Off his album “The Heist” Macklemore has a song called “Jimmy Iovine” where he describes turning down a record deal from Interscope records because he’d “Rather be a starving artist than succeed in getting fucked”
Say what you will about his music, but Macklemore’s been about that life
He gets ripped on for being a little corny but he consistently seems like a stand up guy and his music is catchy.
I’ll keep a few of his songs in rotation if for no other reason than to support an artist with morals and a spine (but the Gemini album is actually pretty good imo)
If the worst thing he’s done is be corny then he is still better than almost all other celebs. At least he speaks out for what he believes in and what is right.
His radio music is corny. But if you listen to the majority of his lyrics, he seems like he has a level enough head on his shoulders and isnt believing his own hype. Alot of his stuff has a message behind it, whether it be overcoming addiction, social justice, or speaking out against the industry.
Him and BBNO$, corny music, dorky videos, but absolutely vocal about their support for the victims in the world rather than taking a quiet stance. Am I going to go out of my way to listen to their stuff, no probably not. Will I skip their music if it comes on for some reason, no probably not.
I don't even understand how his music is cringe. All mainstream artists sing about are having lots of money, sex, and drugs.That's the real cringe tbh.
Yah it’s absolutely corny af but I will die on the hill that How to Play the Flute is absolute fire. Not everything has to be super serious all the time. Eminem has plenty of corny lines too. Who cares? It’s silly. Roll with it.
I like his music but I like him even more. He's a good human being and those seem to be in short supply these days.
With that said, Ed Sheeran has enough clout that he too could have stood up and been a good person but I guess other things were more important to him.
"I’m going to speak from the heart and share the truth. Ed Sheeran and his team have made the decision to remove me from The Loop tour. But before I get into it, I want to say something that should be obvious. In this moment I think it matters. I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim. Pink is not a victim. We have careers, money, opportunities, safety and audiences around the world. Whatever consequences any of us face for what we say, we get to go home to our families.
The victims are the Palestinian people. The men, women and children who have been killed, starved, displaced and forced to live through unimaginable violence. More than 20,000 children have been killed in Gaza alone. People are being killed today, and people will be killed tomorrow. I want to make sure that as I tell this story, we don’t lose sight of that.
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. We were scheduled to play Gillette Stadium later this month, which is owned by the Kraft Group. 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.
Ed was in a fucked up position. He knew it. His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before. He told me that the words “Free Palestine” and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with. I told him that if those words were more offensive than tens of thousands of Palestinian children being killed by Israel, then there was a fundamental disconnect between where those people stood and where I stood. But he couldn’t get past his public facing, “I don’t take sides.
And I get why people don’t. Taking a side can cost you. Money, brand deals, sponsorships, festivals, private shows, relationships and access. I’ve lost all of those things. 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.
What I said at MetLife I have been saying on stages around the world for almost three years. So why is it an issue now? Because now I'm sharing a stage with one of the biggest artists in the world, in some of the biggest stadiums in America. At a certain level of exposure, "Free Palestine" becomes too much of a risk. If I kept doing the shows, saying Free Palestine, with Ed implicitly supporting it, the crowd getting loud and showing undeniable support for Palestinian liberation, what artist might speak out next? The stage becomes resistance. Maybe that's why this time it became so important to silence me.
And one of the most effective ways to enforce that silence has been to weaponize the accusation of antisemitism. Antisemitism is real. And that is exactly why the word matters too much to be used as a shield against criticism of the Israeli state. When criticizing Israel, opposing Zionism or saying "Free Palestine" gets conflated with hatred of Jewish people, it doesn't protect Jewish people. It protects Israel from accountability.
Who is winning the internet, who is getting canceled, who gets to play the stadium and who doesn't, all of it becomes so small when held against what we are actually witnessing in Gaza and the West Bank. An entire people being displaced, starved and killed while the world debates which words we are allowed to use to describe it, how those words make us feel, and whether our discomfort matters more than the people living through a genocide.
I didn't need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2. Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say. Free Palestine. But if those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I've ever been on."
We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. — Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor
The biggest problems are the stadium owners and those with money and power who can simply censor and control speech through having functional monopolies over access. We need to get rid of them and break up the cartels.
