist Roger Friedman called \u201cFake Woke\u201d \u201cdangerously stupid\u201d and hoped radio ignored the rapper\u2019s songs lest stations <a href=\"https:\/\/www.showbiz411.com\/2021\/02\/01\/number-1-on-itunes-2-million-views-on-youtube-mixed-message-right-wing-fake-woke-indie-white-rap-by-canadian-living-in-los-angeles\">\u201cnormalize\u201d him<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, conservatives embrace his no holds barred raps, along with what he calls a \u201cmassive\u201d number of liberals soaking in his subversive streak.<\/p>\n<p>MacDonald, who grew up in Canada but moved to Los Angeles several years ago, started out rapping like his favorite musicians. His work echoed themes explored by 50 Cent, Eminem and others \u2014 think guns, girls and other hip-hop staples.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t have my own story yet,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>He credits his artistic awakening to an emotional breakdown, one that lasted about nine months. He moved back home and went to work on himself, journaling the process and reading as much as he could.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes when you go through your darkest hour you get to find out what you\u2019re made of,\u201d he says, his voice growing emotional. That found him quitting drinking, smoking and partying.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI figured out what was important to me, what I wanted to talk about,\u201d he says. \u201cI have a much clearer head now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His new music felt different, more authentic as a result, but it took time for his current voice to emerge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI felt like I was broken into a million pieces,\u201d says MacDonald, who approaches some questions with long pauses, collecting his thoughts for the sharpest response. \u201cIn the process of putting those pieces back together I made some music I wasn\u2019t particularly proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Moving from Canada to South Central, L.A. taught MacDonald plenty about two cultures that, on the surface, appear quite similar.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI assumed America was a bigger Canada,\u201d he says. \u201cIt was a little bit of a culture shock. A lot of issues in America \u2014 political, social, racial unrest, economic unrest \u2014 these issues do exist in Canada, but they\u2019re not as prominent as they are in America, not as volatile, not as polarizing.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"image\"><\/div>\n<p>He credits his \u201coutsider\u201d approach to helping fuel his music, his sound. That voice is being cheered on the right, but it wasn\u2019t part of any game plan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve definitely been right leaning in a lot of my music and stuff \u2026 I\u2019ve also been pretty radically left leaning [too],\u201d he says. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t really my intention, just thoughts I was having.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s not ready to embrace an ideological party.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s room for moderate voices in America,\u201d he says. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to pick a side.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Do a quick Google search on \u201cTom MacDonald\u201d and you won\u2019t find pages, and pages, of interview features on him.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s on purpose.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m very, very particular about who I speak with,\u201d he says, hoping to add a dash of mystery to his image like rock icons of yore.<\/p>\n<p>Plus, some interviewers bring an agenda to their pitches.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of the places that hit me up \u2026 are anti-right wing and anti-Republican. They have a preconceived notion of who I am,\u201d MacDonald says. \u201c\u2019We\u2019ll talk him into a corner and make him look like s***.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another worry? His outspoken raps may inspire imitators who lack his attention to detail.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m very careful with what I say, very calculated with how I say what I say,\u201d he says. \u201cPeople who love me might come out without the self-awareness and really say some radically unacceptable things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>MacDonald doesn\u2019t jump into his studio hoping to change the culture with each new track. Nor will he back down from his critics, whose numbers will likely balloon as his profile climbs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of people will tear down what you\u2019re doing, not necessarily because they disagree. They\u2019re more interested in putting themselves on a pedestal. \u2018Look at how woke I am.\u2019 That\u2019s all well and good, but it\u2019s come too far at this point.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Challenging media narratives is vital to both the American spirit and finding the best ways to evolve as a culture, as MacDonald sees it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s really important to talk about the uncomfortable things today,\u201d he says, admitting it\u2019s getting harder to do just that.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know if there\u2019s any amount of insulation that will protect you from the criticism of the Internet, or the people who subscribe to the mainstream narrative.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author\u2019s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><span class=\"s1\"><em>member<\/em><\/span><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rapper Tom MacDonald\u2019s father took his son aside after he released the first of many \u201ccontroversial\u201d songs. \u201cYou may be a rapper, but what you\u2019re doing right now is rock &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2274846,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"EXCLUSIVE: The Anti-Woke Rapper Topping The Charts And Shocking The Music Industry","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-191142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_video_url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2l6JUNFAJ9o","fifu_image_alt":"EXCLUSIVE: The Anti-Woke Rapper Topping The Charts And Shocking The Music Industry","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=191142"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191142\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2274846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=191142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=191142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=191142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}