Ben Haggerty was born in Seattle, Washington, on June 19, 1983, one of two sons born to Bill Haggerty and Julie Schott. He was raised with his brother Tim in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. He has Irish heritage and was raised Catholic. Haggerty was six years old when hip hop first came into his life by way of Digital Underground. At the age of 15, he began to write lyrics.
At the time he started to sing, Haggerty listened to "a lot of East Coast underground hip-hop", listing Hieroglyphics, Freestyle Fellowship, Aceyalone, Living Legends, Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, Nas, and Talib Kweli as his major influences. He was interested in reaching a younger generation through his music and became part of a program focusing on education and cultural identity called "Gateways for Incarcerated Youth", where he facilitated music workshops. Haggerty attended Garfield High School and Nathan Hale High School. At Hale, he developed the stage name "Professor Macklemore" for an art project involving a made-up superhero, and at Garfield, he started a hip-hop group named Elevated Elements with other students. The group released an album, Progress, in 2000.
Haggerty enrolled at the College of Santa Fe for a year, later saying in an interview that "it was a very pivotal time in a lot of ways. Santa Fe was the place where I got good at rapping". After not getting into the music program, he moved back to Seattle. Haggerty later enrolled at The Evergreen State College in Olympia and completed his bachelor's degree in 2009.
On his debut album, The Language of My World, Macklemore drafts a lyrical landscape of classic proportions. This record is teeming with energy and ambition, serving as a fitting debut for one of this country's most promising young artists. Macklemore's gift, like that of all great songwriters, is his ability to speak on universal experiences in a uniquely personal way. Throughout The Language of My World, Macklemore consistently addresses topics that are uncomfortable or taboo, in an attempt to exorcise his own personal demons.
Macklemore's second mixtape, The Unplanned Mixtape, was released on September 7, 2009. It would later reach No. 7 on the iTunes Hip Hop chart. The mixtape was accompanied by the singles "The Town" and "And We Danced", the latter of which featured singer Ziggy Stardust. "The Town" was later remixed by Sabzi of the Blue Scholars.
His music is inspirational, filled with social and racial consciousness, as well as a constructive political vision. He's also funny as hell, making music that is at once hilarious and affecting. Born and raised in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood Macklemore has been an integral part of the Seattle hip-hop scene for the past 7 years. He developed his style and character as part of Elevated Elements, which he founded when he was just 14 years old, and quickly moved on to pursue his solo career. From these humble beginnings Macklemore has matured, both as a songwriter and performer, into an artist who is clearly beginning to realize his near limitless potential.
Macklemore's and Ryan Lewis's single "Thrift Shop" reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 2013. The single was dubbed by Billboard as the first song since 1994 to top the Hot 100 chart without the support of a major record label; however Macklemore, in a slightly unusual recording contract, pays a nominal percentage of sales to use Warner Bros. Records's radio promotion department to push his singles. Their second single, "Can't Hold Us", also peaked at number one on the Hot 100 chart, making Macklemore and Lewis the first duo in the chart's history to have their first two singles both reach the peak position. Their debut studio album The Heist was released on 9 October 2012, and charted at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200. The duo won four Grammy Awards at the 2014 ceremony, including Best New Artist, Best Rap Album (The Heist), Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance ("Thrift Shop").
Macklemore's and Lewis's second album, This Unruly Mess I've Made, was released on February 26, 2016. In June 2017, Macklemore released "Glorious", a single featuring Skylar Grey, which marked his return to the music industry as well as his first major single produced without Lewis since his mainstream breakthrough. Macklemore released a second solo studio album, Gemini, in September that year.
On October 29, 2021, Macklemore released a new single titled "Next Year", featuring American singer Windser. Macklemore also worked with Ryan Lewis on the single, marking their first collaboration in three years.
On July 22, 2022, Macklemore released a new single, "Chant", featuring Australian musician Tones and I. On August 19, 2022, Macklemore released the single, "Maniac", featuring American musician Windser.
Macklemore's third solo studio album, Ben, was released on March 3, 2023.
