Multi-platinum and GRAMMY award winning rapper Macklemore has made history as an independent artist with a combination of commercial success, critical acclaim and international appeal. ‘GEMINI’, Macklemore’s first solo effort in 12 years, was released in 2017 and debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and #1 on the charts for Rap, R&B/Hip-Hop, and Independent Albums. ‘GEMINI’ includes three Platinum-certified singles, “Glorious" (featuring Skylar Grey), “Good Old Days” (featuring Kesha), and “Marmalade” (featuring Lil Yachty). ‘GEMINI’ follows two releases with producer Ryan Lewis: the multiple-GRAMMY award winning and multi-platinum album, ‘The Heist’ (which spawned two #1 singles, the Diamond-certified “Thrift Shop” and multi-platinum “Can’t Hold Us”) and 2016 release “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made”, which featured the Platinum-certified single "Downtown". Collectively Macklemore’s music videos have been viewed over 3 billion times and he is one of only two rappers to have a Diamond-certified single (“Thrift Shop”). A lifelong Seattle resident, Macklemore has always believed in using his platform, resources and creative pursuits to have an impact on racial and social justice issues. Macklemore is a co-founder of The Residency, a hip hop and youth development program that has become one of the preeminent opportunities for young aspiring artists in the region. For his support of marriage equality and human rights, Macklemore was honored with the ACLU of Washington's Civil Libertarian Award in October of 2014. Drawing on his personal battles with drugs and alcohol, Macklemore has consistently used his art and platform to raise awareness around issues of addiction and recovery. In 2016was featured in an MTV special with President Obama about the opioid epidemic in America and was the first non-administration official ever to participate in the Presidential Weekly Address.