Ben Haggerty, known by his stage name Macklemore, is a hip hop artist based in Seattle, Washington. Macklemore works with Ryan Lewis (Producer) Andrew Joslyn (Violin), Owour Arunga (Trumpet), Zach Fleury (Drums, Guitar, Bass), and Noah Goldberg (Piano). Macklemore has been popular in his hometown of Seattle since the beginning of his musical career at Garfield High School, often performing at the famous Capitol Hill Block Party. In 2008, 2009, and 2011, Macklemore performed at Bumbershoot, a major arts and music festival in Seattle . He has been described as a socially conscious rapper, with many of his songs addressing issues surrounding consumerism, race and drug addiction. Macklemore is yet to release his new album this year, as stated in an XXL interview.