Macklemore Essentials

Macklemore spent much of the aughts as another rapper toiling away on the Seattle underground. Then came 2012's The Heist, with a run of crossover singles that took his career to a stratospheric level. In tandem with the producer Ryan Lewis, Macklemore's sound might possess a poppy surface sheen but his lyrics never shy away from offering up a thought-provoking take on issues like consumerism, racial identity and gender rights. Go beyond the hooks and you'll discover there's real soul to his music.