Ed Sheeran responds following row surrounding Macklemore's departure from tour
Sheeran said the promoter made the call after Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian remarks, while Robert Kraft said he barred the rapper over concerns about hate speech.
- On Monday, rapper Macklemore announced his removal from The Loop tour following pro-Palestinian statements made at New Jersey concerts on September 4, with Messina Touring Group confirming the departure.
- New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft demanded Macklemore's removal from Gillette Stadium, citing concerns over 'hate speech' and 'antisemitic rhetoric,' while Macklemore alleged Kraft threatened to bar Sheeran's concerts if he remained.
- Sheeran stated on Tuesday that venues and promoters made the final decision, emphasizing his desire to avoid a 'political forum' at concerts while writing, 'I am not complicit.'
- Criticizing the English singer for not taking a stance, Macklemore wrote, 'There is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed,' referencing his performance of 'Hind's Hall' at Columbia University.
- The controversy stems from the Gaza conflict, which began 7 October 2023 and has resulted in more than 73,780 deaths in Gaza and about 1,200 in Israel; Sheeran attempted 'at length all week to try and build a bridge.
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296 Articles
When does being ‘apolitical’ become a political act? An ethicist on the Ed Sheeran saga
Getty ImagesHeadlines this week have been inundated with news of artist Macklemore being dropped from Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour, following Macklemore’s onstage calls to “free Palestine”. The rap artist said Robert Kraft, owner of New England Patriots and the Gillette Stadium, barred him from playing in his stadium, and rallied other stadiums to join the boycott. In response, Sheeran’s remaining support acts also withdrew. Sheeran has attempted to d…
Is the Ed Sheeran and Macklemore Controversy a Breakthrough or a Distraction? I’m Still Not Sure
A year ago to the day, I went to a fundraising concert in London, “Together for Palestine,” spearheaded by Brian Eno. The tickets sold out in two hours — all 12,000 of them. The lineup was long and star-studded: actors Richard Gere, Guy Pearce and Benedict Cumberbatch; soccer player Eric Cantona; journalist Mehdi Hassan; and musicians from Damon Albarn, Neneh Cherry and Omar Souleyman to Brian Eno himself. Here there was no need to worry about w…
POLITICS: AOC Accuses Kraft of Orchestrating Stadium Ban on Macklemore Over Israel Remarks – The Beltway Report
U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has accused Patriots owner Robert Kraft of coordinating with other stadium owners to keep rapper Macklemore off stages over his criticism of Israel, escalating a dispute that centers on Kraft’s Foxborough-based Gillette Stadium. Kraft moved to block Macklemore from performing at Gillette Stadium, which sits in Foxborough in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. It has not been established what role, i…
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