Having attended high school in 2010s Seattle, Macklemore was a big deal. Pre-"Thrift Shop" success, one of my "cool" teachers had us analyze the song "Wing$" as homework. Later, Macklemore himself showed up at our school cafeteria to sign autographs. He was such a common topic in my school that at one point I asked myself: "Does Macklemore have a partnership with Seattle Public Schools!?" The Macklemore takeover didn't stop there. The "Thrift Shop" music video was filmed at local thrift stores in my neighborhood, where I shopped regularly. Plus, my fourth-grade teacher makes an appearance in the video. Watching my real life reflected back at me on MTV was eerie. I didn't like it—and as it turns out, I was not alone. Gradually, I saw Macklemore transform from a local celebrity to an A-list star, to finally, a hometown embarrassment. Now, he has come around full circle into someone that Seattleites don't seem to mind. After his 2017 album Gemini, the man took a short break from music. He founded a golf lifestyle brand (yes, he charges nearly "$50 for a t-shirt") and opened a short-lived vintage mall. Now, Mack is back with his first album in six years, Ben, which returns to his roots with cathartic overshares and a handful of lesser-known collaborators. He will support the album with a two-night stint at his hometown arena.