SEATTLE — There are Grammy Awards, Billboard Top 10's, fame and fortune.
But for Ben Haggarty (aka Macklemore), one of Seattle's most iconic artists, the most important motivator is public service.
"Service work is what drives me," he said. "I think that service work is the greatest secret that's right in front of our noses at all times."
For Haggarty, service work involves volunteering at community events and donating tens of thousands of dollars every year. But his passion is helping local teenagers on their path to sobriety.
He himself has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction from an early age. Haggarty previously entered rehab in 2008 and 2011 but remains clean today. He uses his platform and experiences to help teens, too.
"That's just what you do if you're in recovery. You help other people out", he said. "You pass along what was been freely given to you. That's how I found out about service work in the first place, through recovery".
A large portion of his work is through the Interagency Recovery High School in Seattle. One of its main drug and alcohol councilors is a life-long friend of Haggarty.
Seth Welch remembers his friend as being a leader from an early age, when they both faced the depths of addiction.
"He was always the one to pick us up and encourage us," Welch said. "He's the one that put recovery on the map for me".
Welch estimates Haggarty has made an impact on hundreds of students at Recovery High School over the years, without any fanfare or public attention. That includes inviting the entire school to Macklemore concerts.
"It's hard to put into words the difference he is making with these kids," Welch said.
Macklemore has a new video out called "New Year." But moving into the actual new year, he knows his service work will only grow stronger.
"We never know how much change you can make," he said. "Picking up the phone, lending a bit of advice or sharing information about a treatment facility or whatever it might be, actually goes along to change the course of someone's life."