Benjamin Hammond Haggerty ( born June 19 , 1983 ) , known by his stage name Macklemore ( [ ˈmæk.ləmɔr ] ) and formerly Professor Mack Lemore , is an American hip hop recording artist from Kent , Washington . Macklemore and Ryan Lewis 's single `` Thrift Shop '' reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 2013 . Their second single , `` Ca n't Hold Us '' , also peaked at number one of the Hot 100 Chart , making Macklemore and Lewis the first duo in the chart 's history to have their first two singles both reach the peak position . Macklemore and Lewis released their debut studio album The Heist on October 9 , 2012 , which charted at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200 . The pair won four Grammy Awards at the 2014 ceremony , including Best New Artist , Best Rap Album ( The Heist ) , Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance ( `` Thrift Shop '' ) .
Macklemore is a country singer.