Macklemore fans are only just realising they’ve been saying his name completely wrong for the past 25 years – but some have claimed the true pronunciation is ‘obvious’
Macklemore has lent his rapping talents to several big hits over the course of his 25-year career, but many people do not know how to pronounce his stage name correctly. The rapper, born Benjamin Haggerty, took up the Macklemore pseudonym and began his career in 2000, but he didn’t rise to international success until he partnered with producer Ryan Lewis to form the duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis in 2009.
The duo was best known for their 2013 single Thrift Shop, and together they won four Grammy Awards at the 2014 ceremony, including Best New Artist. But 25 years after Macklemore debuted, and over 10 years since he had his biggest hit, some people online are only just figuring out how to pronounce his name.
In a TikTok video shared by a woman named Eleanor, she said she had just discovered how to say Macklemore’s stage name, and admitted she’d been saying it wrong for over a decade.
She revealed it should be pronounced as though it were three separate words, as in “Mack-le-more,” instead of condensing the first part to rhyme with tackle, as in “Mackle-more.”
Eleanor said in her video: “No, because how was I supposed to know? How was I supposed to know? What do you mean it’s ‘Mack-le-more’? Is he a mid-tier French noble? I don’t think so!”
Commenters on the clip were divided, too. Many said they also had no idea how the rapper’s name was supposed to be pronounced, while others claimed his name is spoken out loud in Thrift Shop, so fans of the track should be aware.
One person said: “It’s not Mackle-more?! Who is saying it Mack-le-more?!”
Another added: “You’re telling me his name has been Mack Lemore this whole time, and I thought it was Mackle More?”
But someone else argued: “I’m so confused, I’ve always said Mack-le-more and never once did I think it was Mackle-more. How did you guys come to this conclusion?”
Another also pointed out: “It’s literally said in the song. ‘Hey Macklemore, can we go thrift shopping?'”
Macklemore came up with his stage name during a graphic arts class in school, where he was tasked with coming up with an action figure that he had to name. He named the figure Professor Macklemore and used that as his stage name before eventually dropping the Professor part.
Speaking on an episode of On Air With Ryan Seacrest in 2017, he said: “I was assigned an action figure in graphic arts class, and we had to name him, and I named him Professor Macklemore.
“That summer, I went to Brooklyn, New York, for an art program when I was 17, and I would go to thrift shops and dress up in random old clothes. I would go out in Brooklyn, and I would call myself Professor Macklemore, and that’s where it all started.”
During the same interview, he also addressed people pronouncing his name incorrectly, saying he wishes he had given his rap name more thought before deciding on it.
He explained: “It’s very confusing. If I could go back and change my rap name, I would definitely do it.”