Syrup

If you look at the song you will see that it describes the terrible affects of cough syrup. The first verse of song begins with a young man taking cough syrup for the first time because "its the same stuff weezy is sippin on and tons of other rappers that be spitting hard." The kid is influenced to take these drugs because his role models use it regularly.The verse ultimately ends with the death of this very kid.

Verse 2 (summed up)

"He just wanted to act like them he just wanted to rap like him us rappers underestimate the power and the effects that we have on these kids...Syrup, Percocet and an eighth a day will leave you broke depressed and emotionally vacant, despite how little Wayne lives its not conducive to being creative and I know cause he is my favorite and I know because I was off that same mix. Rationalize the shit that I try after I listen to dedication, but he is an alien I would sip that shit pass out or play playstation months later I am in the same place no music made feeling like a failure..."

I think every artist underground or commercial has tons of respect for Lil Wayne. Personally I can't stand most of what he raps about, but you have to respect his hard work ethic and dedication to Hip-Hop. Like it or not he has changed the game. Macklemore realizes this and respects Wayne as an artist, in fact I think he even looks up to him in some ways. Now that is not to say that Macklemore wants to be an artist similar to Wayne at all, but he does respect his insatiable drive. Lil Wayne is working 24/7 the problem is he is a total drug addict.

From what I decipher in the song Macklemore started sippin syrup and tried to rationalize it by saying, why can't I be productive Lil Wayne is. It was only a matter of time for him realize that Lil Wayne is the exception to the rule or as Macklemore likes to call it an Alien.