Benjamin Hammond Haggerty (born June 19, 1983), known by his stage name Macklemore (formerly Professor Macklemore), is an American rapper and songwriter from Seattle, Washington. He has collaborated with producer Ryan Lewis as Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Macklemore voiced his support of LGBT rights and same-sex marriage in the song "Same Love", which also condemns homophobia in mainstream hip-hop, society, and mass media. In August 2008, Macklemore admitted himself into rehab for drug addiction and alcoholism, and celebrated three years of sobriety before a brief relapse in 2011, which he describes in his song "Starting Over".