--- title: "Macklemore: An Unexpected Success Story" id: "15836" type: "post" slug: "macklemore-an-unexpected-success-story" published_at: "2013-02-08T23:21:55+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-15T19:38:47+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/02/08/macklemore-an-unexpected-success-story/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/02/08/macklemore-an-unexpected-success-story.md" excerpt: "The Seattle rapper Macklemore is currently on the top of the pop charts, but the real story is how he got there. Also: Can you publish tweets?" taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Leadership" - "Marketing" - "Music" - "Social Media" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Macklemore: An Unexpected Success Story It’s not easy to break through in the music industry. Usually you need startup capital—say, a record label and months of marketing budgets behind that hit single you’re looking to pitch. So, when someone reaches the pinnacle *without* all that stuff, it stands out. That and more in today’s Social Media Roundup: ### A Hip-Hop Star’s Lessons > How Macklemore became a shining example for your business [http://t.co/xyvy5fqF (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/xyvy5fqF) > [#assnchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — MultiBriefs (@MultiBriefs) [February 8, 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/MultiBriefs/status/299974877320970240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Familiar with Macklemore?** If not, you should be. The Seattle rapper, along with his producer Ryan Lewis, has managed to top the Billboard Hot 100 with the song “Thrift Shop,” an ode to buying clothes on the cheap. But the rapper’s success is impressive for a number of reasons—mainly, that he did it without the benefit of a major label, instead building word of mouth through YouTube and other mediums. This allowed the duo to take an approach that was more idiosyncratic, without having to polish it for mainstream ears—instead, letting the mainstream come to them. As a result, when they finally got a song on the radio, it made them the first musical act since Lisa Loeb (remember her?) to have a chart-topping hit single while working outside of the system. [According to MultiView (opens in a new tab)](http://multiviewblogs.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/how-macklemore-became-a-shining-example-for-your-business/) , there’s a big lesson here that translates: “Instead of just relying on someone to give him a lump sum to create his work, he worked on it until he reached a point where the internet fell in love with it.” *(ht [@MultiBriefs (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/MultiBriefs/status/299974877320970240) )* ### A Twitter Edge Case > RT [@vedo (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/vedo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > : Can a Twitter user really prohibit you from republishing tweets? (via [@poynter (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/Poynter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > ) [http://t.co/sMyYD5s2 (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/sMyYD5s2) > > > — Deirdre Reid, CAE (@DeirdreReid) [February 8, 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/DeirdreReid/status/299920302320807937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Think you can share that tweet you found?** In most cases, it’s usually OK, but investigative journalist Teri Buhl recently stretched that rule a little. [She recently declared on her Twitter page (opens in a new tab)](http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130203/18510621869/investigative-journalist-claims-her-public-tweets-arent-publishable-threatens-to-sue-blogger-who-does-exactly-that.shtml) that “no tweets are publishable,” an unusual stance for a public account. Now, if you’re like us, that probably raised some questions. Fortunately, Poynter’s Jeff Sonderman [clears things up (opens in a new tab)](http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/203037/can-a-twitter-user-really-prohibit-you-from-republishing-tweets/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews) , pointing out that if an account is public, you’re generally allowed to share tweets freely via Twitter. (For what it’s worth, by the way, the story itself is fascinating.) *(ht [@deirdrereid (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/deirdrereid/status/299920302320807937) )* What are you reading today? Tell us all about it in the comments. (Photo by Der Robert/Flickr) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. 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