Hollywood Popular Artists

Feb 8th 2013, 15:30

Bimonthly, we'll take an artist on the rise on the MTV Music Meter and, to help you discover them a little more, detail some of their philanthropic tendencies -- from Mika to Ellie Goulding. This week: Macklemore!

mtvU just announced a three-date college tour with "Thrift Shop" hit-makers Macklemore and Ryan Lewis! They'll be hitting schools in Colorado, Utah, and Arizona en route to the March 14th Woodie Awards. We love Mack' for many reasons, but mostly because he's hot he keeps it real about his support of the gay community and past drug use.

+ He Supports the Gay Community

Macklemore's song "Same Love" is all about accepting and supporting the gay community regardless of whether or not you are gay. "You can only watch injustice go on for so long until you're compelled to say something. To speak out against it. I read an article about a 13-year-old kid who committed suicide because he was ridiculed at school over being gay. That was it. I had to say something," says Macklemore about why he wrote the song.

+ He Speaks Out About Drug Abuse

Mack' experimented with drugs and alcohol, but realized that they were holding him back from his dreams. "It got to the point where it was hurting my life; it was hurting my potential. And I really wasn't being the person or the artist that I wanted to be," he says of his past addiction. "It was either continuing to use drugs and alcohol and go that route or get sober and clean up and pursue my music full time with one hundred percent of my creative energy behind it, and that's what I chose."

+ He Loves His Girlfriend Fiance

Unfortunately, I mean fortunately, I mean unfortunately for me and fortunately for his girlfriend, Macklemore isn't like most famous dudes -- all shady about whether or not they have girlfriends. In fact, Macklemore and his lady recently celebrated MLK day by...getting engaged. Damnit.

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