Macklemore on Taking His Daughter Away from Screens: I Don’t Want Electronics to Be the ‘Go-To Default’

Macklemore says he won’t let the iPad raise his daughter, Sloane Ava Simone.

The rapper, né Ben Haggerty, 33, says it’s important to him and his wife, Tricia Davis, that their 18-month-old baby girl gets fresh air.

“My wife loves the outdoors, she loves hiking and just getting outside and away from screens whether that be the phone or the computer or the television,” Macklemore, who has teamed up with Columbia for the launch of their OutDry Extreme ECO Jacket, tells PEOPLE. “I don’t want to raise my daughter in a world where that is her norm.”

He adds, “I want that to be a special treat on top of something else, but I don’t want that to be just the go-to default – stick in front of a screen.”

Since the birth of his daughter, Macklemore says he’s been taking a lot more urban walks to get outside.

“Living in Seattle, my backyard feels like the outdoors,” he explains. “We don’t get outside of the city as much I probably should, but I really enjoy getting outside when I can and the North West is one of the best places in the entire world for doing so.”

Sloane joined her father over the summer on his camping trip tour throughout his home state of Washington, which Macklemore says was full of campfires. But you won’t catch him eating one camping staple: S’mores.

He admits: “Honestly, I’ll have half a S’more and then tap out. I would say more the go-to is a bowl of Rice Chex.”

As to his daughter’s eating habits, Macklemore says she mostly eats organic in her pescatarian diet.