Macklemore is no longer performing at a big show in Las Vegas — and though the reason wasn’t announced, the cancelation comes after he stirred controversy during his set at a benefit concert for Palestine.
The Neon City Festival announced on Tuesday (September 24) that the Seattle rapper would no longer be performing at their November event “due to unforeseen circumstances.”
But the announcement came just as Macklemore was starting to take heat for a particular caught-on-video moment of his performance at Palestine Will Live Forever — A Benefit Festival for Palestine, which took place just a few days prior in Seattle.
Cam Higby, a self-proclaimed “personality” for the conservative news site Today Is America (“The Pro-America Voice of Gen Z”), shared a short video of Macklemore during his set saying, “Fuck America.”
Two Seattle sports teams in which Macklemore is an investor, the Seattle Kraken of the NHL and the Seattle Sounders FC of the MLS, issued a joint statement in response to the rapper’s comment, saying they were “evaluating our collective options” regarding their relationship with the “Thrift Shop” rapper.
“We believe that sports bring people together and unite us. We are aware of Macklemore’s increasingly divisive comments, and they do not reflect the values of our respective ownership groups, leagues, or organizations,” the statement said.
Macklemore has been publicly pro-Palestine since shortly after the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas that began the current crisis.
He issued a long statement on Instagram on October 19, sharing his reflections on the then-new war between Israel and Hamas, and the associated humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
He captioned the post: “Please read,” followed by a prayer hands emoji, a Palestinian flag, an Israeli flag, and a heart.
He began by expressing deep sympathy for Israelis captured and killed by Hamas in their surprise attack earlier that month, and their loved ones.
“My heart deeply hurts for the Israelis that lost loved ones to such an abomination,” he wrote. “As a father I cannot imagine if one of my kids was at that festival [the Supernova music festival, attacked by Hamas], or was still missing after being kidnapped. It is absolutely unfathomable.”
After that, the rapper pivoted to the Israeli response to the attacks, which has now, almost a year after Macklemore’s initial post, killed over 42,000 Palestinians, according to sources in the Palestinian health ministry. UN experts have decried Israel for cutting off food, fuel, water, electricity, and medicine to Gaza in the aftermath of the October 7 attack, and the International Court of Justice has said that it is “plausible” that Israel’s response is a genocidal.
“[K]illing humans as collective punishment is not the answer,” Macklemore continued. “That is why I am supporting the people around the world who are calling for a ceasefire.
“We are witnessing an unfolding genocide in Palestine at this very moment… Gaza is being demolished. Well over 1 million people have lost their homes… Innocent kids are being murdered as I’m typing this…. Israel isn’t allowing water, food and medicine into the open-air prison that is Gaza.”
Since that post, Macklemore has released two songs about Palestine and the protest movement in its wake: “Hind’s Hall” back in May and a sequel earlier this month. “Hind’s Hall 2” features Anees, MC Abdul, and Amer Zahr, as well as the LA Palestinian Kids Choir, Lifted! Youth Gospel Choir and Tiffany Wilson and Friends.
Yeah fuck that guy. Send him off to gaza and give him a pager. From the Liver to the Knee.
Congratulation to your idiot, snot spined parents for having a bitch like you. Free Palestine. Fuck America. Fuck Netanyahu.
If you don’t like America, renounce your citizenship…and leave.
Easier said than done lol. It’s like Doug Stanhope said. Amerikkka may be the best country, but that’s like being the prettiest Denny’s waitress. Just because you’re the best doesn’t mean you’re good. They’re all monetary systems and as such they’re all inherently slave-driven dictatorships. Palestine schism dates to the Ottoman Empire. Absurd debate with heavy casualties on both sides. Macklemore is an industry plant who’s desperate for attention and hasn’t been poppin since 2012.
and if someone loves America they should renounce citizenship to where they cam from… right?
@trillscience, uh, if they hate their native nation, sure.
Lmao idiot thought you dropped a gem huh🤣🤣🤣.. how bout we just re-word america because seems like land of free has a lot of soft ppl like you who hates when a person speaks freely of what they feel..
He is being critical, and rightfully so, of the weak and impotent position that the US has taken. The US continues to supply the weapons that are being used to exasperate and prolong the humanitarian crisis that is being thrown upon the Palestinians. I can understand his feelling. While supporting our strategic partner Israel is important, we have done nothing responsible to help protect the civilians (particularly the children) who are being completely wiped out. You don’t have to agree with what the US is doing to be a responsible citizen, you can be critical and still love the US.
Being critical is a lot different than chanting “f America”. Is chanting “f black people” simply being critical of issues that are more prevalent in black communities? No. It would be purely hateful to say that. Exactly.
@pooch since when is war conducted “responsibly”. It’s fucking war LOL. Wars do not spare civilians. Everyone and anyone in the crossfire is in play. It’s sad, but that’s how wars work. Especially when an enemy of a country purposely has its soldiers in the sane quarters at its civilians.
@Pooch This could end right now if Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE cut off the oil spigot. It’s because they don’t that this continues. So until these protestors put some skin in the game and protest against them…and MAGA…talking ish while Democrats are in power means nothing. It’s empty rhetoric. It’s low stakes, BS virtue signaling.
@You don’t understand. Purposely? How big do you think Gaza is, bruh? It’s one of the most densely populated areas on Earth. A literal strip of land. So, it’s impossible for its soldiers to be anywhere but in the same quarters as the civilians. You out here telling folks they don’t understand the world when you clearly don’t even understand the region.
Why does anybody care what this hasbeen thinks?
As far as i’m concerned he is a never was.
Macklemore is such a grifter. He didn’t realize how big of a joke he was after Popstar clearly.
Sounds like a never was.
macklemore a real one
Cringelemore
Give Dot his grammy back on the way out.
The goy knows too much, shut him down!!!
Fuck America. Fuck Biden. Fuck Kamala. Fuck Netanyahu. And fuck you too if you don’t know history. You are not ubermensch. Fuck you and your bombs, your money and your fuckin moindstate. Get a burger and rott your brain on a show, fuckhead Americans.
America has become a cautionary tale of how NOT to run a country. Respect to all the good Americans out there though