Macklemore

A Seattle rapper known for his playful spirit and sharp observations, Macklemore has earned multiple Grammy Awards and worldwide smashes. Emerging from independent roots to reach mainstream pop audiences, he achieved chart-topping success in the Grammy-winning partnership Macklemore & Ryan Lewis while sustaining a parallel solo path that connected rap, pop, and dance audiences. Alongside Lewis he issued the platinum-certified 2012 album The Heist and followed it with 2016’s This Unruly Mess I’ve Made. His first proper solo album, 2017’s Gemini, also proved an international success, entering Billboard’s album chart at number two. The third solo project, Ben, appeared in 2023. Beyond recordings, the rapper has long championed addiction recovery and awareness efforts, and in 2024 he issued the pro-Palestinian single “Hind’s Hall.”

Born Ben Haggerty and raised in Seattle, he first appeared as Professor Macklemore with the 2000 EP Open Your Eyes. His 2005 debut album The Language of My World built a regional audience, yet wider attention arrived after he joined DJ/producer Ryan Lewis for the 2010 Vs. Redux EP, which included the Red Hot Chili Peppers-sampling single “Otherside.” Their combined approach—witty rhymes over inventive beats—generated further tracks such as “My Oh My” and “Can't Hold Us” that circulated widely online and paved the way for a major follow-up. Released in 2012 as a Macklemore & Ryan Lewis project, The Heist debuted at number two on the Billboard 200; its single “Thrift Shop” reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100, and the album later achieved platinum status. The duo presented another track from the set, “Same Love,” at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards amid a mass wedding ceremony involving more than thirty couples, ultimately collecting trophies for Best New Artist, Best Rap Album, and Best Rap Performance.

Macklemore & Lewis resurfaced in 2015 with “Downtown,” the lead single from their second joint album, This Unruly Mess I’ve Made. That 2016 release also contained “Kevin,” unveiled live with Leon Bridges at the 2015 American Music Awards, plus the expansive, politically pointed follow-up single “White Privilege II.” After the album, Macklemore issued several solo tracks in 2016 (“Drug Dealer” featuring Ariana DeBoo and “Wednesday Morning”) and 2017 (“Glorious” with Skylar Grey), the last of which appeared on his official second solo album Gemini, released late that year. Additional contributors included Lil Yachty, Migos’ Offset, and Eric Nally, who rejoined Macklemore for “Ain't Gonna Die Tonight,” having previously appeared on “Downtown.” Gemini topped charts in the United States and Canada while landing inside the global Top Ten. Promotion included a summer 2018 U.S. headline tour with guest Kesha; international dates continued through the end of the decade, supported by the dance hits “These Days” (with Rudimental, Jess Glynne, and Dan Caplen), “I Don't Belong in This Club” (with Why Don't We), and “Summer Days” (with Martin Garrix and Patrick Stump).

Late in 2021 Macklemore announced renewed collaboration with Ryan Lewis; that October they released “Next Year” featuring vocalist Windser. Shortly afterward he paired with Australian singer/songwriter Tones and I on the uplifting single “CHANT,” which appeared on his third solo album Ben, issued in March 2023. A dynamic mix of buoyant pop and reflective old-school hip-hop tracks, the set centered on the struggles and personal development that followed a relapse during COVID-19 lockdowns. Joining Tones and I were guests DJ Premier, NLE Choppa, a returning Windser, and others. The 2024 single “Hind’s Hall,” which voiced solidarity with pro-Palestinian demonstrations, prompted Tom Morello to call it “the most Rage Against the Machine song since Rage Against the Machine.”