Amid the news that Macklemore has been dropped as an opener from Ed Sheeran's North American tour, the rapper has alleged that New England owner Robert Kraft intervened to get him removed.
In a lengthy statement posted on Instagram, Macklemore alleged that Kraft had called Sheeran ahead of the singer's concert at Gillette Stadium, which is owned by Kraft. In what Macklemore called a "f***ed up position" for Sheeran, Kraft allegedly barred Macklemore from performing in the stadium and had "rallied" other stadium owners to issue an "ultimatum."
"Last Monday, in the middle of all the media attention surrounding Pink and what I said at MetLife, Ed told me that Robert Kraft called him," Macklemore wrote. "Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues."
Macklemore opened for Sheeran on Sept. 4 and 5 at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. During his performance, Macklemore called for a "Free Palestine" in a speech before performing his song "Hind's Hall," which was written in support of pro-Palestine protests. The performance drew criticism from many, including singer P!nk, and received a significant amount of media attention.
Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, has been vocal about his support for Palestine in recent years, something that he said challenged Sheeran's "typical apolitical stance."
#stadium #called #told #robert
In a lengthy statement posted on Instagram, Macklemore alleged that Kraft had called Sheeran ahead of the singer's concert at Gillette Stadium, which is owned by Kraft. In what Macklemore called a "f***ed up position" for Sheeran, Kraft allegedly barred Macklemore from performing in the stadium and had "rallied" other stadium owners to issue an "ultimatum."
"Last Monday, in the middle of all the media attention surrounding Pink and what I said at MetLife, Ed told me that Robert Kraft called him," Macklemore wrote. "Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues."
Macklemore opened for Sheeran on Sept. 4 and 5 at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. During his performance, Macklemore called for a "Free Palestine" in a speech before performing his song "Hind's Hall," which was written in support of pro-Palestine protests. The performance drew criticism from many, including singer P!nk, and received a significant amount of media attention.
Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, has been vocal about his support for Palestine in recent years, something that he said challenged Sheeran's "typical apolitical stance."
#stadium #called #told #robert
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