Macklemore has been opening up about the problems that arise when you shoot straight into the spotlight, as well as the current political climate in the United States, in an eye-opening new interview.
Speaking with FAULT, the artist explained: “Adjusting to the fame is a condensed period and not staying sober has been the worst. There was a rapid transition and to have the world’s eye on me all at once with back-to-back number ones, and all the accolades that came with it – I didn’t know how to deal with it. I didn’t know how to adjust, so I escaped. I think a lot of that peak season when I was around a bunch of people, doing sold out Arenas across the world was me isolating and using drugs. I used drugs to cope [with] it and to get out of my head.”
Then asked what is his “FAULT” by the mag, he added: “Addiction. I think that’s the thing that always reminds me that I could lose all of this at any minute. If I stop prioritising the daily recovery program that I do to maintain sobriety – I will lose it all. It’s bigger than my career and more significant than record sales – it’s my family. It’s my happiness, my life.”
Macklemore even touched on the current support for President of the United States, Donald Trump, who recently saw Kanye West publicly back him in his position.
“I want to acknowledge the systems in which we operate under in America,” Macklemore said. “We are all under the system of white supremacy, and I do benefit from the colour of my skin in numerous ways, and that plays a factor in how I have an advantage regarding my art and concerning my career. To take from specific cultures and not acknowledge what’s going on is disingenuous. If I know the truth about it, it’s crucial for me to speak on the subject matter.”
Then moving onto the subject of other musicians not doing their research before adding their support to Trump’s administration, he added: “You’ve got to go back to the origin of America to see how this isn’t a philosophy or an ideology but that white supremacy has a history and has impacted the laws and systems in place today. For some artists, it’s easier just not to educate themselves.”
Tagged in macklemore