Macklemore is donating $1 million of his earnings from supporting Ed Sheeran‘s Loop Tour to Palestinian relief funds and is urging Robert Kraft, among other stadium owners hosting the Thinking Out Loud singer’s tour, to follow suit.
Macklemore said Wednesday in an Instagram post that he wants to “bring the conversation back to where it belongs: to the Palestinian people,” and will be donating the entirety of his $1 million net earnings from Sheeran’s tour to organizations working directly to support the Palestinian people.
“I invite Robert Kraft to match my donation. Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting. A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth,” his statement reads.
The rapper was dismissed from Ed Sheeran’s tour Monday, 10 days after he said “Free Palestine” and that the people of Gaza and the “occupied West Bank” had not been forgotten while on stage at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sept. 4, before performing his song Hind’s Hall, about pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia.
Sheeran confirmed his removal came after Robert Kraft, the owner of Gillette Stadium, where the British singer is scheduled to perform on Sept. 25, and other owners said they would not allow the shows to happen if Macklemore was present.
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Macklemore said earlier this week that Sheeran had informed him Kraft and several other venue owners had rallied together to give Sheeran an ultimatum. “If Macklemore stays on tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues,” he wrote.
Sheeran said Tuesday that he had been involved in talks with various parties, including Kraft, to try and “build a bridge,” but that the venue and the promoter’s decision was “final.”
In a statement released shortly after Macklemore pledged $1 million, Kraft, who also owns the New England Patriots NFL franchise, said he was contacted by Sheeran, who asked him to make a $2 million donation to “aid in the region.”
In the statement, Kraft said he was asked to match a $2 million endowment he said Sheeran was making.
The singer has not announced if he has donated funds, or to whom.
Macklemore’s donation comes a day after all of Sheeran’s remaining support acts dropped out of the tour, citing solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
Kraft said Sheeran is reaching out to other venues to “continue to work together to build bridges.”
“In addition, I’d like the people who are speaking in support of the Palestinian people to know that for decades, I have supported efforts that create opportunity for Palestinians and have brought young Palestinians and Israelis together to build businesses, create jobs and forge relationships,” his statement continued.
In a separate statement on Monday, Kraft said the decision to cancel Macklemore was a result of his recent comments “and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.”
“This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf. Their pain and loss are real.”
In 2014, Macklemore appeared on stage wearing a black beard, wig and prosthetic nose at a show in Seattle, which Jewish activist groups said at the time resembled an antisemitic caricature of an Orthodox Jew.
Macklemore later apologized for his attire, saying, “I acknowledge how the costume could, within a context of stereotyping, be ascribed to a Jewish caricature,” he wrote.
“I am here to say that it was absolutely not my intention and unfortunately at the time I did not foresee the costume to be viewed in such regard.”
— with files from the Associated Press
I don’t know who this idiot Macklemore is (former U.S. tennis star?) but apparently he’s a known antisemite and wore Jew-Face and gave a N azi salute along with it. Google it
Mack this. The support staff are still getting paid you clown.
I call others “village idiot” yet I continue to not know the difference between your and you’re.
Anonymous the village idiot….I think readers can tell who you are regardless of the different names you use…… your endless prattle gives it away.
Anonymous is a village idiot…still and always…. PS. I must be getting in your head Anonymous, your writing comments using my name now..
Ms Rachel is matching the 1m donation. Time for Kraft to man up.
The people losing out are the support staff of the artists who pulled out. I don’t care if they sink or swim. However if Macklemore and group would like to go to Palestine and preform a “live aid”, then go. Don’t (IMO) hijack your “friends” tour (which you were invited to), to get your political rocks off. Do that on your own tour.
To support Israel makes one complicit and a legitimate target
Mackelmore = G*y Clown
Cmd, no one mentioned in the article is a fan of Hamas
Thats great for Queen, Bob Marley, ABBA, Jimi Hendrix, Snoop Dogg and Tupac (you may want to spell his name correctly, it makes your argument look weak otherwise).
But this isn’t about them or any other whataboutism you want to inject here.
You gotta love how we’re in year 3 of a supposed genocide and the Hamas fans are busy spending thousands of dollars on concert tickets
Lol, should you be on Variety?
Tell me you haven’t been to a concert in decades without telling me. Modern music industry revenue means that more bands travel and perform. And Macklemore did this is a favour for Ed who asked him to be there. He didn’t need the work, hence how donated the entire fee. The entire support bamds along with Ed’s band have left the show because of how Ed threw his friend under the bus.
When is the last time you donated a million dollars?
@David Worst. Queen, Bob Marley, ABBA, Hendrix, Snoop Dogg and 2 Pac have a combined 0 Grammys. But tell us how knock-off Vanilla Ice is the greatest musician of all time
More useful idiots
Lol,
There is no Hamas in the West Bank where hundreds of Palestinians have been killed this year, and hundreds of more made homeless by terrorist settlers.
Hamas also has no power left in Gaza.
@Anonymous. How good could Smacklemore be if he’s still an opener? Nobody paying to see this clown. It aint 2014
Excuse my typos. I meant to write clicking earlier not clacking
My mind is fried from all the opiods.
Which Palestinian group? Hamas?
Bill he is a guy who won four Grammys. How many did you win?
Anonymous the village idiot….maybe you should take your song and dance on stage instead of hiding in your parents bsmt clacking the keyboard day and night. Loser.
What the hell is a Macklemore?
Oh look
The pathetic little troll is back
It’s no surprise they hide like a pussie on the internet
I’m sure hamas will appreciate the donation
Hey Dave, Mackelmore is an award winning global superstar, unlike your buddy Bibi who is wanted for arrest in 90 percent of the world.
He did nothing wrong. Get over it. And now he boxed Kraft into a corner. Time for Kraft to also donate, and specifically to those causes. After all Kraft allowed Ye to play at Gillette stadium so his argument the last week doesn’t pass the smell test.
The talentless one hit wonder needs ro keep himself in the media somehow
No one would even remember his name otherwise