Ryan Lewis | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Ryan Scott Lewis |
Also known as | Duke Goobler |
Born | Spokane, Washington, U.S. | March 25, 1988
Origin | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
Genres | Hip hop |
Occupations |
|
Instruments |
|
Labels | |
Member of | Macklemore & Ryan Lewis |
Website | macklemore |
Ryan Scott Lewis (born March 25, 1988) is an American musician and record producer based in Seattle, Washington. Along with producing his own album, Instrumentals, Lewis produced the albums The VS. EP (2009), The Heist (2012), and This Unruly Mess I've Made (2016) as part of the duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. He also directed 12 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis videos.
In 2006, Lewis befriended rapper Macklemore on Myspace and soon after became his behind-the-scenes partner, producing, recording, engineering and mixing all of the duo's music and directing the music videos for "Same Love", "Thrift Shop", "And We Danced", "Otherside (Remix)", "Can't Hold Us", "Irish Celebration", "My Oh My", "Victory Lap", "Downtown", "Brad Pitt's Cousin" and "White Walls" and designing promotional graphics.
Lewis was born in Spokane, Washington, to Julie and Scott Lewis. Lewis has two sisters, Teresa and Laura, four years and two years older than he is, respectively. [1] At an early age, he played guitar in rock bands with his childhood best friend Ryan Sanson, and nursed a growing interest in music production around the age of 15. Lewis attended Ferris High School in Spokane and graduated from Roosevelt High School in Seattle. He graduated from the University of Washington majoring in Comparative History of Ideas. [2] [3]
Lewis became a professional photographer and videographer. In 2008, he released his debut extended play, Instrumentals, with four alternative hip hop songs. [4] [5] In the same year, Lewis collaborated with Rhode Island–based emcee Symmetry in a self-titled work, released as an LP. [6] [7]
Lewis first met Macklemore in 2006, [8] but only in 2009 did they formalize the collaboration as the duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and release the EP The VS. EP. [9]
In October 2010, Lewis produced the VS. Redux EP and, in December, their debut single, "My Oh My". [10] [11] "Wings" was released on January 21, 2011, followed by "Can't Hold Us" featuring Ray Dalton on August 16, 2011.
Their album The Heist was released in October 2012. Previously released singles "My Oh My", "Wings", and "Can't Hold Us" were announced to be included on the album – as was the song "Make the Money". "Can't Hold Us" was used as soundtrack for a Miller beer ad in UK and Ireland in June 2012. "Same Love" was released on July 18, 2012, and songs "White Walls" featuring Schoolboy Q and "Jimmy Iovine" featuring Ab-Soul were confirmed to be included on the album. The Heist debuted on the US Billboard 200 at number 2.
On October 30, 2012, Lewis appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show performing their single "Same Love" and then again on January 18, 2013, performing their single "Thrift Shop", which they had sung previously on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on December 11, 2012. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks, giving them their first number 1 hit in the US.
The Heist World Tour began in August 2012 to promote The Heist. [12]
On January 26, 2014, Macklemore performed "Same Love" at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, where Queen Latifah read marriage vows for 33 couples who lined the aisles, including Lewis's sister, Laura, and her now husband. [13]
In January 2015, Lewis announced via Twitter that his third studio album would be released sometime in the second half of the year. [14] On August 5, 2015, Macklemore released a song for free download titled "Growing Up (Sloane's Song)", which features Ed Sheeran. [15]
On August 27, 2015, the duo released "Downtown", featuring Eric Nally, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel, and Grandmaster Caz; it was performed at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards on August 30. [16] "Downtown" is part of their new album, This Unruly Mess I've Made , which was released on February 26, 2016.
On January 22, 2016, the duo released "White Privilege II", the second single on "This Unruly Mess I've Made". [17] On June 15, 2017, Macklemore announced via his official Instagram that the duo were on hiatus. [18] [19]
July 2017 saw the release of Kesha's song "Praying", which Lewis co-wrote and produced. [20]
On August 19, 2019, Hobo Johnson's song "Subaru Crosstrek XV" was released, which Lewis co-wrote and produced. [21]
Title | Album details |
---|---|
Symmetry and Ryan Lewis [3] (with Symmetry) |
|
Title | Album details |
---|---|
Instrumentals [4] |
|
Pete Stewart is a singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer from Seattle, Washington. He is the lead singer and guitarist of Grammatrain, was the lead singer for The Accident Experiment, and is the former guitarist of Tait.
Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, better known by his stage name Macklemore, is an American rapper. A native of Seattle, Washington, he started his career in 2000 as an independent artist releasing: Open Your Eyes (2000), The Language of My World (2005), and The Unplanned Mixtape (2009). He rose to international success collaborating with producer Ryan Lewis as the duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (2009–2016).
Fences is an American indie rock band from Seattle, Washington formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Christopher Mansfield, guitarist Benjamin Greenspan, bassist and vocalist Lindsey Starr and drummer Elliott Garm Chaffee. They released their debut studio album Fences in 2010 and Lesser Oceans in 2015.
Mary Danielle Lambert is an American singer, songwriter and spoken word artist. She worked with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis on a track on their album The Heist. Lambert is the featured artist of their LGBTQ rights single, "Same Love". Her contributions to "Same Love" draw upon her experiences as "a lesbian growing up in a tumultuous, Christian upbringing." Lambert took the content she created for "Same Love" and used it to develop the song "She Keeps Me Warm" which she released on July 30, 2013. A music video was released on Vevo on August 24.
