Topline
Rapper Macklemore has defended his pro-Palestine remarks after a weekend of criticism and growing calls to remove him from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour after he chanted “Free Palestine” and performed his song “Hind’s Hall” as Sheeran’s opening act for two MetLife Stadium performances in New Jersey.
American rapper Macklemore performs live on stage during the 5th Lollapalooza Paris Festival on July 19, 2025 in Paris.
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Key Facts
Macklemore, who has for years been one of the most prominent American artists advocating for Palestinian rights, posted a video of himself at MetLife to Instagram Monday with the caption, “Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial.”
In the video, Macklemore is standing in front of tens of thousands of fans on Friday, Sept. 4 and said one of the reasons he joined Sheeran’s tour was because he wanted to “stand up here on stages and stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: ‘Free Palestine.'”
The proclamation was his introduction to the song “Hind’s Hall,” a protest song he wrote in support of pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses, specifically at Columbia University where activists renamed the school’s Hamilton Hall to “Hind’s Hall” in honor of Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old who was killed in the Gaza Strip.
The rapper went on to say he believes “every single human being that walks this earth deserves” to “know safety and peace before they know the sound of violence,” and his speech drew the attention of the Israeli-American Council (IAC), which launched a petition calling for his removal from Sheeran’s remaining tour dates.
It’s unclear how many signatures the petition has collected—the IAC set up the campaign without a public signature tally—but others who’ve called on him to apologize include the watchdog group StopAntisemitism, Jewish actor Michael Rapaport called him a “clown” and pop star P!nk said the crowd was “ambushed” and deserved ticket refunds.
Ed Sheeran hasn’t responded to the backlash or indicated he’ll remove Macklemore from the eight remaining tour dates at which he’s scheduled to perform.
Crucial Quote
“Every single human being that walks this earth deserves… (to) know safety and peace before they know the sound of violence, to know the sound of laughter on a playground before planes and bombs, for parents to be able to say bye to their kids in the morning and not have to wonder if this is going to be the last time they kiss their child goodbye,” Macklemore said on stage at MetLife. “So, I say ‘Free Palestine!’ I say, free America, free Cuba to the Congo to Sudan to Iran, and all the people in America who have to live in fear because of this terrorist organization ICE.”
Big Number
160,000. That’s the estimated audience size for the Loop Tour’s two-night run at Metlife Stadium on Sept. 4 and 5 (an estimated 80,000 to 89,000 people attended each night).
What To Watch For
If Macklemore performs in Philadelphia on Sept. 19, his next scheduled date on the Loop Tour.
Key Background
Macklemore took the stage on Friday wearing a traditional keffiyeh, a Middle Eastern scarf strongly linked to Palestinian identity and solidarity, and shouted “Free Palestine” before accusing Israel of apartheid and genocide, then performed “Hind’s Hall” while footage of Gaza and pro-Palestinian demonstrations played on screen behind him. On Saturday—despite the immediate pushback and outrage online following the first show—he repeated the demonstration and addressed Jewish attendees directly: “To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you. My message is for peace, love and for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality.” Macklemore has supported Palestinian territories since weeks after the outbreak of the war in 2023, calling the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks an “abomination,” but argued that “killing innocent humans in retaliation as collective punishment is not the answer.” In 2024, he released “Hind’s Hall,” with lyrics accusing Israel of genocide and questioning the legitimacy of political aid to Israel, and directed all proceeds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. He later released “Hind’s Hall 2” featuring Palestinian-American artists. In September of 2024, while performing at the “Palestine Will Live Forever” benefit concert in Seattle, he shouted “F**k America” on stage and faced significant commercial fallout. He was dropped from festival lineups and partners issued statements distancing themselves, but Macklemore vowed to continue advocating for a free Palestine.
Tangent
Calls to remove Macklemore from the Sheeran tour aren’t the first targeting celebrities who speak out in support of Palestinian territories. Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon spoke at the Venice film festival last weekend and said she’s spent years being penalized for her support of the region. She was dropped by her longtime talent agency UTA in 2023 after comments she made while attending pro-Palestinian rallies one month after the Hamas attack on Israel and, at the film festival, she said she’s had movies taken away from her “recently” because “there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still.” Melissa Barrera, the lead star of the rebooted “Scream” horror franchise, was fired from “Scream VII” in 2023 by production company Spyglass Media Group over social media posts referencing “genocide and ethnic cleansing” in Gaza. Supermodel Bella Hadid, whose father is Palestinian, has said her longtime advocacy for the region resulted in lost modeling contracts, dropped brand endorsements and severed personal friendships.
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