In a dramatic escalation of the fallout surrounding Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour, US rapper Macklemore says he will hand over $1 million (€872,000) — the full amount of his net earnings from the run — to charities supporting Palestinian people.
The pledge comes after the musician was removed as a supporting act in the wake of comments he made about Gaza.
Since that decision, Sheeran’s remaining openers have also withdrawn from the tour dates still ahead. Irish singer Aaron Rowe, Grammy-winning musician Finneas and Danish band Lukas Graham have all pulled out, as has Irish band Beoga, which had been joining Sheeran for part of his set.
In a post on Instagram, Macklemore — real name Ben Haggerty — said he wanted the attention to return to the people affected by the war.
“With everything that has happened over the last 48 hours, I want to bring the conversation back to where it belongs: to the Palestinian people who are still being killed, still living under military occupation, and still fighting for their freedom.
“I will be donating the entire 1 million (dollars) of my net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six organisations working directly to support the Palestinian people.”
On Monday, the rapper claimed Robert Kraft — whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium — had reached out to Sheeran and said the shows could not go ahead unless Macklemore was taken off the tour.
Macklemore said Ed Sheeran told him that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft had said he would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts on 25 and 26 September
He also called on the US businessman to match his contribution, writing that “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”.
Mr Kraft has since said he will donate $2 million to humanitarian aid after Sheeran asked him to match a $2 million donation from the singer. A spokesperson for Kraft confirmed the donation to the Associated Press.
Macklemore argued that charitable relief, while necessary, does not resolve the underlying causes of the crisis.
“Aid alone cannot address the conditions that make it necessary. This is a manmade injustice and I believe it requires immediate political change.
“Palestinians have lived for decades without basic rights and should not have to wait another day to be free. This is where my focus will remain,” he said.
The rapper said his donations would go to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, UNRWA USA and American Near East Refugee Aid.
On Tuesday, Sheeran wrote on social media that Macklemore’s exit was a promoter’s call, not his own.
He said that “upcoming tour dates had communicated that they would pull the shows if he was still supporting”, adding that Mr Kraft was among those raising that concern.
Read more:
Irish acts exit Ed Sheeran tour in solidarity with Macklemore
Ed Sheeran says it was not his decision to remove Macklemore from tour
The singer added, “I am not complicit. I have my personal views on this devastating conflict.”
Sheeran said he was “appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine” and added that he respected Macklemore “as an artist”.
In a statement shared by Mr Kraft, the businessman said his decision to bar the US rapper after remarks made on stage stemmed from what he described as a “broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community”.
Sheeran is next due to perform on 19 September at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, where Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe had been scheduled to open.
He has 17 dates remaining across North and South America, with the tour set to conclude on 11 December in Mexico City.
