Macklemore and Ryan Lewis were two artists in the music industry that appeared to be unstoppable! The dynamic duo had first gotten together back in 2008 as hip-hop artists from Seattle, Washington. After getting together, Macklemore and Ryan, who are often compared to acts such as Justin Timberlake due to their pop/hip-hop fusion, worked on their first album together 'The Heist', which was released in 2012 and managed to reach RIAA Platinum!
In addition to the success the two gained from their first album, they managed to do the same for their 2016 record, 'This Unruly Mess I've Made'. Fans adored Macklemore and Ryan together, however their 2016 collaboration officially marked their final moment as a duo. Although they no longer work together when it comes to music, the public wants to know whether they have remained friends outside of their work.
Are Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Over?
Macklemore has been making music for longer than you'd expect! While the star only broke out alongside producer, Ryan Lewis in 2012 after the release of their hit album 'The Heist', fans may not know that he's been making music since 2005. Macklemore has released his first-ever solo album 15 years ago, titled 'The Language Of My World, it was 3 years later that he and music producer, Ryan Lewis got together and created their own hip-hop group back in Seattle, Washington.
After working together for 4 years, Macklemore and Ryan released 'The Heist', which featured hit songs such as 'Thrift Shop' and 'Can't Hold Us'. This instantly put the two on the map and catapulted them to international fame and success. Only 4 years later did the two come back with yet another hit album, 'This Unruly Mess I've Made', however this officially marked the last album the two would work on together. Ryan and Macklemore agreed to break up the group in 2017 and fans were crushed!
While a break up is never a good thing, it seems as if this had no direct impact on the duo's friendship. Macklemore came out with his most recent album 'Gemini' in 2017, the first album since his split from Ryan, and he explained exactly why Lewis didn't produce this particular album. Macklemore said that "it was a decision that we both came to", all while assuring fans that he and Ryan are still the best of friends. Macklemore referred to Lewis as "his brother" and "one of my best friends", and the move was strictly professional.
Ryan Lewis had suggested the split first, claiming that he wasn't the right person to produce Macklemore's next album. "I feel like I would be the worst producer for you right now", Ryan said.
So, while the split happened, the duo assured fans that it may not be a permanent decision and was implemented in order for Macklemore to make the music he wanted to and it isn't anything deeper than that.