Macklemore facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Macklemore
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Macklemore in 2022
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| Born |
Benjamin Hammond Haggerty
June 19, 1983 Seattle, Washington, U.S.
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| Other names | Professor Macklemore |
| Education | College of Santa Fe Evergreen State College (BA) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2000–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Tricia Davis
(m. 2015) |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
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Benjamin Hammond Haggerty (born June 19, 1983), known as Macklemore, is an American rapper. He was born in Seattle, Washington. He started his music career in 2000 as an independent artist. This means he released his music without a major record label. Some of his early works include Open Your Eyes (2000) and The Language of My World (2005).
Macklemore became famous worldwide when he teamed up with producer Ryan Lewis. They formed the duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and worked together from 2009 to 2016. Their song "Thrift Shop" became a huge hit in 2013, reaching number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was special because it topped the chart without a major record company's full promotion. Their next song, "Can't Hold Us", also reached number one. This made them the first duo in the chart's history to have their first two songs hit the top spot.
Their first album, The Heist, came out in October 2012. It reached number 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. The duo won four Grammy Awards in 2014, which are very important music awards. They won for Best New Artist, Best Rap Album (for The Heist), Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Performance (for "Thrift Shop"). Their second album, This Unruly Mess I've Made, was released in 2016.
In 2017, Macklemore released "Glorious" with singer Skylar Grey. This song marked his return to music as a solo artist without Ryan Lewis. He then released his second solo album, Gemini, in September 2017. His latest album, Ben, came out in February 2023.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Benjamin Haggerty was born in Seattle, Washington, on June 19, 1983. He grew up with his brother Tim in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle. He has Irish family roots and was raised in the Catholic faith.
When he was six years old, Macklemore discovered hip hop music through the group Digital Underground. By the age of 15, he started writing his own song lyrics. He listened to a lot of underground hip hop from the East Coast of the U.S. Some of his favorite artists who inspired him included Wu-Tang Clan and Nas.
Macklemore wanted to connect with younger people through his music. He joined a program called "Gateways for Incarcerated Youth," where he led music workshops. He attended Garfield High School and Nathan Hale High School. At Nathan Hale, he created the stage name "Professor Macklemore" for an art project. At Garfield, he started a hip-hop group called Elevated Elements. This group released an album called Progress in 2000.
After high school, Macklemore went to the College of Santa Fe for a year. He later said that this time helped him improve his rapping skills. He then moved back to Seattle and later earned his bachelor's degree from The Evergreen State College in 2009.
Music Career Highlights
Early Solo Work (2000–2008)
In 2000, Macklemore recorded his first mixtape, Open Your Eyes, under the name Professor Macklemore. He released it himself. Later, he dropped "Professor" from his name and started working on his first official album, The Language of My World. This album was released in 2005.
In 2006, he met Ryan Lewis, who would become his future music partner. Lewis first worked as Macklemore's photographer for a few years. They became good friends but didn't officially start working together on music until 2009. Macklemore continued to perform as a solo artist during this time. He also performed at the Bumbershoot music festival in Seattle several times.
His second mixtape, The Unplanned Mixtape, came out in 2009. It reached number 7 on the iTunes Hip Hop chart.
Working with Ryan Lewis (2009–2017)
In 2009, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis officially became a music duo. They released an EP (a shorter album) called The VS. EP. They also released songs like "Irish Celebration" and "Stay At Home Dad". In 2010, they created another EP called VS. Redux.
Their songs "Wings" (2011) and "Can't Hold Us" (2011) became very popular. In 2011, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis went on a tour that included sold-out shows in Seattle. That same year, Macklemore performed at many big music festivals across the U.S., such as Lollapalooza and Sasquatch.
Their album The Heist was released in October 2012. It quickly reached number 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Other popular songs from this time included "Same Love" and "White Walls".
In 2015, Macklemore announced he was working on a new album. On August 5, 2015, he released a song called "Growing Up (Sloane's Song)" for free, featuring singer Ed Sheeran. Later that month, he released "Downtown", which he performed at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. During a tour, Macklemore announced that his new album was finished. It was released on February 26, 2016.
Solo Career Continues (2017–Present)
On June 15, 2017, Macklemore released "Glorious", featuring American singer Skylar Grey. This was the first song from his second solo album, Gemini. On July 26, 2017, he released "Marmalade" with rapper Lil Yachty. Another song, "Good Old Days", a collaboration with Kesha, came out in October 2017. Macklemore released Gemini on September 22.
In October 2017, Macklemore performed "Same Love" at the opening of the National Rugby League Grand Final in Sydney, Australia. He said it was one of his best performances. In December 2017, Macklemore announced a tour with Kesha called The Adventures of Kesha and Macklemore. The tour took place in 2018.
On October 29, 2021, Macklemore released a new song called "Next Year", featuring singer Windser. This song also marked his first time working with Ryan Lewis again in three years.
In 2022, Macklemore released more new music. He released "Chant" with Australian musician Tones and I in July. In August, he released "Maniac" with Windser. "Faithful", featuring NLE Choppa, came out in October 2022. The song "Heroes", featuring DJ Premier, was released in January 2023. Macklemore's third solo album, Ben, was released on March 3, 2023. In May 2024, he released "Hind's Hall", a song supporting student protests. All money from this song goes to UNRWA, a group that helps refugees.
Personal Life
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Macklemore got engaged to his girlfriend, Tricia Davis, in January 2013. They had been together for seven years. In January 2015, he announced they were expecting their first child. Their daughter, Sloane Ava Simone Haggerty, was born on May 29, 2015. After Sloane was born, Macklemore and Tricia got married on June 27, 2015.
In September 2017, the couple shared that they were expecting their second child. Their second daughter was born on April 3, 2018. In 2021, they had their third child, a son named Hugo.
In 2017, Macklemore's grandmother, Helen Schott, turned 100 years old. They traveled around Modesto, California, for the music video of his song "Glorious".
Activism and Views
Macklemore has spoken out in support of LGBT rights and same-sex marriage. He addressed these topics in his 2012 song "Same Love". This song also speaks out against negative views towards gay people in music and society.
Macklemore has also shared his views on other topics. He supports Palestinian nationalism. In October 2023, during the Israel–Hamas war, he signed a letter asking for a ceasefire and an end to the blockade in Gaza. In November 2023, at a rally, he spoke about the situation in Gaza. In May 2024, he released the song "Hind's Hall" to support student protests.
In August 2024, Macklemore canceled a show he had planned in Dubai. He said he would not perform there because of the United Arab Emirates' involvement in the conflict in Sudan. He stated he would not perform in the country until it stops supporting the Rapid Support Forces.
Interests
Macklemore is a big fan of the Seattle Seahawks football team. He made a special video for their fans, known as the "12th Man," and performed at a championship game in 2014. He also supports the former Seattle SuperSonics basketball team. In 2019, Macklemore became part of the ownership group for Seattle Sounders FC, the local soccer club. In 2022, he also joined the ownership group of the Seattle Kraken, a hockey team.
Discography
- The Language of My World (2005)
- Gemini (2017)
- Ben (2023)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Mac Miller and the Most ... Family | Himself | Guest appearance (Season 1, Episode 2) |
| 2014 | Under the Gunn | Himself / Guest Judge | Episode: "Trouble in the Lounge" |
| 2019 | Songland | Episode: "Macklemore" | |
| 2020 | Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? | Himself | Episode: "The 7th Innings Scare!" |
| 2020 | Dave | Episode: "Dave's First" |
Images for kids
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Macklemore's signature
See also
In Spanish: Macklemore para niños
- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
- List of awards and nominations received by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
- Ryan Lewis
