I began listening to Macklemore’s music six years ago.

I recall hearing Thrift Shop for the first time and thinking it was just the most hilarious song. Then I heard Can’t Hold Us, and then White Walls, and so on. His music seemed to grab my attention, so in my free time I listened to his albums. He was a unique artist, not because of the way he dressed or because of his stage name. It was because of what he stood for, his passion, and many other things that really took him to the next level. Macklemore stands out from many rappers solely due to these reasons.

1. He raps about serious situations that impact many different people in our society.

If you’ve heard Same Love or White Privilege, you know exactly what I mean. Macklemore believes in equality, and has a way of polite way of explaining his feelings and his beliefs so that they get people thinking. If you heart doesn’t ache a little after hearing some of his songs, then maybe you aren’t quite listening to what he has to say. His lyrics describe real life events and real life issues. A lot of rappers in this time period really don’t use their talents for good purposes like he does. That’s just the thing, too. He takes his career, his lifestyle, and uses it to make a difference.

2. His background is real. Who he is is real.

For those of you who don’t know, Macklemore has struggled with addiction in his past. Most of us know someone and love someone that struggles with some sort of addiction. Well, he overcame his addiction to better his life and to advance in his career. To take care of his family. Ben Haggerty, (aka Macklemore) was inspired by inspirational artists such as Michael Jackson whom he mentions in his song And We Danced.

3. Even his “for fun” songs are polite.

His music is in no way demeaning towards any sex, any race, or any individual of that manner. Any of his fun songs such as Can’t Hold Us and Thrift Shop are just for simple enjoyment. They involve no harm, and the lyrics show nothing but just wanting to enjoy life.

4. He went independent for The Heist with Ryan Lewis.

Going independent means that while he could have gone to a recording studio to record his album, he and Ryan Lewis relied only on themselves to create the album in hopes of it going big. And it did.

5. He puts on a show.

When I saw him in concert early 2016 at the Midland theatre in KC, I was beyond impressed. I have been to many, many concerts in my lifetime. I have seen Black Sabbath, Krizz Kaliko, Sugarland, Dierks Bentley, etc. and the best concert was definitely Macklemore’s. Not only did he involve the crowd, he put his great sense of humor together with his music and really grabbed my attention. Was certainly worth seeing front row.

6. He showed us many times, he is just an ordinary guy with extraordinary views.

Macklemore has used his music to describe some of the hardest things he has encountered in his lifetime. He struggles the same way we do, and doesn’t present that barrier some stars do between famous and not-so-famous people. He does what he does not for money, but to let everyone struggling know that they’re not alone.

7. He makes mistakes- And owns up to them.

Not bashing Mariah Carey or anything, but when stars do something wrong, it’s not uncommon for them to blame others for it to make them seem, well, perfect. Not Macklemore, though. When he wanted popcorn a few years ago at 2am, it set the fire alarms off. He jokingly made a Vine about it, and showed zero shame. It’s OKAY to make simple mistakes as such and laugh about them. It shows acceptance and moving on. He didn’t blame anyone or throw a fit, either.

8. His stage name, “Macklemore” was actually a superhero he made up in grade school.

Many people dislike him for this and I’ll never understand why. That’s beyond funny and original.

9. He is just another rapper stepping in and knowing his place in the “rap” and “hip-hop” scene.

He is no Drake or Kendrick Lamar, but that’s the great thing about him. Even after winning a Grammy against other popular artists, he was able to apologize for not allowing another to win, but accepted the award. This showed his true passion, and his appreciation. Even though it was hard for him to take it, he knew he deserved it. He also knew other artists did too, but let’s be real- What person would EVER argue winning a Grammy? Nobody. That’s who. And in the end, Kendrick Lamar even said he deserved it overall. He totally did.

10. He stands out.

Not only is his fashion sense unique and not only is he impressive all the way around, he stand out from every other rapper. While other rappers rap about getting money and women, Macklemore is out there rapping about REAL LIFE EVENTS, and real life pain, and real life problems. This is what music was made for. I don’t care to hear songs about clubbing and money and naked girls, I want to hear songs about reality. Though some songs were certainly exceptions, there’s no reason fun can’t be involved in the music industry. Thrift Shop and Swimming Pools have quite a few differences. Tell me which you’d prefer your kid to be listening to and singing with his/her friends.

11. His love for his family is everlasting.

I aspire to be an adult someday that has a family to love as much as he does. If you see the way he publicly talks about his wife and his daughter, he truly loves and adores them. His family is his life. I even saw it personally when I saw him in concert. His wife and daughter traveled with and entertained the crowd while everyone calmed ooh'd and aww'd at Haggerty's daughter. Before hopping on stage, he kissed his wife shamelessly and waved to his daughter. Let's see how many other artists do that.