Macklemore

Name at birth: Ben Haggerty

Macklemore is the performing name of Seattle rapper Ben Haggerty, who shot to fame in 2013 with hit songs such as "Thrift Shop" and "Same Love." Born and raised in Seattle, Haggerty began releasing his own tapes around 2000. By the time he graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, he was releasing his first full-length recording, 2005's The Language of My World. With a solid fan base in the Pacific Northwest, he performed nationally, had a career crisis, and eventually hooked up with producer Ryan Lewis. Their singles gained an audience on college radio and the internet, and by the end of 2012 they were internet stars and independent music makers with distribution deals and millions of fans, thanks to the album The Heist and the singles "Can't Hold Us" and "Wings." Macklemore, in a raspy hip-hop voice, often raps about social issues, as in the examination of sexuality in "Same Love," but he and Lewis also created the bouncy tribute to secondhand clothing stores, "Thrift Shop." In 2012, the two received 7 Grammy nominations, including song of the year ("Same Love") and album of the year.