Rap duo enjoys explosive debut
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Macklemore isn’t afraid to tell you he was scared when he saw some of the destinations for his upcoming tour. Idaho. Montana. Texas. None of those places in the Heartland seemed like they’d be receptive to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’s left-leaning, socially conscious message. A hostile reception seemed more likely — especially for the lightning-rod song Same Love, which offers support for the gay community.
To the 29-year-old rapper’s surprise, he found the crowds singing the chorus right back at him.
“Those were three places where people probably sang the loudest and it gives me some hope in the power of music and what music can do,” said the MC, whose given name is Ben Haggerty.
It’s a time of plenty for the Seattle alternative hip-hop duo, which released its debut studio album, The Heist, to great acclaim last month. Haggerty and his producing and business partner Lewis sold more than 78,000 copies of the record the first week of release. That’s a staggering sum for an independent release, putting the album at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 all-genre chart.
What’s happened in the six weeks since the release has been dizzying. Lewis said offers are coming from everywhere and the fans are increasing exponentially at every show.
“Now we have to figure how to keep that intimate relationship with the fans in the midst of so many people,” Lewis said. “And that’s across the board. The shows get bigger.”