Macklemore Shines Spotlight on Addiction Recovery: ‘We Write People Off’

Macklemore called into Good Morning America on Thursday (Sept. 22) and opened up about navigating his journey to sobriety in the spotlight.

“There is this kind of notion that, oh, if you want to be a rapper, if you want to be a rock star, drugs and alcohol go hand in hand,” he said. “And for me, that’s just never been the case.

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“I’ve been close to death too many times to count and it’s scary,” the “Thrift Shop” rapper continued. “We write people off. We pass people in the street. We look at people in tents. We have no compassion for where they came from, what they’re going through. We don’t look at them as someone with a disease. And we don’t think that they can be helped. We don’t think that they can change.”

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Macklemore Returns With New Tones And I Collab: Stream It Now

One way Macklemore is bringing awareness to the issue of addiction is in his new role as the first-ever creative director for CLEAN Cause. With September being National Recovery Month, his partnership will help take the socially conscious beverage brand in new creative directions as they continue to donate 50 percent from every can sold to helping people in active addiction get into recovery.

“I could’ve just stayed silent,” he said. “I wanted to speak up. I wanted to use my platform. I wanted to make music that talked about my journey with addiction and with recovery. And I think that when we do that and we share openly and honestly, then the stigma lessens and the disease of addiction is put at rest, you know, momentarily when we’re talking about it.”

In July, Macklemore teamed up with Tones and I for “Chant,” his first new single of the year along with its accompanying music video.

Watch Macklemore’s Good Morning America interview below.

If you or anyone you know is experiencing substance abuse, visit SAMHSA.gov for confidential resources and support 24/7.

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