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Rapper Macklemore said on Monday that he has been removed from Ed Sheeran's tour, where he was performing as an opening act, following his pro-Palestine comments, which allegedly triggered a boycott by the owners of the stadiums where the upcoming dates were to be held.
The artist known for hits such as 'Thrift Shop' and 'Can't Hold Us' explained in an extensive Instagram post that Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, called Sheeran to inform him that Macklemore was not welcome at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where one of the concerts was scheduled.
Likewise, Macklemore stated that Kraft urged other stadium owners to ban his performances, unlike what was happening with Sheeran.
"Ed (Sheeran) also told me that Kraft had mobilized other stadium owners and that, collectively, they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore continues on the tour, you will not be allowed to perform at our venues," the rapper wrote in the post.
He added that Sheeran, whom he described as a friend, was in a "f***ed up" situation.
“He told me the words 'Free Palestine' and the image of Palestinian flags were hurtful to many of the people he had spoken with,” Macklemore wrote. “I responded that if those words were more offensive than the tens of thousands of Palestinian children murdered by Israel, then there was a fundamental disconnect between those people’s stance and mine.”
The artist maintained that Sheeran wanted to remain an apolitical public figure.
Macklemore, who has spoken out openly on social and political issues throughout his career, noted that the two concerts were enough for him to get his message about Palestine across.
The controversy grew last week when singer Pink had to respond in a statement to the criticism she received after sharing a post that questioned Macklemore for his pro-Palestine comments and demanded his removal from Ed Sheeran's current tour.
[Publicidad]