Mackned presents Buy The Pain...

[D. MCkinney]

With Rae Sremmurd stepping out a Rolls-Royce filled with doves and Gucci Mane rolling straight out of prison and directly onto several video shoots throwing green rain, it can feel hard to find some grounding. Last year saw a resurgence of hip-hop artists shifting the focus from materialism and turning it inwards – picking up a torch laid down by the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, Souls of Mischief, and Erykah Badu to promote positivity and wellbeing – but sometimes the strongest doses of reality lie somewhere between the two camps.
For every blessing West Seattle rapper Mackned brings on himself, he balances it out with thanks. For every gain, there is a loss. Laced with a gentle sadness, "Buy The Pain" from his newest release Born Rich details the cycle of prescription drugs as both a coping mechanism and the cause of the problem. Produced by fellow Seattle staples and Macklemore collaborators The Flavr Blue, "Buy The Pain" draws a line between friends, family, and icons their city has lost, and joins it full circle.