1. Macklemore Is The Rapper, Ryan Lewis Is The Producer
Macklemore, a.k.a. Ben Haggerty, has been releasing music since 2000. He started off as a local musician in his native Seattle, but he's since become a cult star in North America and Europe. He struggled with addiction through much of the mid-00s, and began his collaboration with Lewis after he got clean in 2008. They've been on the rise ever since.
2. They Love Second-Hand Clothes
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The duo's single "Thrift Shop" has been gradually building in popularity since it came out in late August, and it was the most-shared song in America on Spotify last week. The song has a simple message: Bargain hunting in thrift stores is "FUCKING AWESOME." It's the perfect song for a cultural moment in which people are obsessed with swag, yet a staggering number of people are either unemployed or just scraping by.
3. They're In Favor Of Gay Marriage
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Macklemore and Lewis teamed up with singer Mary Lambert to record "Same Love," a single in support of a referendum in favor of same-sex marriage in Washington state that was released by Sub Pop Records in August. "If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me / Have you read the YouTube comments lately?," Macklemore raps over a melancholy beat.
4. They Are Truly Independent
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The Heist, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' first album as a duo, is being released on the rapper's own label, which handles all of his merchandise. The record is being released as a deluxe set in a gator-skin box, because, as Macklemore says in this pitch video, "we wanted to do something that stood out, something that weight and a body, that was different from a jewel case or a cardboard sleeve, something that had a personality."
5. They Bring It In Concert
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The duo have become known for ultra-theatrical performances in which Macklemore switches up costumes a few times through the set and leads the audience through high-energy shout-alongs. This footage from a gig in Portland, Oregon last year is remarkable – pretty much everyone in the house is flipping out as they perform "And We Danced."
6. They Are Into Pizza Parties
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Macklemore and Lewis have been throwing an annual pizza party for their fans, who can only score tickets to the party by proving their fandom in a creativity contest.