MTV News flew out to Seattle recently to talk with Macklemore about his drug relapse, the joys of fatherhood, backlash against "Thrift Shop," and his upcoming sophomore album with Ryan Lewis.
“I was not at my best when I found out [my girlfriend] Tricia was pregnant," he said. "I was struggling with addiction. I got down on my knees and prayed just like, ‘God, I’m not ready for this right now.'"
His daughter was born a healthy 10-lb baby in May and was the subject of Macklemore's recently released "Growing Up (Sloane's Song)." He mentioned that she stops crying when he puts on Snoop Dogg's "Gin and Juice."
He reflected on the backlash against "Thrift Shop," standing by the hit single while trying to understand the viewpoint of the other side. “I think that if I was on the other side of it --- if I was myself at 20-years-old looking at the ‘Thrift Shop’ guy, I would probably be like, ‘Yo, fuck that dude.'"
Him and Ryan Lewis have been in the studio for months grinding out their follow-up to The Heist. They both emphasized that they're pursuing a different direction with the new project and said that they're feeling good about it, regardless of what other people will think. "If I'm placating to try and win hip-hop's approval or whatnot, that's just whack to me," said Macklemore.