But also Ed Sheeran deserves criticism for that one. Yeah, it was hurtful to some people. So are the "love is love" and other messages of tolerance Sheeran promotes when it's convenient and sells well, but not when powerful bigots push back and cost him money.
If sheeran had refused to play ball, the venue owners would have faced an enormous backlash.
Besides, can a venue just drop an event for bullshit reasons without opening themselves up to liability considering tickets already sold and the enormous costs for the tour?
Imagine telling fans the show was cancelled because a guy arrested for prostitution doesn’t like the words a musician said about the slaughter of Palestinian adults and children.
This is the blunt reality the rich who want to help need to fucking acknowledge. They have the star power not these fucking venues stand up for what’s right god damn it fuck Ed Sheeran little pussy guitar boy.
Right!?! The amount of cowardice and capitulation at the behest of the worst people the last 2 years specifically has been shocking and not surprising all at the same time. You are apolitical? Interesting, because this went from an issue about genocide in another country to an issue about free speech in this one. Ed may not be American, but pretty sure that is a freedom worth standing up for, and when the reason you didn't is money. You look worse than you would have pissing off fans of a canceled show, when you wouldn't have been the one to blame. Just pathetic. Macklemore earned major respect from me, and I am sure many others.
Just how swiss was apolitical in WW2. Harboring massive amounts of nazi gold and stolen items from jews, yet displaying themselves as not taking sides.
As if Ed Sheeran needs the money from touring. He should get up on that stage and say Free Palestine with his own mouth, let the chips fall where they may.
Also interesting how Ed was able to criticize Russia while being "apolitical." So is he truly apolitical or does he just not care to speak up against a genocide against brown people?
It probably depends on the contract that was signed with the artist. Ed Sheeran could be on the hook for those refunds depending on how those contracts were written.
These owners don't run the stadium. They hire managers to do it for them. Usually billionaires hiring the sons of millionaires in exchange for business-deal kickbacks.
I'm a fan of Ed sheeran, but I won't be going to see his shows or giving him listens any more. It's not hard to take a stance, especially if you are at the super star level. All I can say is shame on you Ed, you're Nothing but a bitch ass that only cares about money.
wow, what an amazingly nuanced and compassionate statement from Macklemore. Well done. If Ed Sheeran has any integrity, he would cancel his tour in solidarity.
"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference." — Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor
I really like and appreciate that he called out his and Sheeran’s and OPink’s privilege, and then turn everything around to be about the true victims in all of this: the dead and dying Palestinians.
His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before.
And he caved. His politics became incredibly clear. Money > everything else. And this is a guy that needs nothing. No more money or fame will make his life better. But he still chose it over the right thing.
For as much as he gets clowned for his music itself (especially Seattle-ites who get annoyed how often he’s featured) I’m really proud that he’s standing on business.
Yes he’s rich, yes he’ll be fine, but it’s always noble to face consequences for what you believe is right.
It's also the best use of facing consequences as he pointed out
He's got money and can go back to his family at the end of the day. He literally can afford to tank brand deals and festival slots for being an outspoken activist, no label or anyone to breach a contract with. "Oh no he's only mildly rich instead of disgustingly rich but he's got his morals in tact and is showing the response to political speech" is exactly the kind of people we need more of
Not that I ever thought too hard about either of these guys, but this statement makes me gain a ton of respect for Macklemore, and lose a ton of respect for Ed Sheeran.
First song of his I heard was White Privilege then Bush Song. Macklemore has always been about this shit. He was dissing Republicans, Racists, capitalists, toxic masculinity and homophobia since the 2000s lol
I believe OP may be referring to the time when Macklemore won a Grammy for Best Rap Album over "good kid, m.A.A.d city". Macklemore reached out to Dot afterwards to share his disagreement with the ruling and point out how utterly ridiculous it was.
Macklemore's album "The Heist" beat Kendrick's "Good kid maad city" and Jay-z's "Magna Carta" albums in the 2012 Grammys, causing a lot of controversy.
Not meant as a dig towards Ed Sheeran, but if you say "I don't take sides" and someone puts an ultimatum where you automatically take their side by saying nothing, you're taking their side by saying nothing.
