Biography Wikipedia
Wikipedia:
Ben Haggerty, (born June 18, 1983 in Seattle, Washington) better known by his stage name Macklemore, is an American rapper. Macklemore works with Ryan Lewis (Producer) Andrew Joslyn (Violin), Owour Arunga (Trumpet), Zach Fleury (Drums, Guitar, Bass), and Noah Goldberg (Piano). Macklemore has been popular in his hometown of Seattle since the beginning of his musical career at Garfield High School, often performing at the famous Capitol Hill Block Party. In 2008, 2009, and 2011, Macklemore performed at Bumbershoot, a major arts and music festival in Seattle and Sasquatch Music Festival in 2011 . He has been described as a socially conscious rapper, with many of his songs addressing issues surrounding consumerism, race, and drug addiction. Macklemore is set to release his new album this year, as stated in an XXL interview.
History
Growing up on Capitol Hill in Seattle, Washington, Macklemore attended Garfield and Nathan Hale high schools, and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree at Evergreen State College. Interested in reaching a younger generation through his music, he took a job at a juvenile-detention facility. There, he was a part of a program called “Gateways,” which was organized around rap.
Macklemore recorded an EP titled Open Your Eyes in 2000 under the name Professor Macklemore, which he distributed himself. He created his stage name based upon the Seattle Mariners player Mackenzie Crary. Macklemore dropped "Professor" from his name, and released his first official full-length album, The Language of My World in January 2005. In September 2009, he released The Unplanned Mixtape. In October 2010, he teamed up with DJ Ryan Lewis to create the VS. Redux EP. Macklemore used his experience with substance abuse to create the mixtape's critically acclaimed song "Otherside," which samples the Red Hot Chilli Peppers song of the same name.
Since then, Macklemore has been picked up by The Agency Group, an international booking company who has represented such well-known groups as 3OH!3, A Tribe Called Quest, and Finger Eleven, as well as others.
In 2005, Abyssinian Creole collaborated with Macklemore on the latter's track "Claiming the City."
In the past, Macklemore has struggled with substance abuse problems, including OxyContin. He considers this the reason for his lack of production between 2005 and 2009., But, after cleaning himself up in 2008, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis became a collaborative and creative unit. He celebrated two years of sobriety in early August 2010, as stated during his performance at Capitol Hill Block Party 2010. In late April 2010, he performed an impromptu set at a house party at Colorado College. The set consisted of his track "And We Danced", two consecutive times in front of over two hundred fans. In December 2010, he released a tribute song named "My Oh My" for then recently deceased Seattle Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus, which has received extensive coverage in Seattle media sources. Macklemore performed the song at the 2011 Mariner's Opening Day on April 8.
Macklemore gives back to his fans with an annual pizza party. Fans get the chance to prove their love of music and get a ticket to go to the party by showing off their creativity in a contest. Fans have had to sing, paint, draw, and play to get a chance to meet and watch a performance by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. The idea to have these fan appreciation parties was started in 2010.
Recognition
Macklemore was the Unsigned Hype in The Source Magazine in early 2012 and was also on the cover of XXL Magazine as part of the Freshman Class of 2012.
Personal life
Macklemore did not grow up in a musical family. However, both of his parents were supportive of his musical ventures. He has one sibling, a brother named Tim Haggerty, who is an English teacher.
Tours
In February 2011, Macklemore and producer Ryan Lewis kicked off a multi-city tour in Pullman, Washington, which included three sold-out shows at Showbox at the Market, a premier Seattle music venue.
Starting on October 18th, 2011, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis started the "fall tour" across the UK, Ireland and throughout North America. They kicked off their tour in America on November 4. This tour included guests Champagne Champagne and Xperience. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis sold out 18 of their 27 venues in the U.S. including the Bowery Ballroom and Troubadour. Their tour ended on December 17 with their final show at In The Venue in Salt Lake City.
