The secret to Macklemore’s success? He’s white

Daniel Bettridge
·Blogger

It’s been a whirlwind year for Macklemore – a.k.a Ben Haggerty. Over the past 12 months, the Seattle-based star has enjoyed two back-to-back No. 1 songs on the Billboard 100 with his hit single “Thrift Shop” selling 2.2 million copies and receiving more than 400 million views on YouTube. The success continued when “Can’t Hold Us” also reached the top spot, making Macklemore and regular co-conspirator Ryan Lewis the first duo in the chart’s history to have their first two singles reach No. 1.

So what does the 30-year-old attribute his success to? Apparently it’s because he’s white. Or at least that’s what he told Rolling Stone as part of an in-depth interview which forms the cover story of the latest issue:

"If you’re going to be a white dude and do this shit, I think you have to take some level of accountability," Haggerty says. "You have to acknowledge where the art came from, where it is today, how you’re benefiting from it. At the very least, just bringing up those points and acknowledging that, yes, I understand my privilege, I understand how it works for me in society, and how it works for me in 2013 with the success that The Heist has had."

"We made a great album," he continues, "but I do think we have benefited from being white and the media grabbing on to something. A song like ‘Thrift Shop’ was safe enough for the kids. It was like, ‘This is music that my mom likes and that I can like as a teenager,’ and even though I’m cussing my ass off in the song, the fact that I’m a white guy, parents feel safe. They let their six-year-olds listen to it. I mean it’s just…it’s different. And would that success have been the same if I would have been a black dude? I think the answer is no."

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis will look to continue their whirlwind success story at the MTV Video Music Awards this weekend. The duo are up for six awards, tied for most nominations with heavy hitter Justin Timberlake.

“Thrift Shop” is up for a Video of the Year gong, whilst “Can’t Hold Us” has landed nods for Best Hip Hop Video, Best Cinematography, Best Direction and Best Editing. Their equality anthem “Same Love,” which peaked at No. 11 in July last year, looks set to take home the award for Best Video with a Social Message.

What do you think about Macklemore’s statements? Let us know in the comments section below.