The Heist

The Heist is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. It was released on October 9, 2012, by Macklemore LLC, distributed under the Alternative Distribution Alliance. The album was independently self-produced, self-recorded and self-released by the duo, with no mainstream promotion or support. After the album's release, the duo hired Warner Music Group's radio promotion department to help the push with their singles for a small percentage of the sales.

The album was recorded in Seattle, Washington between 2009 and 2012. Four singles were released before the album; the fourth single, "Thrift Shop", was the most commercially successful – peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and in 17 other countries, including in Australia and New Zealand, as well as a successful run on the charts in many other countries. The album's second single "Can't Hold Us" was also largely commercially successful, peaking at number one in the United States, Australia, and Sweden.

The album sold 78,000 copies in its first week, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200, and at number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, while entering the Canadian Albums Chart at number four. The album received generally positive reviews from critics. On January 26, 2014, it won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, where it was also nominated for Album of the Year and earned Macklemore and Ryan Lewis the award for Best New Artist. As of early 2016, the album has sold 1,490,000 copies in the United States.