(The Root) — Macklemore had a great night at the MTV Video Music Awards this past Sunday. He took home home two awards, one for his song "Can't Hold Us," and another for "Same Love," a song calling for gay rights. Although he was lauded during the awards show, his win found a much colder reception on Twitter.
Openly gay rapper and producer Le1f blasted Macklemore on Twitter for ripping off his song "Wut" (which happens to sound very similar to Macklemore's "Thrift Shop") and for profiting off the plight of gays with the song "Same Love."
Le1f questioned Macklemore's motives, asking, "do proceeds go to any gay people? the HRC? Aids foundation? Or does this straight white man keep the money?" Later he tweeted, "News just in: gay people don't care about your video about gay people."
The comments have since been deleted (but not before the Internet grabbed the screenshots), and in other tweets Le1f alludes to discovering that Macklemore did, in fact, donate to gay-rights organizations. Still, Le1f isn't too impressed or pleased, given that whole song-stealing thing.
i stand corrected on somethings. i stand my ground with other things. but opinions on my opinions i couldn't care less about.
— Le1f ☥ (@LE1FNY) August 27, 2013
it's awesome that money went to the right place! it saddens me out that a straight man is the voice pop music has chosen for gay rights.
— Le1f ☥ (@LE1FNY) August 27, 2013
at the end of the day, i openly have no respect for any artists ripping from other artists, so blatantly.
— Le1f ☥ (@LE1FNY) August 27, 2013
not to say i deserve any platform, but if you're a real str8 ally, don't linger and bite one of the few gay rappers out here, ya know?
— Le1f ☥ (@LE1FNY) August 27, 2013
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Tracy Clayton is a writer, humorist and blogger from Louisville, Ky.