Macklemore has made a statement after all of Ed Sheeran’s tour openers and live band members dropped out of the Loop Tour.
The Downtown rapper, 43, was removed from the US leg of the tour over his speech on stage calling for a ‘Free Palestine’.
After comments from Pink condemning Macklemore, stadium bosses reportedly told Ed he wouldn’t be allowed to perform if the rapper was still on the lineup.
Remaining openers Finneas, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe then pulled out, voicing support for Palestine, as well as Ed’s band Beoga.
Now, Macklemore has revealed he will donate ‘the entire $1million (£747,000) of [his] net earnings’ from the tour to organisations working with Palestinian people.
On Instagram, he wrote: ‘With everything that has happened over the last 48hours, I want to bring the conversation back to where it belongs; to the Palestinian people who are still being killed, still living under military occupation, and still fighting for their freedom.’
He confirmed that six organisations ‘working directly to support the Palestinian people’ would receive his donation.
‘I invite Robert Kraft to match my donation,’ Macklemore added, ‘Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting.
‘A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth’.
Robert Kraft is the CEO of Kraft Group, who owned Gillette Stadium that Ed was set to perform at, along with other US shows.
The stadium owner reportedly spoke to other venue owners, who all then contacted the Shape of You singer and his team to block Macklemore from performing.
In Ed’s statement, he claimed that the bosses took issue with how the message was conveyed, not what was said.
He also said he was ‘not complicit’ but was apolitical and didn’t publicly speak on issues like this.
Paloma Faith has since called out the fact that he did appear in a benefit concert for Ukraine, saying she ‘doesn’t understand’ why this ‘felt more political’.
The A-Team singer is yet to respond to the backlash or to his openers and band dropping out. It’s unclear at this point if he will be able to go ahead with his final US shows.
Macklemore, who has seen a huge boost in streaming numbers in the wake of the fallout, urged fans to focus their attention on the Palestinian people.
‘This is a manmade injustice, and I believe it requires immediate political change,’ he wrote. ‘Palestinians have lived for decades without basic rights and should not have to wait another day to be free.
He concluded: ‘When the news cycle moves on, which it will, don’t move with it. Free Palestine.’
Metro has contacted Ed’s reps for comment.