The Heist is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. It was released on October 9, 2012, by Macklemore LLC, distributed under the Alternative Distribution Alliance. The album was independently self-produced, self-recorded and self-released by the duo, with no mainstream promotion or support. After the album's release, the duo hired Warner Music Group's radio promotion department to help the push with their singles for a small percentage of the sales.
"Thrift Shop" is a song written and performed by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring vocals from American singer Wanz, released in 2012, as the fourth single from the former's debut studio album, The Heist (2012). The lyrics tell of Macklemore's esteem for going to thrift shops and saving money, rather than flaunting expensive items like many rappers. The song was met with universal acclaim, with various music reviewers praising its humorous lyrics and social critique.
"Same Love" is a song by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, released as the third single from their 2012 debut studio album, The Heist. The track, featuring vocals by Seattle-based singer Mary Lambert, talks about the issue of gay and lesbian rights and was recorded during the campaign for Washington Referendum 74, which, upon approval in November 2012, legalized same-sex marriage in Washington State. The song reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and reached number 1 in both Australia and New Zealand. The song was nominated at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards for Song of the Year.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis were an American hip hop duo from Seattle, Washington, formed in 2009 by rapper Macklemore and record producer Ryan Lewis. In 2009, they released their first collaborative effort, an EP titled VS. EP. They later followed up with VS. Redux (2010), the Grammy Award-winning album The Heist (2012) and This Unruly Mess I've Made (2016).
Michael "Mike" Wansley, better known by his stage names Wanz and TeeWanz, is an American singer, songwriter and rapper. He performs in various genres, including rock, R&B, soul, hip hop, and pop. He was featured on fellow Seattle-based duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' international hit single "Thrift Shop", which received two Grammy Awards for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.
"Can't Hold Us" is a song written and performed by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring American singer Ray Dalton, originally released on August 16, 2011, as the second single from the duo's debut album The Heist (2012).
Andrew Joslyn is an American composer, orchestrator, film scorer, and violinist in various genres.
"White Walls" is a hip-hop song by an American hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, taken from their collaborative debut studio album The Heist (2012). The song's hook is performed by singer Hollis, while American rapper Schoolboy Q, performs a guest verse. "White Walls" was released to American contemporary hit radio on October 8, 2013 as the fifth and final single from The Heist. The song debuted at number 100 and has since peaked at number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and has sold 1,000,000 copies as of January 2014.
The discography of American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis consists of two studio albums, two extended plays, 17 singles and 15 music videos. Macklemore and Lewis' single "Thrift Shop" reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2013. The single was soon dubbed the first song since 1994 to top the Hot 100 chart without the support of a major record label by Billboard, although Macklemore, in a slightly unusual recording contract, pays a nominal percentage of sales for the usage of Warner Bros. Records' radio promotion department to push the releases of their singles.
Hollis Wong-Wear, known mononymously as Hollis, is an American singer. She is best known for featuring on "White Walls", a song by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, which also featured Schoolboy Q. Hollis is also a spoken-word artist. Her major debut was on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' debut album, The Heist. This was followed by the single "White Walls" in which she did the vocals for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. This song peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
This Unruly Mess I've Made is the second and final studio album by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. It was released on February 26, 2016, by Macklemore LLC and Alternative Distribution Alliance. Following the success of the duo's hit album The Heist (2012), which earned them their first Grammy wins, the duo delved into lyrical themes that tackle political and social issues, including white privilege, fame and the scrutiny of the media and tabloids. The album was supported by two singles: "Downtown" and "Dance Off", along with "White Privilege II" featuring Jamila Woods, which was released as the album's promotional single.
"White Privilege II" is a song by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis from their second album This Unruly Mess I've Made (2016). The song, a sequel to Macklemore's solo song "White Privilege" from his first album The Language of My World (2005), discusses white privilege and the social movement associated with Black Lives Matter. According to the duo, "this song is the outcome of an ongoing dialogue with musicians, activists, and teachers within our community in Seattle and beyond. Their work and engagement was essential to the creative process." The song's lyrics span around nine minutes and 1,300 words. One of the project's collaborators is Chicago singer Jamila Woods, whose voice is featured on the track. "White Privilege II" was released as promotional single on January 22, 2016.
"Dance Off" is a song by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring British actor and musician Idris Elba and fellow American musician Anderson .Paak, released in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and selected European countries on February 25, 2016 as the second single from the duo's studio album This Unruly Mess I've Made (2016).
"Brad Pitt's Cousin" is a hip hop song by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring American rapper Xperience from their third studio album This Unruly Mess I've Made (2016). The song was released as a promotional single on April 12, 2016, only in Australia and New Zealand.
Tyler W. Andrews, better known by his stage name Xperience, is an American hip hop recording artist from Detroit, Michigan, who is currently based in Seattle, Washington. He is a member of the hip hop group Oldominion and is a frequent collaborator with fellow Pacific Northwest hip hop artist Macklemore.
Joshua Robert Rawlings is an American pianist, songwriter and record producer. His band, The Teaching, wrote and recorded the song "Bom Bom" for the Macklemore album The Heist, which became a multiple GRAMMY winning album.