TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - US rapper Macklemore said he was dropped from Ed Sheeran's tour after making pro-Palestine remarks onstage at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium earlier this month.
The "Thrift Shop" rapper, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, said several US venues told the tour promoter they would not allow him to perform as the opening act on Sheeran's Loop Tour, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald.
Macklemore made the claim in a lengthy Instagram post on Tuesday, September 15, while standing by his call to "Free Palestine" during his September 4 performance.
"What I said at MetLife I have been saying on stages around the world for almost three years. So why is it an issue now?" Macklemore wrote, adding that he believed performing at major stadiums had become an important platform for his message.
He said the decision to remove him reflected concerns over the potential impact of his advocacy.
"At a certain level of exposure, 'Free Palestine' becomes too much of a risk," he wrote.
Sheeran has not publicly commented on the situation, and a replacement opening act has yet to be confirmed.
What Did Macklemore Say at MetLife Stadium?
The controversy began on September 4, when Macklemore shouted "Free Palestine" while introducing his protest song "Hind's Hall" as footage depicting the devastation in Gaza played on a screen.
The song was written following the 2024 US campus protests supporting Palestinians and was named after Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed in Gaza City.
Macklemore told the MetLife Stadium audience that one of the reasons he wanted to join the tour was to have the opportunity to deliver his message from major stadium stages.
Following the performance, campaign group StopAntisemitism criticized Macklemore, arguing that Jewish fans had bought tickets to see Sheeran and should not be confronted with what it described as anti-Israel messaging.
Macklemore returned to the stage the following night and sought to distinguish criticism of Israel from criticism of Jewish people.
"To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters, criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, it in no way is criticism of you," he said, adding that his message was about peace, love, dignity, respect and equality.
Macklemore Faces Further Criticism
The controversy also drew criticism from fellow singer Pink, who is Jewish. She accused Macklemore of deciding for Jewish people how they should interpret his comments.
Pink also referenced Macklemore's 2014 apology over a costume that included a black wig, beard and exaggerated fake nose, which critics had described as antisemitic.
Macklemore responded in his Instagram post by arguing that the focus should remain on Palestinians affected by the conflict, including those killed, displaced and subjected to severe hardship.
The promoter, Messina Touring Group, confirmed to Rolling Stone that some venues had told it they would not allow Macklemore to perform. The promoter said such restrictions could have led to the cancellation of the tour and affected hundreds of thousands of fans.
One of the venues was Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL's New England Patriots. Owner Robert Kraft said Macklemore's removal was linked to his recent comments as well as what Kraft described as a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that had hurt the Jewish community.
Kraft also said the decision was not intended to diminish the suffering of Palestinians or deny people the right to advocate for them.
Macklemore Says Friendship With Sheeran Remains
Macklemore said he did not hold any ill will toward Ed Sheeran, whom he described as a friend of 13 years.
He said, however, that their friendship would not prevent him from speaking publicly about what happened.
"As I told Ed multiple times on the phone, our friendship can't change my responsibility to tell the truth about what happened," Macklemore wrote.
