The Seattle rapper has transformed the fallout from being removed from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour into a direct appeal to the man he blames for it. On Wednesday, Macklemore announced he will give away all of his $1 million in net earnings from the tour to six organizations that support Palestinians, and he is asking Robert Kraft to match him.
The Tour’s Opening Act Problem
Macklemore sparked the dispute when he played his protest song “Hind’s Hall” during Sheeran’s concerts at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sept. 4 and 5, pairing it with pictures of the fighting in Gaza. The track claims that Israel has carried out genocide against Palestinians over the last three years, a charge tied to the Hamas attacks on Israelis that began on Oct. 7, 2023.
As of July, the UN has classified Israel’s actions as genocide, though Israel and the United States, which are allies, have denied this. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that over 73,000 Palestinians had died in Israel’s repeated strikes, with countless others facing hunger and homelessness.
Who Pulled Out
Within the last 48 hours, each of Sheeran’s tour openers has withdrawn in support of Palestinians, alongside Macklemore, who was removed from the run earlier in the month due to his live-stage protests against the violence in Gaza.
On Monday, the trek’s U.S. promoter, Messina Touring Group, announced: “We have been notified by venues on the upcoming U.S. tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans. After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.”
Kraft’s Explanation
Kraft issued a statement explaining that he had made the call to drop Macklemore in order to prevent Gillette Stadium from being used “as a platform for hate speech.” He acknowledged “the suffering of innocent Palestinians … their pain and loss are real.”
“Advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community,” Kraft wrote. “I would welcome the opportunity to sit down with Macklemore and discuss the facts, because ultimately our goal is the same – peace for all people, an end to suffering, and an end to all hate.”
The Money Behind the Match
Macklemore’s donation will go to Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, the UNRWA USA National Committee and Anera. He framed the gesture as a simple act of solidarity.
“Writing a check is one of the least costly forms of solidarity available to me,” he wrote. “I am doing it because I can, and because these organizations are doing the work while much of the world debates it … When the news cycle moves on, which it will, don’t move with it. Free Palestine.”
Sheeran’s Position
On Tuesday, Sheeran weighed in on the dispute, acknowledging that he had been involved in talks with Kraft and other venue owners while stressing that Messina Touring Group was the entity that let Macklemore go.
The song was written by “Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,” who put it together as “Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me.”.
Sheeran also said he would “never let down the fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the touring crew and the other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living.” All of the remaining support acts — Aaron Rowe, Finneas and Lukas Graham — then dropped out within hours, each posting statements backing Macklemore’s stance.
The Core Demand
Kraft, the billionaire who allegedly rallied other Loop Tour venue owners to get Macklemore dropped, is being asked by the rapper to put his own money behind his words. That is the core demand.
“Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting,” he wrote. “A Palestinian life is no less valuable than another life on this earth.”
What Comes Next
Kraft’s representatives have not yet answered Billboard’s request for comment. Macklemore, however, has laid out the stakes plainly: a million dollars, six organizations, and an invitation for the person who ordered his removal from the song to join him.
The tour’s schedule is now in flux, with openers gone and the promoter’s decision standing. Macklemore’s call to Kraft is a direct challenge, and it puts the businessman’s stated commitment to peace and suffering against the cost of his own silence.
The gift is a tangible contribution. The matching effort would amount to a greater sum.
| Fixture | Date |
|---|---|
| Sheeran’s Loop Tour concerts at MetLife Stadium | Sept. 4 and 5 |
| Macklemore announces $1 million donation to six organizations | Wednesday |
| Messina Touring Group drops Macklemore from remaining dates | Monday |
| Sheeran’s remaining openers drop out | Within hours of each other |
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.