Rapper/Environmental Activist Macklemore has recently linked up with Columbia Sportswear on their Tested Tough campaign, which seeks to educate people on the beauty and preciousness of the outdoors.
From the studio to the stage, Macklemore has proven himself as a politically conscious and free-thinking artist. His efforts to speak out on marginalized peoples and issues are admirable, and his pairing up with Columbia Sportswear is another one of these efforts. This time, the person being defended is Mother Nature herself. Columbia Sportswear and Macklemore have created a video that juxtaposes the raw power of nature with the sharp energy of city life, speaking volumes on the need for balance and serenity in this high-paced world that we live in. Macklemore speaks about times where his toughness has been tested, citing his fatherhood, his battles with addiction, and his life in the music business.
The outdoors are holy to Macklemore, they provide for him a limitless abode as well as a generous mental healer. When he needs a break from life, he can escape to a reality so beautiful it seems fake. He can cut off from the internet, ease his mind, and become one with nature. Macklemore is showing us his relationship with the outdoors in order to help us understand the true meaning of the resources we have, so that we do not squander them. In the political economy we live in, it is growing harder and harder to find peace, and even more difficult to find time for simple things, like fresh air. Macklemore and Columbia Sportswear’s message is not to abandon reality, only to appreciate a different side of it, one that is becoming more and more overlooked. You can watch the video here:
