I have zero doubt that Macklemore truly believes same-sex couples should be allowed to legally marry. But in a culture where image is everything for entertainers, “Same Love” – the Seattle-based rapper’s scintillating rallying cry for marital equality – is also a brilliant career move.

In a homophobic genre, Macklemore became the straight rapper that spoke up for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

At a point in history when marital equality has gained the unstoppable momentum that characterizes a successful movement, whichever rapper took this step was guaranteed to increase his popularity and transform his potential legacy.

This could not have been lost on Macklemore when he wrote the song.

Macklemore, who will perform at the Carrier Dome on Nov. 11, was popular before “Same Love” became a radio hit last summer. “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us,” the first two singles on his 2012 debut album, “The Heist,” both peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 list.

With those songs, Macklemore played the stylistic trendsetter card that has worked so well for young rappers in recent years. It was enough to make him popular, particularly among college-age people, but not any more popular or important than his contemporaries.

With “Same Love,” Macklemore became more popular and more important by channeling the political desires of his seemingly materialistic fan base.

The marital equality movement represents the insertion of millennials into politics. Much of the movement’s success can be attributed to people younger than 30 who are gradually reforming the opinions of their crotchety elders. Older people are listening because they are surprised when younger people put their energies into a political issue.

This was affirmed when President Barack Obama, a president who was elected because he galvanized young voters, became the first sitting president to openly endorse same-sex marriage in May 2012. Eight of the 15 states that have legalized same-sex marriage have done so since Obama’s endorsement.

If Obama got the ball rolling in a country that didn’t previously accept same-sex marriage, Macklemore has shown that this transformation can be applied to demographics that are inclined to resist it.

As the first Top 40 song to promote same-sex marriage, “Same Love” has planted a progressive seed in our minds: If same-sex marriage can be accepted by rappers, it can be accepted by other resistant demographics like religious fundamentalists.

By planting this seed, Macklemore has increased his popularity and transformed his potential legacy.

In terms of popularity, just think about why he’s performing at the Dome instead of at Juice Jam. According to a University Union survey, Macklemore was so overwhelmingly the choice to headline Juice Jam that UU realized the event would be too small for him. A four-figure ticket limit would have fallen far short of Macklemore’s earning potential.

In terms of legacy, even if he never records another song, Macklemore will be remembered as the straight rapper that spoke up in a hostile industry for same-sex couples across the nation.

This is why “Same Love” is a cultural milestone.

It’s a perfect contextual storm with which a rapper has come to personify the transition from youth to young adult – or the transition from petty material concerns to meaningful political concerns – in modern terms.

By achieving cultural significance, Macklemore has put himself in a prime position to have a long and prosperous career. This was not lost on Macklemore when he wrote “Same Love,” but neither was his sympathy for the LGBT community.

Jarrad Saffren is a senior political science and newspaper and online journalism major. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at jdsaffre@syr.edu.

Published on November 6, 2013 at 1:32 am