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Seattle’s new generation favorite son, Macklemore makes his mark on golf, Sounders, Kraken and in his community BY BOB SHERWIN • CG STAFF WRITER
ow did he get here? How did Macklemore, who admits to a destructive and addictive lifestyle growing up on Seattle’s inner-city streets, become a rapper with world-acclaimed hits and a slew of Grammy awards on his mantle? Talent. Yes. He can sing. He can compose. He can stir an audience. But there’s more. There must be more for a guy, born as Ben Haggerty, who matriculated through Garfield and Nathan Hale High Schools. It takes passion, irrepressible passion. He had to overcome the novelty of being a white rapper to prove he’s legit. He had to battle his self-confessed addiction to drugs and alcohol, honestly incorporating his struggles, even his relapses, into his music. He had to press on even when his long performances were short of people. He did it while taking on seemingly un-rappable, socially-conscious subjects like addiction (‘Starting Over’), gay marriage (‘Same Love’) and wanton consumerism (‘Wings’). His wife, Tricia, who has stood by him and supported him through all his rises and falls for more than 15 years, is the beneficiary of Haggerty’s extraordinary passion and dedication. The couple, married in 2015, now share their lives with their three children — two girls, Colette and Sloane, and newborn son Hugo. 42
JUNE 2022
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