United Nations Free & Equal — the UN human rights office’s public information campaign for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality — announced that hip hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are joining the campaign as equality champions.
U.S.-born rapper Macklemore and music producer Ryan Lewis are the latest artists to pledge their support for Free & Equal by helping to spread campaign messages and materials via social media. They join pop star Ricky Martin, South African singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Bollywood actress Celina Jaitly, and Brazilian singer Daniela Mercury.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have been collaborating since 2008, releasing the highly-acclaimed, best-selling album, “The Heist” in 2012. So far this year, the duo has been recognized with three MTV Video Music Awards, two American Music Awards, a Billboard Music Award and a YouTube Music Award. Their lead single “Thrift Shop” reached number 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and the video for the song has been watched by more than 450 million people on YouTube. Another single, “Same Love,” become an anthem for LGBT equality in several countries, and won an MTV Video Music Award for ‘Best Video with a Social Message.’
