All posts in: Ben Haggerty

Uncategorized
14 Aug 2013

Macklemore Covers Rolling Stone

photo cred | Rolling Stone

Our favorite Seattle rapper is covering the latest issue of Rolling Stone out this coming Friday, August 16th. In his cover story – also featuring Ryan Lewis – the two discuss Macklemore’s background as a recovering alcoholic and drug addict while Ryan highlights the issue that people don’t understand what he does and how is he a part of this duo. It’s true; that’s what most people believe. I really enjoyed the preview of this article though and am looking forward to reading the entire story on the both of them.

The cover story, by Brian Hiatt, goes in-depth on the life and career of Ben Haggerty, a.k.a. Macklemore, and his musical partner, Ryan Lewis. Haggerty, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, says that at one point he was so worried about being trivialized as “the ‘Thrift Shop’ guy” that his sobriety was at risk: “I went through a place of not being happy, getting put in the box of ‘This is a novelty rap song,’ and being like, ‘What did I sign up for’?” But the success of the pro-gay-rights track “Same Love” helped him relax. “The legacy that I’m leaving on the world is more than just a song about second-hand clothes,” he says.

Lewis, meanwhile, acknowledges some concerns about being the lesser-known half of the duo. “I think on the mainstream level, nobody knows what the fuck I am. Am I the DJ? Do I make the beats? Do I rap? Am I singing on tracks? I don’t think a lot of people know except real fans who have been around. I mean, you guys, Rolling Stone, don’t want to put me on the cover. It’s like, you’re going to sell more copies with Ben’s face. Why is that? Because the general public, based on the way this whole thing’s been marketed… are going to be more receptive to ‘Macklemore.’ The public don’t care how the song came together. And I can’t change that. So if I have jealousy, deriving from that, then that’s just stupid.”

[Source]

Uncategorized
12 Oct 2012

Song of the Day

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlVBg7_08n0]

Macklemore – Same Love

It’s time to admit that I was wrong. And I don’t like to do this very often, but there’s no denying it this time. Macklemore’s latest hit “Same Love” has warmed the hearts of many and of course adds just a little bit more to the hometown pride I have for Seattle and Seattle music. When Macklemore first came onto the scene, I wasn’t really a fan. I wasn’t a hater, but I just didn’t see something that special and I’m not alone. The music snob came out in me when I realized his first EP w/ Ryan Lewis was compiled of samples from other artists. You might try and argue that some of today’s best rappers do the exact same thing as well, but that doesn’t make it right, does it? I put them in the back of my head and moved on to the string of up-and-coming indie artists hitting the scene. So what has turned it around for me? I read an article last night from the Seattle Met Blogs in which Ryan Lewis mentions how much their sound has grown. He admitted to the sampling and it was that little piece right there along with “Same Love” that changed it for me. Am I going to become a crazed fan after this? No, probably not. I was unphased the first time I saw his performance back in 2010 at my school’s music festival. I was nonchalant meeting Ben Haggerty when he made an appearance at my music festival last year and it became somewhat of a highlight. However, after years of saying I don’t understand the hype, I can now say… that I get it and it is deserved.

Enjoy the video y’all! It’s a beautiful one. I’m going to stop talking about Macklemore now though because we all know Evan Johnson could do it better than me.