Macklemore releases song dedicated to newborn daughter

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have released a new song dedicated to the rapper's 2-month-old daughter, Sloane.

The artist, birth name Ben Haggerty, wrote a heartfelt letter to accompany the Soundcloud release of "Growing Up (Sloane's Song)" Wednesday. In it, he muses on the expectations verses reality of becoming a father.

"I held on to a clear expectations of where I wanted be in my career, my age, my level of self-care, and my maturity. I basically assumed that I'd have it all together. But in actuality the hypothetical "dad" version of me looked completely different," Haggerty said.

About the song, he said "half of it is advice about growing up. The other half is trying to figure out how to grow up myself."

The "Same Love" rapper admitted to Complex magazine last week that despite his success in 2014, he suffered a drug relapse. "I was super-stressed," he told the outlet. "We weren't sleeping -- doing a show every day, zigzagging all over the country."

In his Soundcloud note, the award-winning recording artist thanked his fans for their patience when waiting for new music. His and Ryan Lewis' popular studio album, The Heist, released in 2012.

"We didn't want to do a big campaign or anything over the top with this. We just wanted to put out good music, directly to the people that have been here since the beginning. Thank you for your patience. Hope you enjoy," he said.

"And if you're wondering...Our daughter, Sloane Ava Simone Haggerty was born months ago on May 29th. There is nothing like the joy and happiness that comes from bringing a baby into this universe," he added. "She has filled my heart in ways that I never knew were possible. She is the love of my life. This song is for her."