These last three years have been insane for Macklemore. Every turn seemed to come along with another huge career-boosting opportunity. We took a look at 10 tweets that signified huge momentum shifts for his career. We tried to consider the impact each event relative to where his career was at the time. (Featured image credit Greg Niss)
In chronological order….
1. VS. EP Redux Hits the iTunes charts
RT @h_lent934: Everyone go to itunes and cope up a @macklemore VS. EP Redux album. You’ll be more happy then you’ve ever been. < #11 PEOPLE!
— Macklemore (@macklemore) October 23, 2010
The VS. EP Redux was the first project that generated a national buzz for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. At the time of the album’s release Macklemore was newly sober, living with his parents and working a day job at a local hat store.
He told us in an interview last year, “I was freshly sober going into VS. I was very humbled by my living situation. I was trying to re-piece my life. I knew that with VS. if things didn’t pan out, I was going to have to get a real job. The music is the same as on my other projects. It was just a different chapter of my life.”
The EP would reach as high as #7 on the iTunes chart.
2. The birth of #SharkFaceGang
RT this if you want to be in the squad #sharkfacegang.Once RT’d you’re in
— Macklemore (@macklemore) March 9, 2011
What started as a tweet turned into a movement. Shortly after this tweet, fans started showing up at to performances wearing homemade Sharkface gear. Macklemore has some of the most loyal fans in the world, and this gave them an identity.
3. Performing at Safeco field
Thank you SEATTLE!!!Such an incredible honor and blessing to perform “My Oh My” in front of Safeco field and the Niehaus family.
— Macklemore (@macklemore) April 9, 2011
My Oh My introduced Macklemore to a lot of Mariners fans throughout the Northwest. His performance at Safeco field was one of the first examples of him being put on a major stage and absolutely knocking it out of the park (sorry for the pun).
4. Headlining Bumbershoot in a sold out Key Arena
This was the craziest moment of my career…Captured by @jordanloveskats….Last Bumbershoot post of the day, I swear youtube.com/watch?v=Fmhyqz…
— Macklemore (@macklemore) September 6, 2011
Sold out Key Arena. Shawn Kemp joined him on stage. People talked about this for a month. #SuperOutHere
5. Nominated for XXL Freshman of the Year
YOOO!!!I’m up for the XXL FRESHMAN COVER!!! Hella exciting! Please spread the word! You can vote here. #sharkfacegang xxlmag.com/XXL-freshmen-2…
— Macklemore (@macklemore) December 17, 2011
Even with the amazing year Macklemore and Ryan Lewis had in 2011, there were a lot of hip hop fans who were still unfamiliar. The Sharkface Gang went to work and voted Mack onto the cover of XXL’s 2012 Freshman of the Year issue without any major label support.
6. Announcing their first world tour
. @macklemore & @RyanLewis Announce Album Title + World Tour weouthere.net/2012/07/16/mac… via @weoutherenet
— We Out Here Magazine (@weoutherenet) July 16, 2012
We appreciated this RT from Macklemore as he announced his first World Tour (humble brag). All but two dates sold out as he promoted the release of The Heist.
7. Thrift Shop hits 1 million views in less than a week
The Thrift Shop video hit 1 million in less than 5 days….Amazing.Thank you.#sharkfacegang
— Macklemore (@macklemore) September 3, 2012
Nobody could have predicted the massive success that Thrift Shop would become (selling over 5 million copies), but the scooters, dancing girls and outrageous outfits were a huge hit on social media.
8. #1 on iTunes
WE FUCKING DID IT!!!!!! #1 album in the US on ITUNES!!!!! INDEPENDENT!!!!! I LOVE YOU BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE!!!!!#THEHEIST twitter.com/macklemore/sta…
— Macklemore (@macklemore) October 9, 2012
The years of hard work making honest music and building relationships paid off as The Heist debuted at #1 on the iTunes charts and #2 overall (just behind Mumford and Sons).
9. Performing Same Love on Ellen
Watch us perform #SameLove on @theellenshow today at 3pm PST TODAY!!!
— Macklemore (@macklemore) October 30, 2012
This was game over. Performing a song about marriage equality on Ellen was yet another massive catapult in Macklemore’s career.
10. All Gold Everything
Never thought I would have one of these…. #gold.Love you all hella #sharkfacegang instagram.com/p/ZcDEKpQK7N/
— Macklemore (@macklemore) May 18, 2013
#Sharkfacegang did it. Two number one singles and a gold record. Hard to imagine all of this happened in the last three years. What does Macklemore have in store for us next?