Ladies, it's time to break out that sexy piece of clothing you've had sitting in your closet for a very special occasion, because Justin Bieber - I mean Macklemore - is coming to The Royal Lounge in Olympia Thursday, Feb. 24 - fulfilling every 16-year-old girl's dreams. If you've been in a coma for the past year or so you may not have noticed the damage Macklemore has been doing to the hip-hop world. This guy is blowing the fuck up! Not only have he and Ryan Lewis sold out the Showbox a record three times  - each time in under 48 hours - but they're currently selling out pretty much every show lined up for Macklemore's upcoming nationwide tour that begins next week. 

Macklemore makes incredible music that represents our area well - that much is obvious. But this guy is a true class act. Ever heard about a baby being saved from getting hit by a car or train? It was Macklemore that came to the rescue. True story. Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn better keep a close eye on his job status, and Garfield High's Bulldog mascot better look out too, because Macklemore could take over their jobs at any moment. 

Last week I had the chance to speak with the teen heartthrob and talk with him about his life and his talents.

"Nobody expected for us to sell out the Showbox in 48 hours. We knew we had the chance to sell it out, but not that quick," says Macklemore. "I was completely shocked when it happened, and I was high on that for about two days. But it always goes away and I go back to feeling like normal Ben. We hadn't headlined a show since our record release show so I think that had a lot to do with it." 

While it's true that Macklemore hadn't headlined a show since his record release party, and that no doubt helped sell out the currently scheduled Showbox dates, Macklemore has also gained thousands of new fans thanks to newer releases such as "My Oh My," a tribute to Dave Neihuas. 

"I was in Colorado when I heard the news that one of my childhood heroes (Dave Neihaus) had passed. I knew I wanted to do a tribute to him immediately, especially because I really wanted to get people acquainted with him that weren't already. So as soon as I got back to Seattle my girl and I started writing the song and we actually finished it in one night," Macklemore says. 

How does this man write a classic song in one night that gets nearly 200,000 views on YouTube? The same way he rescues babies from burning buildings. He's superhuman. 

Macklemore explains that his Olympia show is one he's looking forward to more than most because of the past relationship he's had with the city. 

"Olympia is definitely my second home," says the one-time Olympia resident and former Evergreen State College student. "Outside of Seattle it's the city I lived in most of my life. Some of my best friends live there and I'm always excited to see how they're doing and see how the hip-hop scene that I was once a part of is growing and getting better. 

"A lot of people don't know this but I actually met Grieves in Olympia too," Macklemore continues. "I was going to Evergreen and he was going to SPSCC and I heard him freestyling at a party and was like, ‘Whoa, this dude's good.'" 

From that point on Grieves and Macklemore became friends and started making music. They also share their producer, Budo, who produced much of Macklemore's first album, The Language of My World. 

Feb. 24, Rhymesayers recording artists Grieves and Budo will open forf Macklemore, something Macklemore finds a special pleasure in because it means he and Grieves get to play another show together in the city where they first met. As far as Mack and Ryan Lewis's relationship goes it's a little different then they had originally planned. 

"Ryan and me would just kick it and he would play these indie rock songs and finally I was like, ‘Let's flip these and turn them into hip-hop cuts,'" says Macklemore.

Although Mack already had a hearty fan base - thanks to his debut album and a little help from MySpace - it has probably doubled since he began working with Lewis. "At first we were just thinking about a mixtape, but as we started putting songs out they were getting a really good response so we decided to go further and it‘s been going really well ever since," he says.

Come see Macklemore and Ryan Lewis live in action at The Royal Lounge, Thursday, Feb. 24. This honestly could be the last time you'll be able to see Macklemore live in Olympia ... because just like Beibs, dude is blowing up.

Macklemore

With Ryan Lewis, Grieves, Budo, Xperience, SOTA
Thursday, Feb. 24, 8 p.m., $10
The Royal Lounge, 311 Capitol Way N., Olympia
360.705.0760