Rapper Macklemore says he will donate his entire net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six organizations supporting Palestinians.
Rapper Macklemore has announced that he will donate the full $1 million he earned as an opening act on Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to organizations working to support the Palestinian people. He made the announcement on Instagram on Wednesday, days after he was dropped from the remaining United States dates of the tour.
The move follows a week of headlines involving Macklemore, Ed Sheeran, and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. The rapper, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, said the money represents his net earnings from the tour and would go to six groups working directly to support Palestinians. In the same statement, he invited Kraft to match the donation.
Within hours, Kraft responded, and reports say both he and Sheeran committed to giving even more.
In his Instagram statement, Macklemore said he wanted to shift attention back to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. He wrote that he wanted to bring the conversation back to people who are “still being killed, still living under military occupation, and still fighting for their freedom.”
He named the six organizations that will receive the funds: the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, the UNRWA USA National Committee, and Anera.
Macklemore also addressed Kraft directly. “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 any other life on this earth.” He then invited Kraft to match his donation.
The announcement came after Macklemore said earlier in the week that he had been dropped from Sheeran’s tour. The company promoting the Loop Tour announced on Monday that Macklemore would leave the trek after several venues told Sheeran they would not host shows if the Seattle rapper remained on the bill. This followed criticism of his performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey earlier in September, where he expressed solidarity with Palestinians and shouted “Free Palestine” on stage.
Hours after the challenge, Kraft responded in a statement posted on Gillette Stadium’s social media accounts. Kraft said that before Macklemore’s public challenge, Sheeran had already called and asked him to commit $2 million in humanitarian aid.
“I have dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people. I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting,” Kraft wrote. He said Sheeran now plans to reach out to other venue owners, with a goal of continuing to work together on humanitarian relief.
Kraft also said that for decades he has supported efforts creating opportunity for Palestinians and bringing young Palestinians and Israelis together to build businesses and relationships. Kraft did not specify which organizations would receive the funds, and that a representative for The Kraft Group did not immediately return a request for clarification.
Earlier in the week, Kraft had confirmed he would not allow Macklemore to perform at Gillette Stadium. Kraft said the venue does not provide a platform for what he described as hate speech, and cited what he called a broader history of rhetoric and imagery he believed was hurtful to the Jewish community. Macklemore had claimed that Kraft rallied other stadium owners to refuse him performances, an allegation Kraft did not directly address in his statement.
The exchange drew wide reaction across social media. Earlier in the week, all of Sheeran’s opening acts exited the tour following Macklemore’s removal,. As the story spread, several public figures and brands weighed in.
For Macklemore, the donation continues a run of public advocacy on the issue. He has previously released music in support of Palestinian relief, with proceeds directed to humanitarian organizations. The rapper framed the $1 million pledge as part of that ongoing commitment, describing writing a check as one of the least costly forms of solidarity available to him.
