Macklemore is in a celebratory mood.

The Grammy-winning rapper announced that he is having a free show in Seattle's Neumos out of the blue: "Seattle. 7pm doors. First come first served. Surprise guests. BEN ALBUM. FREE SHOW. TONIGHT."

"The tradition continues. And the line starts now," the Seattle native added with a winky-face emoji.

According to reports, Macklemore won't just be performing his newly released album, "Ben" for his fans, he will also be bringing along some special guests onstage.

The free show is the rapper's way of giving back to his fans, and celebrating the release of "Ben," six years after the release of "Gemini" in 2017.

After all, "Ben" is a very special album for Macklemore. It is a reflection of the current version of himself, and the title is based on his real name, Benjamin Hammon Haggerty.

 

READ MORE: Cher Reveals Collaborating with Boyfriend Alexander Edwards for Upcoming Albums: 'You've Got Something Good!'

'Ben'

​​"Each album is a process of self-discovery," Macklemore explained. "So 'Ben' is a return to my origin story, which is making art for the sake of art, making music because I love the creation of it - not because of the music business, but because of music itself."

This particular album took him so long to release due to his health issues, namely his substance abuse problems.

Macklemore has been in and out of rehab these past couple of years, as he tried to get better and rid himself of alcohol abuse.

While he admits that it has taken over much of his life and time, the rapper remarked, "They can't take my talent. They can't take my stripes. They can't erase my hours."

Elsewhere in his interview, Macklemore reveals his music process and just how personal the entire thing is to him.

"I am someone that has never stuck to one sound. And parts of that have led people to be confused about like, well, what is this? What do I do with this? What box do I put this in?" He said. "And I make music for the people that get it. I make music for myself."

These days, Macklemore is doing much better, and he also recently opened up about going to rehab after relapsing during the pandemic.

He explained how music and his family-particularly his first child, Sloane, have worked with him to improve and get back into the game.

READ ALSO: U2 Clarifies ONE Thing About Upcoming Album: They're Not 'Turning into AC/DC'!

Join the Discussion