Member Spotlight: Macklemore
credit: WikiMedia Commons
Macklemore is a name you might have heard around, as an award-winning artist part of the hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and often as the subject of Internet memes, Twitter trends, and a string of music controversies.
The rapper, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, grew up in Seattle, Washington. He is renowned as a ‘grassroots’ rapper, in that he released and promoted his albums without mainstream support. Macklemore gained a large following through self-promotion on Myspace and YouTube, as well as rapping at house parties in and around Seattle. But it was with his collaboration with DJ and producer Ryan Lewis, that Macklemore would gain global success.
Performing under the name Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, the duo creates hip-hop and alternative rap. Their debut album The Heist, released in 2012, has received wide-ranging critical success, with a string of singles reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and winning the award for Best Rap Album at the 2014 Grammy Awards. Just this week, the duo won the award for Best Video for the song Downtown at the MTV EMAs 2015.
Most recently, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ upbeat track Thrift Shop has been pre-cleared by Tracks & Fields and sync licensed on HIT biscuits’ newest campaign.
Check out the single Thrift Shop below: