Macklemore has been removed from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour following onstage remarks in support of Palestine.
The rapper, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, had served as the opening act for Sheeran’s Loop tour. After delivering pro-Palestinian speeches before his set, he drew criticism from Jewish groups.
He told the audience, “A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so that I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very, very dear to my heart: Free Palestine.”
He then performed Hind’s Hall, a track that condemns Israel’s military action in Gaza, while footage depicting the devastation in Gaza played on the big screen.
The following night, Macklemore returned to the same stage and addressed his “Jewish brothers and sisters” in the crowd directly.
“Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, is in no way a criticism of you,” he stated, adding that he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know they had not been forgotten.
Macklemore stood by his remarks on Monday, confirming that he had been cut from the tour and writing in a statement that the real victims are the Palestinian people in Gaza.
In a lengthy missive on Instagram, the artist explained that after a week of “difficult conversations” with Sheeran, he had been dropped from the lineup.
Tour promoter Messina Touring Group told Rolling Stone magazine that some venues had indicated they would not allow Macklemore to perform, “which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans”.
In his statement, Macklemore noted that he empathised with the difficult position Sheeran was in, but criticised the English singer for not taking a stance.
“Taking a side can cost you. Money, brand deals, sponsorships, festivals, private shows, relationships and access. I’ve lost all of those things. But there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed,” he wrote.
Sheeran has not yet commented. A replacement for Macklemore is yet to be announced.
