American rapper Macklemore has been removed from fellow artist and longtime friend Ed Sheeran’s “The Loop” tour after publicly voicing his support for Palestine during his performances.
Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, had been serving as the opening act for Sheeran’s tour. He later drew criticism from Jewish groups after saying “Free Palestine” at two concerts and delivering political speeches onstage earlier this month.
The rapper later confirmed on social media that he had been cut from the tour, sharing what he described as “the truth” behind his removal in a lengthy Instagram statement.
Macklemore began his statement by clarifying that he does not consider himself, Sheeran, or other artists involved to be the “victims,” pointing instead to Palestinians affected by the ongoing conflict.
“Ed Sheeran and his team have made the decision to remove me from ‘The Loop’ tour,” he wrote.
“But before I get into it, I want to say something that should be obvious. In this moment I think it matters. I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim. Pink is not a victim. We have careers, money, opportunities, safety and audiences around the world. Whatever consequences any of us face for what we say, we get to go home to our families,” he asserted.
“The victims are the Palestinian people. The men, women and children who have been killed, starved, displaced and forced to live through unimaginable violence,” Macklemore stressed.
“More than 20,000 children have been killed in Gaza alone. People are being killed today, and people will be killed tomorrow. I want to make sure that as I tell this story, we don’t lose sight of that.”
Macklemore also reflected on his 13-year friendship with Sheeran, whom he described as a brother.
“Ed is my friend. I’ve known him for 13 years. We’ve shared late nights, studio sessions and stages. He has this infectious magic about him that l’ve grown to love. I consider him a brother,” he said. “And because of that, we’ve had some difficult conversations this past week. The type of talks rooted in love and respect for one another that still end in a place of fundamental disagreement.”
“Nothing I’m writing here is out of spite or because I want to tear down his character. But as I told Ed multiple times on the phone, our friendship can’t change my responsibility to tell the truth about what happened.”
Macklemore claimed that his removal was influenced by American businessman Robert Kraft, who he said gave Sheeran an ultimatum regarding the rapper’s participation in the tour.
The development followed Macklemore’s performance at MetLife Stadium, where he wore a keffiyeh, displayed devastating footage of the situation in Gaza, and shouted “Free Palestine” while introducing his protest song “Hind’s Hall.”
Macklemore said the incident came amid media attention surrounding comments from singer P!nk, who had criticized his statements about Palestine.
“Ed told me that Robert Kraft called him. We were scheduled to play Gillette Stadium later this month, which is owned by the Kraft Group. Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues,” he disclosed.
According to Macklemore, Ed was frustrated by the situation, as someone he described as “typically apolitical” left him with the final decision to cut him off from his shows.
“He was in a f*cked up position. He knew it. His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before. He told me that the words ‘Free Palestine’ and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with,” Macklemore continued.
“I told him 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 I stood. But he couldn’t get past his public facing, ‘I don’t take sides’.”
Macklemore acknowledged the consequences that can come with taking a public stance, saying he understood why others may choose not to take sides.
“Taking a side can cost you. Money, brand deals, sponsorships, festivals, private shows, relationships and access. I’ve lost all of those things,” he said, noting the personal and professional losses he has experienced.
He nevertheless argued that choosing not to take a side does not necessarily make someone neutral.
“But there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed. When one side has the bombs and bottomless financial and military support from America, refusing to take a side doesn’t leave you in the middle,” he said.
He also questioned why his political statements became an issue during Sheeran’s tour, “What I said at MetLife I have been saying on stages around the world for almost three years. So why is it an issue now? Because now I’m sharing a stage with one of the biggest artists in the world, in some of the biggest stadiums in America.”
Macklemore further addressed accusations of antisemitism, saying the term should not be used to shield the Israeli government from criticism.
“And one of the most effective ways to enforce that silence has been to weaponize the accusation of antisemitism. Antisemitism is real. And that is exactly why the word matters too much to be used as a shield against criticism of the Israeli state,” he said.
“When criticizing Israel, opposing Zionism or saying ‘Free Palestine’ gets conflated with hatred of Jewish people, it doesn’t protect Jewish people. It protects Israel from accountability.”
Despite their disagreement, Macklemore said he hopes the incident will not end his friendship with Sheeran.
“I hope this isn’t the end of my relationship with Ed,” he wrote. “Thirteen years of friendship doesn’t disappear because of one painful disagreement. I hope we both continue listening, studying what is happening in Palestine and wrestling with what neutrality means in a moment like this. My door will always be open to continuing that conversation.”
He concluded by reiterating his support for Palestine.
“I didn’t need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2. Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say. Free Palestine. But if those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve ever been on,” he wrote.
The conflict in Gaza began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 others being taken hostage, according to Israeli figures.
Israel subsequently launched a military campaign in Gaza. More than 73,780 people have been killed in the territory, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures were supported by the United Nations.
Israel continues to reject allegations of genocide and maintains that its military operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank are acts of self-defense carried out in accordance with international law.
As of writing, Sheeran has yet to publicly comment on Macklemore’s removal. It also remains unclear who will replace the rapper as the opening act for the rest of “The Loop” tour.
