Macklemore claimed Monday that billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft pioneered his removal from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour after the rapper made “free Palestine” remarks at two shows in New York this month.
Macklemore says Ed Sheeran removed him from the Loop Tour, making his Palestinian advocacy an immediate career cost after mounting pressure. The Seattle rapper confirmed the decision in an Instagram statement Monday, September 14, after opening two stadium dates earlier this month.
He immediately rejected any effort to cast wealthy performers as the people most harmed by the dispute. He said Palestinian civilians were the true victims and tied the tour loss directly to his wider case against the war. Messina Touring Group gave a business explanation, telling Rolling Stone that some venues refused concerts featuring Macklemore. The promoter said his place on the bill threatened the remaining shows and could affect hundreds of thousands of ticket holders. After talks with unnamed stakeholders, Messina confirmed Macklemore would miss his remaining eight scheduled support appearances.
Sheeran’s official calendar now names Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe as support for the next stadium date in Philadelphia on September 19th.
