Review: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis at Vector Arena

Macklemore's fans love him and his music clearly resonates with a wide-ranging group of people. Photo / Getty Images

When it comes to pop and rap with a heart and quest for justice, Macklemore is on a mission to use his voice for good.

Throughout his show at Vector Arena, the Seattle rapper did not shy away from speaking out about serious topics such as white privilege and the refugee crisis. With more than 6.5 million Facebook followers, he's one of the few artists with such a large audience speaking about such big issues.

He passionately spoke up about marriage equality before emotionally rapping Same Love - the song that put a human face to gay marriage for millions around the world - to the crowd of Kiwis who chanted the chorus with pride.

Macklemore's show was inundated with colour. Photo / Getty Images

Macklemore's fans love him and his music clearly resonates with a wide-ranging group of people. The Vector crowd comprised young and old, as well as families chanting his songs together.

Despite having a serious side, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis certainly know how to have fun and it was their irresistibly catchy pop anthems that lit up the crowd.

Macklemore shared a story about his one-year-old daughter Sloane - who is on tour with him. They spent the day taking in the sights of Auckland and it was in the City of Sails where she muttered her first words. According to Macklemore they were Thrift Shop.

Then he launched into the song that made him famous four years ago about - which topped charts around the world despite not having a major record label behind it.

Macklemore's show was inundated with colour. A trio of hip-hop dancers popped up behind him to bring motion and joy to his set. He's clearly at his best when he is playing music that is fun.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis perform at Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. Photo / Getty Images

There were magic moments, such as the dance-off on stage between two audience members, or when he threw a cookie to a man on the other side of the arena as he was about to play his song Let's Eat, which is all about his own struggle to stick to a diet.

The crowd exploded when Macklemore's sidekick Eric Nally popped out onstage to belt the chorus of Downtown as confetti exploded into the air of the venue.

The live performance of this song felt like something out of Broadway - with outrageous costumes only adding to the onstage spectacle.

Who: Macklemore
Where: Vector Arena, Auckland
When: Thursday, June 28