He's gonna take your grandpa's style. No really, ask your grandpa, can he have his hand-me-downs? Sure, he might enjoy dancing down the aisles of thrift shops purchasing everything from knee-boards to gator shoes, but Macklemore is much more than a bargain-huntin' shopaholic.

This past week, the singer made history with his hit single, "Thrift Shop," marking the first time in nearly 20 years that an independent artist has topped the Billboard Hot 100.

Sure, your grammie, your auntie, your momma and your mammie might be quoting the single from left and right, but hold on a second-do they even know about Macklemore? First, let's clear some things up. The pale, blonde rapper originally went by his birth name, Ben Haggerty, (you didn't really think his parents named him Macklemore, did you?).

Another source of confusion: the pairing of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Who's that second dude? Allow me to explain: Macklemore is the rapper and Ryan Lewis is his producer- and would you believe they actually connected via MySpace?! Don't be mistaken by Lewis' lack of presence in the music videos; he is just as integral a part of the music as Macklemore himself.

Now you've got some background knowledge to share with the folks but, be honest with me, can you name one other Macklemore and Ryan Lewis song? Yeah ... didn't think so. "Thrift Shop" has become so popular that it has almost entirely eclipsed the duo's other work. Many fans of the single, though, don't realize that "Thift Shop" is not particularly indicative of the rest of the duo's music.

In fact, many of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' tracks have released focus on the rapper's drug addiction and substance abuse [about which he has been very open] or his childhood growing up in Seattle and how each of these issues has affected his life. My baseball-loving brother can't get enough of "My Oh My," a song written about the death of famed Seattle Mariners' sportscaster Dave Niehaus. I recommend giving it a listen; I pinky promise you'll be impressed ... and possibly reaching for a tissue.

Fans of the duo appreciate them not only for the catchiness of one single, but also for Macklemore's ever-humble approach to anything at all. Fans also respect the novelty of the duo's emotional lyrics and fearless approach to tackling controversial issues in the world of rap.

In "Same Love," the duo's single supporting gay marriage, Macklemore raps, "No law is gonna change us, we have to change us...Strip away the fear, underneath it's all the same love." And in "Wing$," Macklemore criticizes consumerism, relaying his childhood self yearning for, loving and abruptly despising a pair of Nike's. Macklemore breaks boundaries here and goes beyond the typical get-money-get-ladies rap riff.

Irregardless of why you know or appreciate them (or even if you hate 'em!), you have to give props to the guys for the success from releasing The Heist, their newest album, on their own label this past fall. Like they say in "Thrift Shop," it is freakin' awesome.
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