Controversy Swirls Following Pro-Palestinian Comments Made by Macklemore at MetLife Stadium Before Ed Sheeran Concert
- On Friday, September 4, American rapper Macklemore chanted "Free Palestine" while opening for Ed Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, telling concertgoers that people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank had not been forgotten.
- Macklemore's activism became particularly prominent following the Israel-Gaza war outbreak, with the artist performing his 2024 song "Hind's Hall," inspired by pro-Palestinian student protests at Columbia University and criticizing US support for Israel.
- Macklemore stated his primary motivation for joining the tour was sharing his message of peace and solidarity with Palestine, and directly addressed Jewish audience members, clarifying that criticism of Israel should not be understood as criticism of Jewish people.
- The Israeli-American Council launched a petition demanding Ed Sheeran remove Macklemore from the tour's remaining dates, accusing him of promoting a "one-sided political agenda," while pro-Israel activist Michael Rapaport dubbed the musician a clown and some Israeli concertgoers described the remarks as "a knife in the heart."
- Macklemore remains scheduled for eight further tour dates through November, with the performances triggering both criticism and praise, positioning the artist at the center of an ongoing polarized debate over political expression in music.
104 Articles
104 Articles
Macklemore did it twice
MetLife Stadium is a short drive from my house. I have sat in that building with my kids. I have paid for the parking, the merchandise, the overpriced water, the whole ritual. So when I read the accounts from Sept. 4 and Sept. 5, I read them the way any parent in this part of New Jersey would, which is to say as something that happened close to home rather than something that happened on the internet.Here is what happened, stated plainly.Macklem…
hiphopwired.com
Macklemore Responds To "Free Palestine" Speech Criticism
The multiple Grammy Award-winning rapper Macklemore has some words for those who criticized his recent call to “Free Palestine” as he performed onstage while on tour with Ed Sheeran. On Monday (Sept. 7), Macklemore shared a video of the speech he made during his opening set for the pop musician’s Loop Tour stop at MetLife […]
Macklemore Responds to Backlash Over ‘Free Palestine’ Chant at Ed Sheeran Show: ‘Wanting All Humans to be Treated Equal Should Never Be Controversial’
Macklemore responds to the backlash over his repeated "Free Palestine" comments during opening sets on Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour: see his statement.
After criticisms of P!nk or Boy George, the American rapper Macklemore reiterated the pro-Palestinian speech he made in the first part of a concert by Ed Sheeran. Israeli-American Council demands that it be withdrawn from the British singer's tour
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