Ed Sheeran, a singer/songwriter from the United Kingdom, is best known for hits such as “Thinking Out Loud” and “Shape of You” and remains a popular artist among Millennials and Gen Z. Currently on his “The Loop” tour, Sheeran performed on September 4 and 5 at MetLife Stadium just outside New York City with Macklemore as his warm-up act.
Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, peaked in popularity in the early 2010s. He has a history of using anti-Jewish tropes and has become increasingly vocal in his recent activism for the pro-Palestinian cause. He thinks he is more important than he is and used his friend’s music tour to make a radical political statement.
During the opener, Macklemore wore a keffiyeh and made his usual bluster about how we need to “Free Palestine.” He performed “Hind Hall,” a rap song about the Columbia University protests — the violent ones. In the song, he accuses Israel of genocide. He also led the crowd in a “Free Palestine” chant.
The roots of such chants are, of course, hatred of Israel and Jews.
Concertgoers said he took the most radical stance, oversimplified a very complicated war, and created an antagonistic atmosphere that made some in the crowd feel threatened because they are Jewish. Macklemore himself proudly said he was excited to use this platform to promote his political message. He certainly has the right to speak his beliefs. However, he isn’t free from the consequences.
His pro-Gaza rant got him booted from the tour. Why? In part because venues didn’t want him performing at their stadiums, starting with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Kraft Group also owns Gillette Stadium, where Sheeran’s tour was set to play later in the Fall. Other venues started dropping out, and the promoters decided to cut their losses and drop Macklemore. They fired him, not Sheeran, though the two are friends.
Macklemore, of course, blamed his “cancellation” on Kraft, a Jewish man. Kraft may have been the impetus for the other venues, but at the end of the day, the purpose of hosting a concert is to make money. Macklemore has made it patently obvious that his purpose is to be an activist, regardless of what happens to everyone else (including stagehands dependent on these jobs).
Macklemore’s white lib privilege is showing.
Fans who didn’t join the “Free Palestine” herd-mentality chant demanded a refund for having to sit through that trash. Singer Pink, usually vocally on the left side of every political conversation, released a thorough statement condemning Macklemore.
Pink, whose real name is Alecia Beth Moore-Hart, is Jewish. Like other Jewish critics, including Kraft, she feels that his political activism has crossed a line into the antisemitic.
She has been in the music industry longer than Macklemore. She has seen firsthand his consistent anti-Jew platform for years. He has dressed as a caricature of a Jew at one of his shows. She confronted him; he apologized, and she let it go. This time, however, as a mother and a Jewish celebrity, she felt she needed to take a stand — particularly since Macklemore has a history of not making a distinction between his anti-Israel sentiments and Jews. Her 1,300-word statement is worth perusing. She highlighted that she knew taking this stand would be lonely.
She was right.
The remaining opening acts — Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Rowe — subsequently withdrew in solidarity with Macklemore. Sheeran’s touring band, Beoga, also left, putting Sheeran and his handlers in a pickle. Ticket buyers are asking for refunds since their tickets included a different performer lineup. Some, regrettably, are trying to boycott Sheeran for “silencing” Macklemore.
Sheeran is caught in the middle of this kerfuffle, even though he steers clear of politics in his concerts. He uses his popularity to try to bring people together and keeps his beliefs to himself. In a public statement, he said, “I choose to use my fame and platform to be a place of safety and sanctuary.”
Playing that part, he tried to broker peace between the venues, Macklemore, and the promoters who hired Macklemore, but to no avail. No bridges were built, and he lost Macklemore and the other four openers.
Macklemore, supposedly Sheeran’s buddy, doesn’t seem sorry for the trouble he foisted on his friend. “Ed was in a f***ed up position. He knew it,” Macklemore said. “His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before. 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.”
There’s that Marxist “oppressed versus oppressor” maxim.
Macklemore’s decision to use a friend’s tour as a political platform raises questions about how much responsibility an artist owes to the people and organizations sharing that platform.
Macklemore sounds like the kind of “friend” our parents warned us to avoid. He doesn’t care about Sheeran’s support or career, but he’s happy to use him for a platform and walk away as it burns. Ed Sheeran and the promoters should have considered this before bringing him on.
