Macklemore has pledged to donate the proceeds from his song, ‘Same Love’, to help campaigns for marriage equality in Australia.
The track, which tackles issues such as homophobia, LGBT rights and tolerance, was released in 2012, and was inspired by prejudices against gay people within the hip-hop community.
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Macklemore
Mark Kolbe via Getty Images
Last week, it was performed at the National Rugby League Grand Final in Australia, at a time when the country is about to have a referendum about the legalisation of same-sex marriage.
As the song’s popularity has continued to grow Down Under, Macklemore has now vowed that any money raised by the song in Australia will be donated to the cause.
He told Nine News Australia: “That is what music has the power to do, it’s not to divide people, but to create an environment where people can start a debate, have a conversation, and bring a message to the forefront.
“I haven’t figured it out yet… but I want to donate my portion of the proceeds from ‘Same Love’ that I get off of that record here in Australia to voting yes [to marriage equality].
“So I need to figure out what that looks like, and how to do that, but that is something that I’m going to do.”
‘Same Love’ features Macklemore’s frequent collaborator Ryan Lewis, as well as singer/songwriter Mary Lambert, who later reworked the chorus into her own song celebrating same-sex love, ‘She Keeps My Warm’.
In 2014, the song was performed by Macklemore at the Grammys, during which Queen Latifah presided over a mass wedding of 33 couples, followed by a guest performance from Madonna.
Listen to ‘Same Love’ below:
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StudioCanal
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Getty
"For me, growing up in New Jersey, it was Bruce Springsteen winning the Oscar for writing the song from ‘Philadelphia’. It was just a big deal because the working class people in New Jersey that were avid Springsteen fans, as I am, would be like ‘wow, I guess that’s OK. If Bruce Springsteen is behind it then other people should be" - Willie Garson, actor who played Stanford in 'Sex and the City'
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Netflix
"Laura Jane Grace coming out as trans, trans star Laverne Cox in 'OITNB' (left), emergence of gay hip hop" - Ryan, comedy editor
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Channel4
"'Queer As Folk' getting commissioned as a TV series" - Rebecca, US frontpage editor
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BBC
"LGBT characters are commonplace on TV and film these days - and quite right too. But for me, a stand-out moment was the introduction of gay couple Colin and Barry in 'EastEnders'. It coincided with me coming to terms with my own sexuality and to see two gay characters on such a huge mainstream soap gave me a glimmer of hope that being gay wasn't the end of the world or something to fear" - Matt, exec editor (entertainment)
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Channel4
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VanityFair
"I'm aware the 'Brookside' lesbian kiss of 1994 for was a big deal. I think Caitlin Jenner coming out was obviously huge, and star like Laverne Cox in 'OITNB' and Rebecca Root in a bunch of things are great" - Louise, assistant news editor
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Channel5
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Fox Searchlight
"Acknowledgement from the academy for films about LGBT lives - 'Boys Don't Cry' (left), 'Brokeback Mountain' - means now films like 'Carol' are less likely to have 'lesbian' used as a describing word and can just be a film about two women" - Jessie, editorial assistant (blogs)
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PA
"Macklemore's performance at the 2014 Grammys where they conducted straight and gay weddings to the song Same Love" - Francesca, videoprogrammer
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Madonna
Madonna's Erotica and Sex book - John, senior director, communications
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Focus Features
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Channel4
"UK-wise maybe the pre-watershed lesbian kiss on 'Brookside'. Sadly, I remember it more for it being a major event with quite a large negative backlash but at least it got people talking" - Chris, social media editor
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BBC
"Perhaps not most significant ever, but certainly of the past few years Conchita Wurst’s emotional victory at Eurovision 2014, and that speech afterwards: ‘We are unity and we are unstoppable" - Daniel, entertainment reporter