Rapper Macklemore has been removed from singer Ed Sheeran's stadium tour following his pro-Palestine comments, a decision that has drawn criticism and accusations of hypocrisy, particularly when contrasted with the ongoing tour of Kanye West (Ye), who has a history of antisemitic remarks.
Sources report that Macklemore himself accused Robert Kraft, owner of New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, of rallying other venue owners to pressure Sheeran. Macklemore stated that these owners presented an ultimatum: either Macklemore would not perform as an opener, or eight of his scheduled dates would be canceled.
Macklemore used two of his initial tour stops to voice support for Palestine, delivering speeches that he said were not criticisms of Jewish people but rather a call for peace, dignity, respect, and equality for all. These comments had previously drawn criticism from the pro-Israel advocacy group StopAntisemitism.
The tour's promoter confirmed to Rolling Stone that venues had warned of cancellations due to Macklemore's statements. Sheeran also confirmed this on Tuesday. Kraft, who is Jewish and a supporter of pro-Israeli causes, confirmed Macklemore would not be permitted to perform at Gillette Stadium, but did not comment on the alleged coordinated effort to exclude him from other venues.
The decision to remove Macklemore has led some to point out that Ye has performed multiple times at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, a venue that reportedly objected to Macklemore's appearance. Critics have highlighted this disparity, with some noting on social media that Ye, who released a song with lyrics referencing "Heil Hitler" and has been called a Nazi, is still welcome to perform in stadiums, while Macklemore's pro-Palestine stance led to his removal.
While several of Ye's international tour dates have faced cancellations due to his past antisemitic remarks and security concerns, his U.S. concerts have largely proceeded as scheduled. Reports suggest that Ye's contract for the Tampa shows included a clause that prevented the stadium from canceling his performances based on his past statements. Earlier this year, Ye published a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal apologizing for his antisemitism, attributing his past behavior partly to his struggle with bipolar disorder.
The stadium in Tampa is publicly owned and operated, and the prospect of canceling Ye's shows had previously drawn concerns about First Amendment rights. It remains unclear if other venues on Ye's tour, such as AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, have similar contractual agreements in place.