The 2015 Macklemore single described as a hip-hop recreation of Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’s “Uptown Funk” is “Downtown.”
Released by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis on August 27, 2015, the track became the lead single from their second studio album, This Unruly Mess I’ve Made. Its retro-styled production and exuberant music video invited comparisons with the earlier funk hit, while shifting the focus toward old-school hip-hop.
“Downtown” features Eric Nally of Foxy Shazam, along with pioneering rappers Grandmaster Caz, Kool Moe Dee, and Melle Mel. Their presence connects the song to the early history of hip-hop and gives it a deliberately celebratory, throwback character. The video also leans heavily into vintage street style, motorcycles, dancing, and comic excess.
A common mix-up is to identify the song simply as a Macklemore solo release; Ryan Lewis is its producing and performing partner. “Uptown Funk,” meanwhile, is Mark Ronson’s single featuring Bruno Mars, not a Macklemore track.