Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are an American hip hop duo from

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

, formed in 2008 by

Macklemore Benjamin Hammond Haggerty (born June 19, 1983), better known by his stage name Macklemore ( ; (formerly Professor Macklemore), is an American rapper and songwriter. A native of Seattle, Washington, he has collaborated with producer Ryan Lewi ...

, a rapper,Trust, Gary (2013)
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' 'Can't Hold Us' Makes Hot 100 History
, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'', May 8, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2014 and

Ryan Lewis Ryan Scott Lewis (born March 25, 1988) is an American record producer, DJ, videographer, photographer, graphic designer, music video director, rapper, and songwriter. Along with producing his own album, ''Instrumentals'', Lewis produced the alb ...

, a DJ and record producer. In 2009, they released their first collaborative effort, an EP titled ''VS. EP''. They later followed up with ''VS. Redux'' (2010), the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

-winning album '' The Heist'' (2012) and ''

This Unruly Mess I've Made ''This Unruly Mess I've Made'' is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. It was released on February 26, 2016, by Macklemore LLC and Alternative Distribution Alliance. Following the success of the duo's hit album ...

'' (2016). Macklemore and Lewis' single "

Thrift Shop Thrift may refer to: * Frugality * A savings and loan association in the United States * Apache Thrift, a remote procedure call (RPC) framework * Thrift (plant), a plant in the genus ''Armeria'' * Syd Thrift (1929–2006), American baseball execut ...

" reached number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 2013. The single was soon dubbed the first song since 1994 to top the Hot 100 chart without the support of a major record label by ''

'', although Macklemore, in a slightly unusual

recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...

, pays a nominal percentage of sales to use

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

' radio promotion department to push his singles. Their second single, "

Can't Hold Us "Can't Hold Us" is a song written and performed by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring American singer Ray Dalton, originally released on August 16, 2011 as the second single from the duo's debut studio album '' The Heist'' ...

", also peaked at number one on the Hot 100 Chart, making Macklemore and Lewis the first duo in the chart's history to have their first two singles both reach the peak position. Macklemore and Lewis released their debut studio album, '' The Heist'', on October 9, 2012, which charted at number 2 on the US ''Billboard'' 200. The pair won four

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

at the 2014 ceremony, including

Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...

Best Rap Album The Grammy Award for Best Rap Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums with rapping at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories ...

(''The Heist''),

Best Rap Song The Grammy Award for Best Rap Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rap music genre. Honors in several ...

and

Best Rap Performance The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance is an honor presented to recording artists for quality rap performances. It was first presented at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards in 1989 and again at the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1990, after which p ...

("Thrift Shop"). Their second album, ''

'', was released on February 26, 2016. On June 15, 2017, Macklemore announced that the duo were on hiatus. On October 26, 2021, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis announced that a new track, titled "Next Year" and featuring pop musician Windser, would be released on October 29.

Career

2006–2010: Career beginnings and ''The VS.''

and

met in 2006.Jabari Presents: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (Documentary)
YouTube. Retrieved on December 30, 2012. Lewis spent a few years working on Macklemore's promotion as a photographer, and they soon became good friends. Lewis went on to produce for Macklemore, the two eventually working full-time as a title-credited duo. In 2008 they formalized the collaboration as a duo and performed at

Bumbershoot Bumbershoot is an annual international music and arts festival held in Seattle, Washington. One of North America's largest such festivals, it takes place every Labor Day weekend (leading up to and including the first Monday of September) at the ...

, at the

Sasquatch Music Festival Sasquatch! Music Festival was an annual music festival held at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, United States. It took place on Memorial Day weekend, running for three to four days. In 2018, it was announced that the festival was c ...

The Gorge Amphitheatre The Gorge Amphitheatre, originally known as Champs de Brionne Music Theatre, is an outdoor concert venue in Grant County, Washington, United States. It is situated near Columbia River in Central Washington, west of George. The venue is manage ...

and at the

Outside Lands Music Festival The Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival is a music festival held annually in San Francisco, California, at Golden Gate Park. The festival is produced by Another Planet Entertainment, Superfly Presents, and Starr Hill Presents. It is the l ...

in San Francisco. In 2009 they released the debut extended play, ''The VS. EP''. The latter reached No. 7 on the iTunes Hip Hop chart. They also released "Irish Celebration" in December 2009 in anticipation of the release of ''The VS. EP''. In March 2010, the duo released a free download, "Stay At Home Dad", a track that didn't quite make ''VS.'' In October 2010, they released the ''VS. Redux'' EP. Macklemore and Lewis used his experience with substance abuse as the inspiration for the mixtape's critically acclaimed song "Otherside", which samples the

Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea (musician), Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates element ...

song of the same title.