Wings
Macklemore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I stepped outside
And I was like, momma, this air bubble right here, it's gonna make me fly
I hit back-court, and when I jumped, I jumped, I swear I got so high
I touched the net, Mom I touched the net, this is the best day of my life
Air Max's were next,
That air bubble, that mesh
The box, the smell, the stuffin', the tread, in school
My friends couldn't afford 'em, Four stripes, some Adidas
On the court I wasn't the best, but my kicks were like the pros
Yo, I stick out my tongue so everyone could see that logo
Nike Air Flight, but bad was so dope
And then my friend Carlos' brother got murdered for his fours, whoa
See he just wanted a jump shot, but they wanted to start a cult though
Didn't wanna get caught, from Genesee Park to Othello
You could clown for those Probings, with the Velcro, those were not tight
I was trying to fly without leaving the ground,'cause I wanted to be like Mike, right
Wanted to be him, I wanted to be that guy, I wanted to touch the rim
I wanted to be cool, and I wanted to fit in,
I wanted what he had, America, it begins
I wanna fly
Can you take me far away
Gimmie a star to reach for
Tell me what it takes
And I'll go so high
I'll go so high
My feet won't touch the ground
Stitch my wings
And pull the strings
I bought these dreams
That all fall down
We want what we can't have, commodity makes us want it
So expensive, damn, I just got to flaunt it
Got to show 'em, so exclusive, this that new shit
A hundred dollars for a pair of shoes I would never hoop in
Look at me, look at me, I'm a cool kid
I'm an individual, yea, but I'm part of a movement
My movement told me be a consumer and I consumed it
They told me to just do it, I listened to what that swoosh said
Look at what that swoosh did, see it consumed my thoughts
Are you stupid, don't crease 'em, just leave 'em in that box
Strangled by these laces, laces I can barely talk
That's my air bubble and I'm lost, if it pops
We are what we wear, we wear what we are
But see I look inside the mirror and think Phil Knight tricked us all
Will I stand for change, or stay in my box
These Nikes help me define me, but I'm trying to take mine, off
I wanna fly
Can you take me far away
Gimmie me a star to reach for
Tell me what it takes
And I'll go so high
I'll go so high
My feet won't touch the ground
Stitch my wings
And pull the strings
I bought these dreams
That all fall down
I started out, with what I wear to school
That first day, like these are what make you cool
And this pair, this would be my parachute
So much more than just a pair of shoes
Nah, this is what I am, what I wore, this is the source of my youth
This dream that they sold to you
For a hundred dollars and some change, consumption is in the veins
And now I see it's just another pair of shoes
"Macklemore's song, Wings, is about the consumerism that is prevalent in today's society, and how we often define ourselves by the things we own. The song starts with a young boy, who gets his first pair of shoes - Air Max's - and feels like they will make him fly. He is overjoyed when he touches the net while playing basketball in them. From that point on, he becomes obsessed with shoes; he knows that he has to keep them neat and clean, as he cannot afford to replace them like some of his friends can. He becomes fixated on wanting to be like Michael Jordan and eventually, it is revealed that his obsession with shoes was defined by society's consumerism culture. The lyrics speak of how we all want what we can't have and how commodities make us want them.
Macklemore raps that he's willing to pay hundreds of dollars for shoes that he would never even wear to play basketball, just to show off and feel cool. He also tackles the issue of being part of a movement - 'My movement told me to be a consumer and I consumed it.' He sees the irony of how Nike, the company that produces shoes that he loves so much, has tricked us all into thinking that their products define us. In the end, Macklemore realizes that it's time to break free from these limitations and define himself in ways that are not solely based on material possessions. In summary, Wings by Macklemore is a social commentary on consumer culture and how we're often defined by the things we own."
Line by Line Meaning
I was seven years old, when I got my first pair
At age seven, I received my first pair of shoes.
And I stepped outside
I went outside to test out my new shoes.
And I was like, momma, this air bubble right here, it's gonna make me fly
I believed that the air bubble in my shoes would make me feel like I could fly.
I hit back-court, and when I jumped, I jumped, I swear I got so high
When I tried jumping, I felt like I could jump higher than ever before.
I touched the net, Mom I touched the net, this is the best day of my life
I was thrilled when I was able to reach the net while playing basketball for the first time.
Air Max's were next,
The next shoes I received were Air Max's.
That air bubble, that mesh
I liked the air bubble and mesh features of the Air Max's.
The box, the smell, the stuffin', the tread, in school
I enjoyed everything from the smell of new shoes to the design and feel of the soles.
I was so cool, I knew that I couldn't crease 'em
I thought I was cool because I knew not to crease my shoes.
My friends couldn't afford 'em, Four stripes, some Adidas
My friends couldn't afford the same shoes as me and settled for Adidas with four stripes.
On the court I wasn't the best, but my kicks were like the pros
I wasn't the best player on the court, but I had shoes like professional basketball players.
