When you hear of Ben Haggerty, you usually have no clue about who this person is. However, you do know about Macklemore; your everyday skill set is programmed to be able to rap “Thrift Shop” from beginning to end on command.

Haggerty and Macklemore are the same person.

Unlike most rappers in the industry today, Haggerty does not rely on an alter ego or a character of sorts to write his lyrics, but rather uses his own self and his personal experiences to write.

While you might say, “well, isn’t that what everyone else is writing about,” the difference lies on what Macklemore raps about.

Macklemore isn’t telling you a story of drugs, designer brands and expensive cars.

Macklemore’s verses are filled with messages of anti-consumerism and the strive for equality, all while criticizing the music industry itself for not reinforcing these messages.

Beneath the catchy hooks and the mesmerizing beats, Macklemore is not singing or talking.

He is preaching.

In “Thrift Shop,” he criticizes society for making consumerism a religion and obsessing over price tags and labels.

If you take anything out of this song, let it be, “it’s not where you got it, but how you wore it,” because that’s what it’s about.

“Same Love” works under the same concept of criticism, advocating marriage equality and the eradication of hatred in our minds, especially homophobia, comparing it to the hate that has sparked wars over race and religion.

There are other rappers that support gay marriage: Jay-Z, A$AP Rocky. The list goes on.

They stand for it, but none of them are talking about it, which is why Macklemore’s message is so refreshing to our society.

Somewhere in between the sexism and the drugs and the fancy clothes, the rap industry forgot about delivering a message. He did not.

More than talk about it in an interview or two and give shallow statements about how he supports it, Macklemore stands for it, supports the cause and is willing to rap about it.

That is what people know him for and that is precisely how he spreads the message.

In our day and age, this strategy is crucial.

We don’t need more artists rapping about the “fancy life” they lead; we need them to rap about what matters, the issues our generation has to face, because that’s what is relevant to us.

Macklemore is not the most revolutionary musician, but he is the most humane of the bunch.