We are MACKLEMORE, RYAN LEWIS and FENCES. Ask us anything.

http://i.imgur.com/uoFxed6.jpg Macklemore, why $50 for a shirt?

That's a sweatshirt yo

I’ve been listening to you since Wings and Otherside, but one thing has always bugged me. Is it pronounced Mack-la-more or Mack-el-more? (Like nickel) Because in Starting Over it's pronounced like the former, but in Jimmy Iovine like the latter. Thanks Ben!

Mack-La-More is how it's pronounced

Should have picked an easier name to say

What is it like going from being average to rich so quickly? was there any moments when you thought "hmm that's kinda expensive...wait! im rich bitch!" then bought it? just curious what that feels like.

Hahahaha.

The thing about being frugal your whole life is, once you get money you always keep that sense of "that shit is hella expensive."

Sure, I've bought nice things since our success. But I try to be relatively practical. Invest, save, and raise this cat with the healthiest most organic cat food in the game.

Thanks for doing this AMA. You still close with the Blue Scholars? (Geo and Sabzi)

Also, will you and Ryan Lewis be doing any more Soundsets in the future?

edit. Thanks for answering my question!

For people that don't know about the Blue Scholars, they are another Seattle based Hip Hop group with Geo (Rapper) and Sabzi (Producer). Macklemore used to tour with them back in the day, and would be THEIR opening act.

You probably recognized Sabzi's name since he remixed a few of Macklemore's songs. They also have a few songs together from the mid 2000s. Good stuff, if you enjoy NorthWest Hip Hop, check them out!

I see Geo. Love that guy. One of my favorites. I haven't seen Saba in too long. Was just talking about him the other day. I miss that dude. He was really there for me when I first got sober. I didn't know any other musicians that were sober and lived a spiritual life. He played a big part in introducing me to some beautiful humans and putting me on shows opening for them. I'm forever grateful for that

Have you ever thought of doing a "homie festival" in your home state..for like all your rapper friends who want to tour with you and you love...but can't bring everyone? (like a north west paid dues?) You guys would headline ofcourse...

Kosha! What up foo.

We talked about it a couple years ago. Definitely a dope idea. A lot of work. But I'm still interested

Hello. This question is directed towards Macklemore. A black rapper has not topped the Billboard Hot 100 since 2011. Yet Iggy Azalea and you both have. White hip hop being the only hip hop that sells massively now is becoming a trend. I'm going to be honest and say this makes me angry because it definitely has to do with you and Iggy's race. You're self aware of it with songs like White Privilege even before you got famous which is great.

The Grammys (where you won 4 awards including RAOTY which you and I agree should have went to Kendrick) made me angry not because I care what the people at the Grammys say about our genre, but because it show the racism that is coming into Hip Hop. White rappers always get praise from racists who don't want to dive deeper into the genre. For example you say this on your song Awake.

"They say, "It's so refreshing to hear somebody on records / No guns, no drugs, no sex, just truth" / The guns that's America, the drugs are what they gave to us / And sex sells itself, don't judge 'til it's you / Ah, I'm not more or less conscious / Than rappers rapping 'bout them strippers up on a pole, popping / These interviews are obnoxious / Saying that "It’s poetry, you’re so well spoken," stop it".

Iggy Azalea followed the same path as you did on the charts and this is becoming a trend that I don't want to become a trend. Not because I don't want to see white rappers (and there are a lot of talented white rappers), but because I don't want to see white rappers doing exceptionally better then black rappers due to what it represents, racism. What is your opinion on this? I would like to know since you have a great song on white privilege in Hip Hop.

Amazing question. It would take me pages to answer it and do the question justice. I don't want to short change the depth of it with a couple sentences. BUT...

The song I wrote "White Privilege" is a great starting point to who I feel on the issue.

Dear Macklemore, I was at your Marlay Park concert in Dublin, WHAT A SHOW! Do you have any plans to return to Ireland?

HELL YES!!!!!

Ben and Ryan, first I want to give you guys a huge thanks. Last year I did an orchestral arrangement of both Thrift Shop and Can't Hold Us that were both enormously well-received and have been directly responsible for some great opportunities.

My question to you is: Is there anything you would have done differently in the past three years of growth as an artist? Any regrets?

Of course. I try not to have any regrets. But you learn along the way. When Thrift Shop popped off and went number 1, I wasn't ready for that. The love, the press, the scrutiny, the attention, lack of privacy. Everything. I went from an underground rapper (which I'd been my whole life) to the spotlight very quickly. So that was tough for me. I had ALL these different songs with varying topics. But most of the world only knew of 1. I was extremely fearful I was going to become the "Thrift Shop" guy forever. But, with "Can't Hold Us's" success that dissipated. And with "Same Love's" success it went away. But I was definitely living in a place of fear for a while. That's never a good place to be. I turned to some old vices that are never conducive to working through the problem. Just temporary numbing that eventually leads to more fear, anxiety and pain.

BUT

I'm learning from it. And I try to live my life differently because of that experience. And whenever I'm in a place of fear. I know what helps me get through it, and I know what keeps me there. I have a choice

If you three were to be put into an arena to fight to the death Hunger Games style, who would be victorious?

Great question.

I would win :) #alwayscompete

But I would hate killing the homies

Macklemore, I have a piece of artwork of you that I would like you to see and possibly get autographed. Is there any way I could get it to you? A response would mean a lot to me. Thank you for being a positive influence for many and a great media creator. Keep up the great work!

We get a lot of AMAZING artwork sent to us. Or

Macklemore LLC PO Box 19784 Seattle WA 98109

Or email [email protected] and we'll post on our new fan art instagram @therealsharkfacegang

Thanks!

Hi Macklemore, thanks for the AMA!

My question stems from a Rolling Stone interview I'd read last year where you talked about the challenge of staying sober with how life was changing. So, how's it going? Is that pressure still there, or is it diminished?

Thanks for being human, much love to you. I'm about to hit the road for triathlon training and have The Heist be my soundtrack for the thousandth time.

Congrats on the Triathlon man.

Hows it going.....

I'm sober. Today. It will always be an issue though.

Why does Songs about Angels say "feat. Macklemore"?

This is a great question

What are ya'lls deepest darkest secrets?

I know there are thousands upon thousands of people looking at this page at any given moment, but try not to think about that fact while answering this question. Imagine that we are all alone in my basement, and mother is out shopping, so the house is all to us.

hahaha

What is your pre-show ritual?

Push ups, tea, stretching, circle up with everyone, rap my first verse of 10k and a shitty cartwheel followed by a back flip

What's your idea of paradise?

A slip and slide, a pickle ball court, a wiffleball game, all the homies and the fam. Summertime. Seattle. My girl

Do you ever wish you weren't famous?

At times yes.

But I'm extremely grateful to do what I love for a living. It's what I always wanted. When I feel overwhelmed by the industry, I try to remember how rare this is. How lucky I am to create.

Macklemore! Your music goes hard and your shoe game goes even harder. What's your favorite pair of shoes that you own? (If you can even narrow it down to 1 pair)

They're not out yet ;)