Yo, I stick out my tongue so everyone could see that logo
I stuck out my tongue to show off the Nike logo on my shoes.
Nike Air Flight, but bad was so dope
I thought Nike Air Flights were bad (meaning good).
And then my friend Carlos' brother got murdered for his fours, whoa
My friend Carlos' brother was killed because someone wanted his fours (shoes).
See he just wanted a jump shot, but they wanted to start a cult though
He just wanted to play basketball, but some people tried to make it into a bigger deal.
Didn't wanna get caught, from Genesee Park to Othello
People didn't want to get in trouble with the police while playing basketball in these areas.
You could clown for those Probings, with the Velcro, those were not tight
People would make fun of those who wore Pro-Keds with velcro, as they were not considered cool.
I was trying to fly without leaving the ground,'cause I wanted to be like Mike, right
I wanted to feel like I could fly without actually leaving the ground, like Michael Jordan appeared to do in his commercials.
Wanted to be him, I wanted to be that guy, I wanted to touch the rim
I wanted to be like Michael Jordan and be able to jump high enough to touch the rim (basketball net).
I wanted to be cool, and I wanted to fit in,
I wanted to be cool and fit in with others who wore popular shoes.
I wanted what he had, America, it begins
I wanted what Michael Jordan had, and in America this was the start of consumerism and the desire for expensive commodities.
We want what we can't have, commodity makes us want it
As humans, we tend to desire things that we cannot have and this is especially true for expensive commodities.
So expensive, damn, I just got to flaunt it
Expensive items make us feel like we need to show them off and let others know that we can afford them.
Got to show 'em, so exclusive, this that new shit
We have to show off our new and exclusive items to others.
A hundred dollars for a pair of shoes I would never hoop in
I spent $100 on a pair of shoes that I would never use to play basketball.
Look at me, look at me, I'm a cool kid
I wanted people to see me as a cool and fashionable kid.
I'm an individual, yea, but I'm part of a movement
I see myself as an individual, but I am also part of a larger consumer movement of buying expensive items to fit in with others.
My movement told me be a consumer and I consumed it
The prevailing attitude around me was that being a consumer was important, and I followed that ideology.
They told me to just do it, I listened to what that swoosh said
The Nike slogan 'Just Do It' influenced me to buy more Nike products.
Look at what that swoosh did, see it consumed my thoughts
The Nike swoosh symbol has taken over my thoughts and influenced my buying habits.
Are you stupid, don't crease 'em, just leave 'em in that box
I was told not to crease my shoes or wear them, but to keep them in the box as a way to preserve their value.
Strangled by these laces, laces I can barely talk
The laces on my shoes feel so tight that it's hard for me to even talk.
That's my air bubble and I'm lost, if it pops
The air bubble on my shoes means so much to me that I feel lost if it pops or is destroyed.
We are what we wear, we wear what we are
What we wear reflects on our identity and who we are.
But see I look inside the mirror and think Phil Knight tricked us all
I look at myself in the mirror and realise that Phil Knight (Nike) has sold us on the idea that wearing expensive shoes is important when it's really not.
Will I stand for change, or stay in my box
I am contemplating whether to embrace change and consumerism, or to ignore it and change my ways.
These Nikes help me define me, but I'm trying to take mine, off
The Nike shoes I wear have helped define who I am, but I am trying to take them off symbolically and redefine myself outside of those products.
I started out, with what I wear to school
My journey began with the clothes and shoes I wore to school.
That first day, like these are what make you cool
On the first day of school, I believed that wearing fashionable clothes and shoes was important in order to be seen as 'cool.'
And this pair, this would be my parachute
I relied on these shoes to help me fit in and feel like I could 'fly.'
So much more than just a pair of shoes
These shoes meant so much more to me than just a piece of clothing to wear on my feet.
Nah, this is what I am, what I wore, this is the source of my youth
What I wore and the shoes I had are a part of who I am and represent my youth.
This dream that they sold to you
Consumerism and the idea that expensive items are important is a dream that has been sold to us.
For a hundred dollars and some change, consumption is in the veins
Spending over $100 on shoes has led to a desire for more consumption and buying expensive items, as it becomes addictive.
And now I see it's just another pair of shoes
After reflecting, I see that these shoes are nothing more than a material object and should not hold the importance that I once gave them.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Hollis Wear, Ryan Lewis, Ben Haggerty, Andrew Derek Biro Joslyn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind