Macklemore says he was dropped as an opener from Ed Sheeran‘s stadium tour after New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft threatened to block him from performing at Gillette Stadium and rallied other stadium owners to do the same, effectively forcing Sheeran to choose between keeping Macklemore on the tour and losing access to multiple venues.
Background on the Tour
The Seattle rapper detailed his removal from the tour in a lengthy statement posted to Instagram on Monday, shortly after Rolling Stone broke the news. In the statement, Macklemore also recounted his conversations with Sheeran, who he said “was in a fucked up position” but ultimately chose to maintain an “apolitical” stance.
Macklemore stated that Sheeran told him that the words ‘Free Palestine’ and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with. Macklemore responded by saying that if those words were more offensive than tens of thousands of Palestinian children being killed by Israel, then there was a fundamental disconnect between where those people stood and where he stood.
Macklemore’s Statement
Macklemore began his statement by saying that he is not a victim, and neither is Ed Sheeran or Pink. He emphasized that the real victims are the Palestinian people who have been killed, starved, displaced, and forced to live through unimaginable violence. He also mentioned that more than 20,000 children have been killed in Gaza alone.
Macklemore explained that Ed Sheeran was in a difficult position, and that his typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before. Macklemore said that Sheeran told him that Robert Kraft called him and said that Macklemore would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. Macklemore also stated that Kraft had rallied other stadium owners and collectively they gave Sheeran an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.
Conclusion
Macklemore concluded his statement by saying that he hopes this isn’t the end of his relationship with Ed Sheeran. He emphasized that 13 years of friendship doesn’t disappear because of one painful disagreement. Macklemore also said that he will continue to speak out for Palestine and that his door will always be open to continuing the conversation with Sheeran.
Macklemore ended his statement by saying that saying “Free Palestine” has become a duty for him and millions of others around the world. He emphasized that it’s not something deserving of praise or gratitude, but rather a human responsibility. Macklemore also said that he didn’t need 10 shows from Ed Sheeran, but rather two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say: “Free Palestine”.
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