Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, aka Macklemore, is a popular American rapper. Born in Seattle, Washington, Macklemore gained an interest in music at the young age of six, writing his first rap lyrics at fifteen. Macklemore started rapping in earnest in high school under a hip-hop group he started called Elevated Elements, releasing a group album, Progress, in 2000.

That same year, Macklemore would release a mixtape titled Open Your Eyes under his then stage name Project Macklemore before shortening it to the title he’s known today. In 2005, he would release his first album under the new name. A year later, Macklemore would meet Ryan Lewis and would go on from there, producing two extended plays and albums together as a musical duo and performing together until the year 2017. As a solo artist, Macklemore would release three studio albums.

Macklemore has most notably been incredibly involved as a political activist, proudly supporting the LGBTQ+ community and advocating for the people suffering amid humanitarian crises in countries like Sudan and for Palestinians suffering in a genocide committed by Israel.