Turns out 2012 was the year everything came together for Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. It may seem like they've only been around since yesterday, but this Seattle duo have actually been putting tunes to tape with moderate success in their home state since 2008. In 2012, that "moderate home state success" got upgraded to "weapons-grade international success" - all courtesy of this ear-wormy ode to frugal shopping.

As Macklemore told triple j, the break-out single from The Heist is an ode to the simple joy of buying pre-loved gear on the cheap: "All of my life I've been really into thrift shopping and just getting the most eclectic, eccentric outfits that you can possibly get and making them cool."

It's characteristic of the way Macklemore ditches familiar hip-hop themes in favour of rapping about stuff he knows; previous entry 'Same Love' (#15) deals with marriage equality, while 'Make The Money' is a rumination on the nature of art. Which makes perfect sense - as the 29-year-old put it on Twitter:

2012 was the year I've been gearing up towards my entire career. Since I was 14 years old I've been filling blank pieces of paper with ideas — Macklemore (@macklemore) January 1, 2013

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