Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are an unstoppable duo. With their triple threat chart-toppers Thrift Shop, Can’t Hold Us and Same Love, off their 2012 debut The Heist, they became a radio phenomenon and an award-show favourite. In 2014, they snagged not one, but four Grammy awards, including the coveted Best Rap Album accolade — all under their own record label.
Now, the duo are preparing for a stop at Abu Dhabi’s du Arena on Friday with an appearance from rapper Rick Ross and UK grime artist Wiley. The good news: Fans might even have the chance to catch them walking down the Corniche or thrifting for deals around the UAE.
“I think we jacked a couple extra days on the trip, so we should have some time to wander around,” Lewis said.
It all began for the duo in 2007 when Lewis created the tune for Can’t Hold Us and sold it to Ben ‘Macklemore’ Haggerty, along with three other beats, for a measly $200 (Dh735). It would be another five years until the song would earworm the US as a No. 1 single and become a staple at their gigs.
“The last year-and-a-half in particular, I think we’ve done over 300 shows. It’s been a lot. But it’s been great, it’s been awesome,” Lewis said.
He added that the lifestyle behind their fame and fortune is “not normal” and can take quite the toll.
“It’s very exhausting … It’s like, The Heist came out and we’ve been pretty much travelling and going non-stop since it came out. So to be back in the studio and working toward the next project, it’s really good — it’s a transition for sure.”
The hard work has certainly paid off. The duo are so in demand that production mogul L.A. Reid flew out to their show in Montana to offer them a record deal, something the two kindly declined but still think back on fondly.
“He was trying to be involved — he was affirming what we had done. It was kind of a landmark [for us] to go that far as an independent artist. I think it was a real indication of how much the music industry is changing,” Lewis said.
