MacklemoreMacklemore Billboard. Macklemore-credits-blackalicious.JPG' alt='Macklemore' title='Macklemore' />How Macklemore Conquered Addiction, Crafted Diverse New LPAn hour before they took the stage at MTVs Video Music Awards in Los Angeles on August 3. Dolby Digital 7.1 Software Download on this page. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis were sure their set was going to be a total disaster. This Song Is Uncomfortable Macklemore And Jamila Woods On White Privilege The rapper says he knew that releasing a nineminute song that called out. The Seattle rapper producer duo had just finished the final run through of the performance  an ambitious outdoor version of their new single, Downtown, involving tricky choreography and multiple guest vocalists  and nothing was going right. We watched the playback, and Ryan was bummed, says Macklemore. He was like, Dude, this isnt good. Its going to be a shitshow. In the end, their first televised performance in more than a year went off without a hitch  but it was a high stakes moment for more reasons than one. The last awards show Macklemore and Lewis performed at was the 2. Watch videos listen free to Macklemore Glorious feat. Skylar Grey, Good Old Days feat. Kesha more. Ben Haggerty, also know as Macklemore is an emcee from. Excited to be adding a SECOND show in LONDON on Saturday 07 April Tickets will be onsale this Friday here http gigst. Cant wait to see you all. Account Status VerifiedFollowing 1. Khttp hIDSERP,5207. Macklemore IMDbhttp hIDSERP,5203. Macklemore, Soundtrack Horrible Bosses 2. Macklemore was born on June 19, 1983 in Seattle, Washington, USA as Benjamin Haggerty. He has been married to Tricia Davis. Seattle MC Macklemore had to finally confront his demons not to mention his place in hiphop, and white America for his latest album. On Biography. com, find out more about rapper Macklemore, who with producer Ryan Lewis created the hits Thrift Shop and Cant Hold Us. Grammys, where their platinum selling The Heistbeat out Kendrick Lamar and others for Best Rap Album. The backlash that followed was swift and brutal Many fans saw them as symbols of the advantages that white artists have even in a historically black genre. Last fall, the rapper  who went sober in 2. Theres this tendency to be like, Wheres the negative stuff How valid is the criticism says Macklemore. But honestly, what people think of me is none of my business. If I live on the Internet looking for public approval, Im going to be miserable. The day after the VMAs, Macklemore is calling from a mountain cabin in eastern Washington, where he and Lewis are putting the final touches on their follow up to The Heist. Im feeling great about this album, he says. It has a diversity of sounds and textures and concepts. Macklemore-DailyBeat.jpg' alt='Macklemore' title='Macklemore' />Weve been able to take our time with it, and its a great feeling to get to that point. His relief at having gotten through the VMAs is audible. It was intense, he says. Youre sitting in your seat, Kanyes giving his speech 1. This Internet culture that were in feels so foreign and so strange sometimes. The VMAs, the Grammys, Twitter, Facebook  all of that is artificial. Whats real is creativity. The Downtown video has been viewed more than 1. You. Tube the song is the result of an 1. Macklemore and Lewis were on tour somewhere in the American Midwest. Ryan made a beat called Moping Around, and I thought it was about mopeds, Macklemore says with a laugh. He began writing rhymes about the vehicles that he and Lewis had bought to relieve the monotony of life on the road. Lewis took this theme as a production challenge, building Downtown into a five minute epic packed with stylistic detours into Seventies rock, show tunes and more. We worked at whatever studios were available when we had random ideas, Lewis says. Dosbox Program Shortcut'>Dosbox Program Shortcut. Macklemore' title='Macklemore' />There was a long time when I didnt think I was going to be able to capture what was in our heads. The VMAs, the Grammys, Twitter, Facebook  all of that is artificial. Whats real is creativity. One key element came together after Macklemore, whod been listening to Sirius XMs old school rap station, tried out some Eighties cadences at Lewis suggestion. I was like, We have to reach out to the dudes that came up with this style, Macklemore says. It didnt feel right to appropriate that tone without seeing if they at least liked it. Luckily, their manager is friendly with Big Daddy Kane, who convinced hip hop pioneers Grandmaster Caz, Melle Mel and Kool Moe Dee to fly to Seattle and record vocals for the song. Lewis had to give up control over the session There was one moment when I gave them one note of feedback, he recalls. Kool Moe Dee was like, Are you trying to tell Melle Mel how to rapMacklemore and Lewis still have two to three songs to finish for the new LP, which they hope to release by the end of 2. The Heist. Ive never been that type of person whos going to turn out a mixtape every few months, says the rapper. I needed to figure out my path back to the studio, and figure out what I wanted to say. So I had to live. Watch Macklemore and crew take a break from the Gemini tour to play PlayLink games. Available now. Learn More httpswww. Macklemore new songs, albums, biography, chart history, photos, videos, news, and more on Billboard, the goto source for whats hot in music.