If you are a witness in an altercation between a black man and the KKK and the guy in the KKK tells the cops that if the black man actually WAS innocent, you'd defend him. And you chose to say nothing, you're literally supporting the guys treating your silence as approval.
I'm pretty sure theres a whole name for this phenomenon of neutrality benefiting the aggressors
I know you're making a point about artists, but just because it's one of my favorite facts, the Van Halen brown M&Ms thing was a safety protocol to make sure the venue had read the tour rider thoroughly enough to safely put on their stage production.
Yes, I’ve heard that…and that’s kind of my point. Van Halen wanted tight control over their show, whereas Ed is happy to let the billionaire class tell him who can warm up the crowd.
I’ve never considered the M&Ms thing to be a primadonna move.
everyone should read his full statement. he covers much more about him and ed and their relationship, also discusses antisemitism, etc. macklemore is eloquent and full of conviction and puts nearly ever other musician to shame with their silence on this issue.
I’ve had my eye on him since the “Heist” days and really admire his writing prowess and business acumen. His communication style has always been very thoughtful, warm, and respectful. He’s a really good egg and we’re lucky to have him.
That said, the music I’ve heard from him is so e’ffing cheesy and sophomoric (probably by design) and I cringe at the thought of spending money on it. Maybe a t-shirt from his merch store would be better for me. It would be the perfect amount of cute and subversive for my Saturday afternoon grocery shopping at Sprouts.
What a fuckin lad. Ed sheeran is a sellout and if he is around "a lot" of people that are offended by a flag whilst there is a genocide going on, perhaps he needs to take a look in the mirror.
Telling that the continued existence of a nation in the face of occupation, war, large portions being razed to the ground, having basic necessities cut off, etc and the people of it getting any support "hurts" people.
Man, there’s several things lately that I have been wanting to have a good cry about and have been unable. This finally broke me. What has happened to the world? Shunning someone from performing due to speaking out about GENOCIDE against a certain people, including CHILDREN?!
Thanks for sharing this from the article. I was too lazy to click on it for some reason, and I needed this cry.
Damn, Macklemore is standing on business!! He’s not trying to play a victim or spin it a certain way, he’s speaking truth to power & I respect the fuck out of it
Fuck yeah. This is the exact right answer. To those defending Sheeran: he made a choice. I don't go out of my way to listen to either artist generally, but Mackelmore doesn't get skipped anymore.
"At the second of his appearances at MetLife on 5 September, Macklemore reiterated his support for Palestine and addressed Jewish members of the audience: “Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you. My message is for peace, love; for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality.”
The North American leg of Sheeran’s tour will conclude in November at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, which earlier this year hosted two shows by Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, who has a historyofantisemiticstatements."
Kanye - "i am a literal nazi"
The establishment - "sweet man"
Macklemore - "everyone should be treated with respect"
This is where I'm at too. Thought Ed was a sound dude, probably is but you did take a side Ed, you have hundreds of millions in the bank, you don't have to worry about losing out financially. A lot of fans would also back you for speaking up, and you'd probably gain some more. Your silence is deafening Ed. You bottled it. But you probably will lose zero sleep over this at all, as long as the money keeps rolling in.
“We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must - at that moment - become the center of the universe.”
You know he's gonna come out with a statement about it's not just his tour, and he has to think about his staff, his band, his fans etc... I think in the current climate it would show better character to think about the people who are genuinely suffering beyond imagination.
If he was a smaller artist I'd even buy it. But the guy is literally one of the biggest names on the planet. I wonder if this was more a choice between continuing to have the same (large) income vs risk having less money more than anything else (there's a point there about people's hurt feelings, but the pressure of the other stadiums seems to be the most important weight - and the only "new" one, really, given Mackelmore is very consistent)
People like Sheeran are absolutely fixated on profit. Being palatable to everyone and having an inoffensive public image allows him to broaden his appeal in order to maximise profit. Never piss anyone off, never say anything that could be interpreted as believing in anything, never actually convey any values. The thing is, neutrality is almost always complicity with the status quo and thus is a political decision. It's just much easier and more comfortable to go along with the status quo and tell yourself you're "not taking sides" than actually do the right thing. It's really easy to say you support a social justice cause when it doesn't cost anything which is why so many people will freely talk about supporting civil rights in a historical sense, but when the moment is upon us in the here and now, very few people have what it takes to rise to the occasion. Macklemore has him dead to rights here when he says it's all about money, sponsorships, access and relationships. Put simply, Ed Sheeran (and many, many others like him) do not want to be made uncomfortable in any sense, they don't want their lavish lifestyles to be inconvenienced by things like human suffering and their own complicity in it. He threw his friend of 13 years under the bus when he really could have made this a scandal and challenged an apparatus that is literally seeking to censor and blacklist artists for saying words. He's an accomplice to the whole thing. And many other artists at the moment are too.