2011–14: Breakthrough with ''The Heist''

In 2011, they released the single "My Oh My" as a tribute to recently deceased

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...

broadcaster

Dave Niehaus David Arnold Niehaus (February 19, 1935 – November 10, 2010) was an American sportscaster. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in until his death after the 2010 season. I ...

, which received extensive coverage in Seattle media. On April 8, 2011, they performed the song at the 2011 Mariners Opening Day to a sold-out crowd of nearly 48,000 attendees. "

Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expresse ...

" was released on January 21, 2011, and charted on ''

''s

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

at number 12, and was followed by "

" featuring

Ray Dalton Raymond A. Dalton (born May 10, 1991) is an American singer and songwriter based in Seattle, Washington. He began his career as a gospel and R&B singer. Dalton gained prominence as the featured artist on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' 2011 song "Can ...

on August 16, 2011. "Can't Hold Us" eventually became the duo's second number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on May 18, 2013, and stayed there for 5 weeks. In February 2011, they kicked off a multi-city tour in

Pullman, Washington Pullman () is the largest city in Whitman County, located in southeastern Washington within the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. The population was 29,799 at the 2010 census, and estimated to be 34,506 in 2019. Originally founded as Thr ...

, which included three sold-out shows at

Showbox at the Market The Showbox (originally known as the Showbox Theater) is a music venue in Seattle, Washington. It has been owned by AEG Live since 2007. History and usage Founded in 1939, the Showbox has hosted a diverse offering of music over the decades. Fr ...

, a Seattle music venue. That same year, the rapper appeared at several U.S. music festivals including

Outside Lands Outside Lands was the name used in the 19th century for the present-day Richmond District, San Francisco, California, Richmond District and Sunset District, San Francisco, California, Sunset District in San Francisco, California. With few roads an ...

Lollapalooza Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Musi ...

Rock the Bells Rock the Bells was an annual hip-hop festival that originally took place in Southern California only, but has since toured throughout the world. The concert featured a line-up of high-profile alternative hip-hop artists, often headlined by a mor ...

, SoundSet,

Sasquatch Bigfoot, also commonly referred to as Sasquatch, is a purported ape-like creature said to inhabit the forest of North America. Many dubious articles have been offered in attempts to prove the existence of Bigfoot, including Anecdotal evidence, ...

, and

Bonnaroo The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an American annual four-day music festival developed and founded by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment. Since its first year in 2002, it has been held at what is now Great Stage Park on a farm in M ...

. His album '' The Heist'' was released in October 2012. Previously released singles "My Oh My", "Wings", and "Can't Hold Us" were announced to be included on the album – as was the song "Make the Money". "Can't Hold Us" was used as the soundtrack for a

Miller A miller is a person who operates a Gristmill, mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. Mill (grinding), Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surname ...

beer ad in the UK and Ireland in June 2012, increasing Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's recognition in Europe. "

Same Love Same may refer to: *Sameness or identity Places * Same (Homer), an island mentioned by Homer in the ''Odyssey'' * Same (polis), an ancient city * Same, East Timor, the capital of the Manufahi district * Samé, Mali * Same, Tanzania * Same Distric ...

" was released on July 18, 2012, and later peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The songs "

White Walls "White Walls" is a hip hop song by an American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, taken from their collaborative debut studio album '' The Heist'' (2012). The song's hook is performed by singer Hollis, while American rapper Schoolboy Q, perfor ...

" featuring

ScHoolboy Q Quincy Matthew Hanley (born October 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q (stylized as ScHoolboy Q), is an American rapper. In 2009, Hanley signed to Carson-based independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and in late ...

and "Jimmy Iovine" featuring

Ab-Soul Herbert Anthony Stevens IV (born February 23, 1987), better known by his stage name Ab-Soul, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. Raised in Carson, California, he signed to indie record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2007, where ...

were confirmed to be included on the album. "

" was released on August 27, 2012, and charted at number 1 on 24 charts worldwide, including topping the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for six weeks, giving them their first number 1 hit in the US. ''The Heist'' debuted on the US ''Billboard'' 200 at number 2 of the week dated October 27, 2012, selling over 78,000 copies. On October 30, 2012, Macklemore and Lewis appeared on ''

The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was prod ...

'' performing their single "Same Love" and then again on January 18, 2013, performing their single "

", which they had sung previously on ''

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by comedian Jimmy Fallon. About pag ...

'' on December 11, 2012. "The Heist World Tour" began in August 2012 to promote ''The Heist''. On October 8, 2013, they released their fifth and final single from ''The Heist'', "

", which charted at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. On January 26, 2014, they performed "Same Love" at the

56th Annual Grammy Awards The 56th Annual Grammy Awards presentation was held on January 26, 2014, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT and was hosted for the third time by LL Cool J. The show was moved to January to avoid comp ...

