Over the weekend, Macklemore released the fundraising single “Hinds Hall 2,” his second protest song against Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza. He performed the song at a concert in his hometown of Seattle called the Palestine Will Live Forever Fest. During the performance, Macklemore was filmed telling the crowd, “Fuck America.” Since then, Macklemore has been removed from the lineup at Las Vegas’ Neon City Festival, and several Seattle professional sports teams have said they are reevaluating their relationship with the rapper.
Macklemore is a longtime fan of Seattle sports. Even before he rose to national fame with his hit song “Thrift Shop,” he made local waves with his 2011 song “My Oh My,” a tribute to the late Mariners announcer Dave Niehaus. Over the years, he has performed at multiple sporting events, but now those teams appear to be distancing themselves from him. According to KOMO News, a Mariners spokesperson responded to Macklemore’s “Fuck America” remarks by saying, “We are aware of the incident and agree with the rest of our Seattle team. Sports and music should unite us, not divide us. We will continue to monitor and investigate the latest developments.”
Meanwhile, the Seattle Storm and Seattle Sounders FC released a joint statement: “We believe sports connect and unite people. We understand that Macklemore’s opinions have become increasingly divisive, but they do not reflect the values of our respective ownership groups, league or organizations. We are currently exploring our joint options regarding this matter.”
Earlier this week, Macklemore released a lengthy statement about his “Fuck America” remarks. “My thoughts and feelings aren’t always perfectly or carefully expressed. Sometimes I let something slip and get caught out on the spot. Saturday night was one of those nights,” he wrote. He reiterated his support for the Palestinian people and his anger at America’s complicity in genocide. As an independent artist with major hits, Macklemore is in a unique position to criticize Israel without being silenced by his major label overlords, but he knows it will still affect his career.