Also he can probably afford to do a lot to help those people with his own money, like a few late night hosts have done on a few different occasions. Conan's staff were being paid for months on more than one occasion while not actually working because of circumstances outside the show's, Conan's, or the staff's control.
Sheeran could absolutely float some money personally or do a smaller tour at different (less corporate) venues to make sure the team get something and still take a stance on this. There are ways around it, they're just difficult and expensive and take some actual fortitude.
There's a skilled concert pro shortage right now so I don't buy any messaging that involves "making sure the team has work" - they stay busy, as soon as these cancellation notices go out those folks get snapped up.
read the article bud, he doesn't care, he's quoted by Macklemore as saying "I don't take sides." He's a pure blooded capitalist, taking a side would cost him money, also as Macklemore points out in the article.
He should, but he wont. Reading Mackelmore's statement, it's clear that Ed isn't interested in taking sides, lest he lose out on the profits political neutrality can bring in.
If Ed wants to be "apolitical" then he should stay out of politically aligned venues who get involved in free speech and choosing sides, not turn his back on a fellow artist who chooses to exercise his right to free speech. He can stand with Mack without getting personally involved in the specific debate around Palestine.
Oh hey! We can add “Fuck the Patriots!” To this discourse, which I’m always in favor of. If I was a reporter I’d be so annoying- “Hey Coach Vrabel, Drake Maye- do you find it ironic working for a team called the Patriots but also working for a man who leverages his obscene wealth and connections to suppress people’s free speech?”
You know I grew up around Seattle at the time Macklemore was coming up and remember him doing his cheesy Myspace raps to an empty room. Never had that dude pegged as the musical hero of our time but, respect, the dude is corny as hell but a credit to PNA.
Which is wild. Dude has been this since before The Heist. He might be corny (in some people’s eyes), but he’s always stood up for what he believes and isn’t afraid to say “fuck y’all” to those who don’t agree.
Going to go and listen to Thrift Shop. What a king.
I really admire Macklemore for doing what so many won’t. What a stand-up guy. It’s sad that we’re at the point where asking for children to live is still controversial.
And for what it’s worth, I saw Macklemore twice during the Thrift Shop era and they’re the best shows I’ve ever been to. Hope I can go back and support him in the future.
Both of those guys mostly left me indifferent before I read this. No hate, no love just "I'm glad they have a career and people enjoy them, it's not for me."
If the ginger kid doesn't cancel his whole your over this I will have no other choice but to hate him. I understand his desire to not take a stance regarding politics. What is going on in Palestine isn't politics. It's a genocide. Not taking a side regarding a genocide is effectively saying either: "this genocide does not bother me" which deserves hate or more something like: "I agree with this genocide" which is should be a career ending move.
It is really, really, REALLY not good for Jewish people that Macklemore's original statement is so inflammatory to a small but wealthy and powerful minority of people that he is kicked off a tour.
Kraft screwed up. This is going to get the Streisand effect and folks who are pro-Israel will just come off looking infinitely worse, knowing that their reputation is already dogshit. I guess you get to a point where you just dig your heels in but what an astoundingly bad decision. Ed Sheeran is going to take an absolutely massive reputational hit too.
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u/fibz Sep 14 '26
Off his album “The Heist” Macklemore has a song called “Jimmy Iovine” where he describes turning down a record deal from Interscope records because he’d “Rather be a starving artist than succeed in getting fucked”
Say what you will about his music, but Macklemore’s been about that life