Biography
An improbable alliance between Seattle-rooted talents Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ignited a commercial surge in the early 2010s, as the rapper and producer fused comedic hip-hop experiments, incisive cultural commentary, and uplifting club anthems that dominated arenas, fitness centers, and dance floors nationwide. Their initial run produced multiple Billboard Hot 100 leaders, among them the multi-platinum tracks “Can’t Hold Us,” “Same Love,” and “Thrift Shop,” all drawn from the Grammy-winning debut full-length The Heist; the follow-up LP This Unruly Mess I’ve Made then delivered another platinum number-one single, “Downtown.” Following a prolonged break, the pair resurfaced in 2021 via the track “Next Year.”
Operating independently at first, Seattle rapper Macklemore ascended to the number-two position on the Billboard 200 with his 2012 sophomore project, trailing only Mumford & Sons; born Ben Haggerty and raised in the city, he had already issued the Open Your Eyes EP in 2000 under the name Professor Macklemore. His 2005 debut album The Language of My World cultivated a regional audience, yet broader attention arrived with the 2010 Vs. Redux EP recorded alongside DJ and producer Ryan Lewis, which included the Red Hot Chili Peppers-sampling single “Otherside.” Macklemore’s lyrical dexterity paired with Lewis’s distinctive beats fueled further viral successes such as “My Oh My” and “Can’t Hold Us,” paving the way for The Heist’s 2012 release under the Macklemore & Ryan Lewis banner and its number-two Billboard 200 debut. The album’s “Thrift Shop” reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100, ultimately earning diamond certification, while the duo performed “Same Love” at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards amid a mass wedding ceremony involving more than thirty couples and collected trophies for Best New Artist, Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Performance that evening.
Macklemore & Lewis resurfaced in 2015 with “Downtown,” featuring rap pioneers Melle Mel, Grandmaster Caz, and Kool Moe Dee plus Foxy Shazam’s Eric Nally; the platinum-certified single launched their second joint album, This Unruly Mess I’ve Made, which also contained “Kevin,” “White Privilege II,” and “Dance Off.” Once promotion concluded, the duo entered an extended hiatus.
Late in 2021 they returned unexpectedly through a comedic video that teased their comeback, followed shortly by the release of “Next Year” featuring vocalist Windser.
Operating independently at first, Seattle rapper Macklemore ascended to the number-two position on the Billboard 200 with his 2012 sophomore project, trailing only Mumford & Sons; born Ben Haggerty and raised in the city, he had already issued the Open Your Eyes EP in 2000 under the name Professor Macklemore. His 2005 debut album The Language of My World cultivated a regional audience, yet broader attention arrived with the 2010 Vs. Redux EP recorded alongside DJ and producer Ryan Lewis, which included the Red Hot Chili Peppers-sampling single “Otherside.” Macklemore’s lyrical dexterity paired with Lewis’s distinctive beats fueled further viral successes such as “My Oh My” and “Can’t Hold Us,” paving the way for The Heist’s 2012 release under the Macklemore & Ryan Lewis banner and its number-two Billboard 200 debut. The album’s “Thrift Shop” reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100, ultimately earning diamond certification, while the duo performed “Same Love” at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards amid a mass wedding ceremony involving more than thirty couples and collected trophies for Best New Artist, Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Performance that evening.
Macklemore & Lewis resurfaced in 2015 with “Downtown,” featuring rap pioneers Melle Mel, Grandmaster Caz, and Kool Moe Dee plus Foxy Shazam’s Eric Nally; the platinum-certified single launched their second joint album, This Unruly Mess I’ve Made, which also contained “Kevin,” “White Privilege II,” and “Dance Off.” Once promotion concluded, the duo entered an extended hiatus.
Late in 2021 they returned unexpectedly through a comedic video that teased their comeback, followed shortly by the release of “Next Year” featuring vocalist Windser.
Albums
Singles
