The Seattle Kraken, a National Hockey League team, have announced two of their newest minority owners—Grammy-winning rapper Macklemore and former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch. Macklemore was born and raised in Seattle, so the financial move made sense for the artist. It was also in his Seattle high school where the name Macklemore first emerged. He had adopted the name “Professor Macklemore” for an art project. As for Lynch, the former athlete spent the majority of his football career playing for the Seattle Seahawks.
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“I am a Seattle sports fan through and through, have been my entire life,” Macklemore said in a statement to the NHL. “I think that sports define a city. They bring people together. It gives us one common purpose to root for. It’s really the spirit of the city in so many ways, and to be a part of that new era that is the Kraken, that is the NHL in Seattle, that is the new arena, to do that was a no-brainer in terms of the opportunity. It’s just something that I can’t really even put into words.
“It’s a big moment for myself, for Marshawn—we’re both super pumped to be involved—for my family and for the future.”
Upon joining the Kraken Investor Group, Macklemore and Lynch “are expected to lead Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena initiatives to connect with hockey fans, music lovers, and community members,” according to NHL reporting.
Macklemore, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, first made a name for himself in the music world over the course of one mixtape, three EPs, and four albums. His collaboration with producer Ryan Lewis saw the release of mega-hits “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us.” Both songs reached the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
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