, where

Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album ''All Hail the Que ...

read marriage vows for 33 couples who lined the aisles. "This is a love song, not for some of us but for all of us," she said, followed by an appearance from

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

singing " Open Your Heart".

2015–2017: ''This Unruly Mess I've Made'' and hiatus

In January 2015, Macklemore announced via Twitter that the duo's second studio album would be released sometime in the second half of the year. On August 5, 2015, Macklemore released a song as a free download, titled "Growing Up (Sloane's Song)", which featured

Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran (; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...

. On August 27, 2015, the duo released "

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

", the first single of their upcoming second studio album, which they performed at the

2015 MTV Video Music Awards The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 30, 2015. The 32nd installment of the event was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California, and hosted by Miley Cyrus. Taylor Swift led the nominations with a total of ten, followe ...

on August 30. It charted at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. On November 22, 2015, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis debuted the song "Kevin" at the American Music Awards with Leon Bridges. On January 22, 2016, the duo released "

White Privilege II "White Privilege II" is a song by American Hip hop music, hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis from their second album ''This Unruly Mess I've Made'' (2016). The song, a sequel to Macklemore's solo song "White Privilege" from his first album ''The ...

", the second promotional single on ''

''. "Spoons" was released as the third promotional single on February 14, 2016. "Buckshot" & "Kevin" were released as the fourth and fifth promotional singles on February 23, 2016. "

Dance Off "Dance Off" is a song by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring British actor and musician Idris Elba and fellow American musician Anderson .Paak, released in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and selected European cou ...

" was released as the second single from the album on February 25, 2016. Their new album, ''This Unruly Mess I've Made'', was released on February 26, 2016. It charted at number 4 on the ''Billboard'' 200. On June 15, 2017, Macklemore announced via his official Instagram that the duo were on hiatus.

2021: Reunion

On October 25, 2021, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis announced on their respective Instagram pages that they "might have made something," hinting at an upcoming project.

Public image

The duo was in the

Unsigned Hype ''The Source'' is an American hip hop and entertainment website, and a magazine that publishes annually or . It is the world's longest-running rap periodical, being founded as a newsletter in 1988 by Jonathan Shecter. David Mays was the magaz ...

in ''

The Source ''The Source'' is an American hip hop and entertainment website, and a magazine that publishes annually or . It is the world's longest-running rap periodical, being founded as a newsletter in 1988 by Jonathan Shecter. David Mays was the ma ...

'' in early 2012 and was also on the cover of ''

XXL Magazine ''XXL'' is an American hip hop magazine, published by Townsquare Media, founded in 1997. History In August 1997, Harris Publications released the first issue of ''XXL''. It featured rappers Jay-Z and Master P on a double cover. In December 2006 ...

'' as part of the Freshman Class of 2012. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' called Macklemore and Ryan Lewis an "indie rags-to-riches story". "Thrift Shop" was voted #1 in Australian radio station

Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...

's Hottest 100 of 2012. Their song "Same Love" also featured highly, coming in at #15 in the countdown. The

Hottest 100 The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music listener poll hosted by the publicly-funded, national Australian youth radio station, Triple J. Members of the public are invited to vote for their favourite Australian and alternative music of the y ...

is the world's largest music poll held every year on

Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port Ja ...

, and currently attracts over one million votes from within Australia and around the world. There was a three-page article on Macklemore and Lewis's career in the February 8, 2013, issue of ''

ESPN the Magazine ''ESPN The Magazine'' was an American monthly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998. Initially published every other week, it scaled back to 24 issues a year i ...

''. They received seven Grammy award nominations at the

, which included

Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...

, Song of the Year ("Same Love"), and

Best Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...

("Can't Hold Us"). On January 26, 2014, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis won four Grammy awards including those for Best New Artist,

(''The Heist''),

and

("Thrift Shop"). Some rap critics took issue with Macklemore's win over Kendrick Lamar for Best Rap Album. In an interview with ''The Source'', Macklemore said that Lamar had a better rap album, and acknowledged that the hip hop community would be justified in feeling that Kendrick was robbed that year.

Discography

* '' The Heist'' (2012) * ''

'' (2016)

Tours

* The Heist Tour (2012–13) * The Fall Tour (2013–14) * This Unruly Mess I've Made Tour (2016)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Macklemore and Ryan Lewis Musicians from Seattle American musical duos Musical groups established in 2008 Musical groups disestablished in 2016 Musical groups reestablished in 2021 2008 establishments in Washington (state) Grammy Award winners for rap music Hip hop duos American hip hop groups