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AzerNEWS Staff

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US rapper Macklemore has been removed from the remaining US dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour after making pro-Palestinian remarks during performances at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.

Macklemore announced his removal from the tour in a lengthy Instagram statement on September 14, saying he and Sheeran had held “some difficult conversations this past week” before Sheeran and his team decided to remove him from the tour.

The controversy followed Macklemore’s performances at MetLife Stadium on September 4 and 5. During a speech between songs on September 4, the Grammy-winning rapper called for a “Free Palestine” and said he wanted people in Gaza and the “occupied West Bank” to know that they had not been forgotten.

“A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: ‘Free Palestine,’” Macklemore said during the performance.

“I want those words to be loud and clear, so that people all the way in Gaza to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten about them,” he added.

Macklemore also performed Hind’s Hall, his 2024 protest song inspired by pro-Palestinian student demonstrations and named in memory of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed in Gaza.

Venues object to Macklemore

Messina Touring Group, the promoter of the US leg of Sheeran’s tour, confirmed Macklemore’s removal, saying several venues had informed the organizers that they would not allow concerts to proceed with the rapper on the lineup.

“We have been notified by venues on the upcoming US tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans,” the promoter said in a statement to Rolling Stone.

“After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.”

Macklemore was scheduled to appear at eight of the 10 remaining US shows on Sheeran’s stadium tour, which is due to resume on September 19 in Philadelphia.

The Israeli-American Council had launched a petition calling for Macklemore to be removed from the tour following his MetLife performances. The campaign cited his longstanding criticism of Israel and his support for Palestinians.

Macklemore points to Robert Kraft

In his Instagram statement, Macklemore claimed that New England Patriots owner and billionaire Robert Kraft played a central role in his removal.

According to the rapper, Sheeran told him that Kraft had barred him from performing at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts and had contacted other stadium owners, allegedly telling them that Sheeran would not be allowed to perform at their venues if Macklemore remained on the tour.

Kraft, who owns and operates Gillette Stadium, confirmed that Macklemore would not perform at the venue, citing what he described as the rapper’s recent performances and a broader history of “antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.”

“This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf,” Kraft said. “But that advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community or obscure the responsibility of Hamas.”

Kraft did not directly address Macklemore’s claim that he had rallied other stadium owners against the rapper.

Macklemore has denied being antisemitic and argued that criticism of Israel’s actions should not be conflated with antisemitism.