Not only is Macklemore (born Ben Haggerty) the current American Songwriter cover star, but the Seattle-born rapper also boasts not one but two songs that have been certified diamond. That’s rarified air, along with the likes of Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Eminem and Justin Bieber.
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Macklemore, who recently released his latest solo album, Ben, rose to fame in the early 2010s thanks to his partnership with producer Ryan Lewis. The two, as Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, released the hit songs, “Same Love,” “Can’t Hold Us” and “Thrift Shop,” the latter of which propelled the duo to super-stardom and Grammy winners.
“Thrift Shop” went No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2013 and was the first song to top the chart without the support of a major record label since 1994. “Can’t Hold Us” also hit No. 1 later. It was a major coup for the duo’s LP, The Heist.
While Macklemore & Ryan Lewis haven’t released a new album since their follow-up to The Heist, This Unruly Mess I’ve Made, Macklemore as a solo artist has been dropping popular tracks. From his most recent, Ben, to his 2017 solo LP, Gemini, which featured the hits, “Glorious,” and “Good Old Days.”
Given that Lewis just goes by his born name, there is no mystery or intrigue there. So, let’s drill down on the lyricist’s moniker. Where does the word Macklemore come from and what does a professor have to do with it? Let’s dive in.
Macklemore
Born in Seattle, Haggerty became fond of rap music as a young person. He talks about Wu-Tang Clan and Talib Kweli in some of his songs, but he has other influences like Nas and Sir Mix-a-Lot.
As a high school student, Haggerty attended Seattle’s Nathan Hale High School. That’s where he came up with the name Professor Macklemore. Speaking at ACT Theater in Seattle in 2013, Macklemore talked about, ironically enough, going to thrift stores to buy outlandish outfits. He’d buy golf pants (he now runs a golf clothing line), fur coats, and pastels. Then he’d get drunk and put on the clothes and tell his friends to call himself “Professor Macklemore.” And it just kind of stuck, he said.
The name was also used early on for an art project in high school that involved a made-up superhero. In one of his visual art classes, there was an assignment. The teacher had a superhero figure in a box. It had a cape and was dressed up. But no emblem. So the teacher assigned her class to come up with a name and insignia. Macklemore was cemented.
With the name in tow, Macklemore built his fan base online, toured endlessly and the rest is history.
Photo by Scott Legato/Getty Images
