Hip-hop star Macklemore, left, and former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch. (Seattle Kraken Photo)

Macklemore and Marshawn Lynch, two Seattle stars with ties to the city’s sports and entertainment culture, are deepening those ties by joining a minority investment group of the Seattle Kraken.

The new NHL franchise, which started league play last fall, announced the partnership on Monday, saying that the hip-hop artist and the former Seattle Seahawks running back are joining a group led by founder and majority owner David Bonderman and Samantha Holloway, chairperson of the executive committee.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy is part of the team’s ownership group and Amazon bought the naming rights to team’s home, Climate Pledge Arena.

“We are fortunate to have an incredibly strong investor group which has guided the franchise over the last four years,” Holloway said in a statement. “We are now adding two hometown heroes who share our values and desires to give back to this great city and continue to make hockey a sport for everyone.”

Macklemore, a Seattle native, is a big backer of the city’s sports scene. In 2019 he joined a group that included a number of tech leaders as part of a revamped ownership group for the Seattle Sounders FC. The Grammy winner launched Bogey Boys, a golf and lifestyle clothing brand, in 2021 and he’s also backing Five Iron Golf, a high-tech indoor golf and entertainment franchise with a new location on Capitol Hill.

“I have so much love for our city. The Seattle teams that we root for bring our community together and unify the people,” Macklemore said. “To witness the energy around the Kraken in our inaugural season blew me away.”

In a video the team posted on Twitter, both men check out new Kraken jerseys with “owner” emblazoned on the back. Macklemore is shown lacing up his skates and taking the ice and Lynch is, of course, driving the Zamboni at the Community Iceplex at Northgate. His skills behind the wheel were reminiscent of his viral spin in 2006 on the injury cart while he was a player at Cal.

Lynch left an impact on Seattle like few other pro athletes, helping the Seahawks to win their first Super Bowl championship and forever cementing “Beast Quake” into the sports lexicon. He’s involved in a number of business and charitable ventures, including his Fam 1st Family Foundation and Beast Mode brand.

“I’ve been a part of a lot of things, but this is something I never would have imagined,” Lynch said. “As a young hyena I always dreamed of playing on a professional team but owning one is something special.

“Being a part of the Seattle Kraken is something big for me it gives me another chance to get a ring after helping bring the first NFL one to the city,” he added.

The team said Lynch will participate in the team’s “Hockey is for Everyone” campaign and will work with the team to plan events focused on young people and community activism. Macklemore will work with the team and arena to produce music events that serve the community and engage with fans.

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.