Macklemore has returned with a new solo album, Gemini, which features appearances by Lil Yachty, Offset and Kesha.

This is first time in a decade that Macklemore has released music without Ryan Lewis, though the decision to work on solo music was amicable. Macklemore's new project follows last year's This Unruly Mess I've Made, though he told NPR that this record is a lot more fun.

Music is something that can uplift, it can inspire, it can pull somebody out of a situation or a place in their life. Music is a tool to heal and it doesn't need to just be spelled out what that healing should look like," he told NPR of the album.

"With this album I want to find a place of fun. I want to get back into the booth. I want to record everyday and I want to enjoy myself," he continued.  "There was such a density to the last album and there was so much processing around "White Privilege II" — which I think was really beneficial. It was really good to have deep conversations about race on a daily basis. It really pushed me in that way, as an artist and as a human and as someone fighting for equality. That was a huge part of This Unruly Mess. But with this album, I don't need to convince anyone that Trump's a racist. Trump has already either convinced you, or if he hasn't convinced you, you're a racist as well. Or, you're not paying attention and you're not going to pay attention to me, if that's the case. People already have their mind made up and I didn't think that I needed to make some political rap to try to uplift the world right now from Trump's doing. I can do that in different ways."

Macklemore will kick off his Gemini Tour Oct. 6 in Portland. Listen below via Spotify.

 

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