The Source Magazine ‘Man of the Year’ award goes to…. Macklemore!

The Seattle rapper soared to unprecedented heights in 2013, with the groundbreaking 2012 release of his first studio album The Heist.

The debut album was a collaborative effort for Macklemore and his producer Ryan Lewis. However, the most compelling aspect of the album is that it was independently produced, recording, released and distributed.

In other words, they did it all without a record deal. Within hours of the album’s release, it skyrocketed to N0. 1 on iTunes with no mainstream marketing, promotion, or advertisement.

With the release of the album’s three hit singles, “Thrift Shop,” “Can’t Hold Us,” and “Same Love,” the duo catapulted to mainstream radio, and are among the most-played artists of 2013.

The three singles sold an estimated 13 million units collectively. The album’s esteemed success has earned Macklemore and Lewis an impressive seven Grammy nominations.

The rapper even tweeted about the incredible feat earlier today.

The Source. Man of the year. Very crazy…. Shout out to johnkeatley on the photo. http://t.co/w6092f4F2M

— Macklemore (@macklemore) January 7, 2014

However, Macklemore’s success doesn’t stop at the stage or the studio. The anti-consumerist rapper is also becoming quite the businessman. Although 2013 was a highly successful year for the “White Walls” rapper, he already has a growing list of endorsement deals lined up for 2014.

According to Business Insider, Macklemore has upcoming ad campaigns AT&T, Dr. Pepper, and the highly lauded media and interactive advertising agency Deutsch, Inc.

Since Macklemore is gracing the front cover of Source, fans will get the opportunity to see a glint of the man behind the microphone. He recently sat down with magazine to share facts about his hip hop credibility.

Most view Macklemore as a pop artist, instead of a rapper, which is the reason for the chatter behind his recent Grammy nomination for “Best Rap Album.” However, the cynical remarks don’t seem to bother him. He even shared his thoughts of the upcoming Grammy Awards with the magazine, stating who he personally think should win.

“If we win a Grammy for Best Rap Album, Hip-Hop is going to be heated. In terms of [that category], I think it should go to Kendrick. He’s family. TDE is family, and I understand why Hip-Hop would feel like Kendrick got robbed [if he didn’t win]. I’m not trying to compare albums; I think you can make an argument for both. With that being said, I am a huge supporter of what Kendrick does. And because of that, I would love to win in a different category. We obviously had massive success on commercial radio, and I think that, in ways, The Heist was a bigger album, but Kendrick has a better rap album.”

Image via Twitter | Macklemore