Best Hip-Hop ArtistIt’s ironic to hear the lines in Macklemore’s 2005 track “Ego” that lament other MCs rising ahead of him, considering he spent 2011 making the most meteoric rise of any Seattle rapper in recent memory. If you can accept his sincerity as a strength, Macklemore becomes an artist responsible for a transfixing live performance—one that sold out a nationwide tour and earned places on classic bills like XXL’s South by Southwest showcase and Rock the Bells—and an emotional connection with his listeners not to be trifled with. NICK FELDMAN myspace.com/macklemore