Macklemore, the Grammy-winning rapper, has decided to donate his $1 million salary from being an opening act on Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour to Palestinian organizations after facing backlash and subsequent removal from the tour due to comments supporting Palestine. Following criticism from Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium who barred Macklemore from performing there, the artist challenged Kraft to match his donation to highlight the value of Palestinian lives. Macklemore made these remarks in light of ongoing conflicts and calls for support for Palestinians facing military occupation and humanitarian crises.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.65, but 1 quote(s) could not be found in the article and the other 2 are attributed speech rather than the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 14684: no verified evidence · logged 2026-09-17
Macklemore has announced that he will donate the $1m salary he was paid as an opening act for Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour to organizations working with Palestinian people and relief in Gaza, after being dropped from the tour following backlash to his onstage comments in support of Palestine.
asserted
he → announce → Palestine
The rapper also challenged Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots and prominent donor to Israel who refused to let Macklemore play at his Gillette Stadium outside Boston, to match his donation.
asserted
Macklemore → challenge → donation
“With everything that has happened over the last 48 hours, 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,” the Grammy-winning artist wrote on Instagram Wednesday.
asserted
artist → happen → Instagram
“I will be donating the entire $1 million of my net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six organizations working directly to support the Palestinian people.
asserted
I → donate → people
And I invite Robert Kraft to match my donation.
asserted
I → invite → donation
Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting.
asserted
lives → disagree → this
In a two-minute speech during his set at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 4 September, Macklemore expressed his desire to see a “free Palestine.
asserted
Macklemore → express → Palestine
I want those words to be loud and clear, so that people all the way in Gaza to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten about them.”
asserted
we → want → them
His remarks prompted a petition from the Israeli American Council demanding his removal from the tour.
asserted
remarks → prompt → tour
Speaking again onstage the following day, he 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.
asserted
being → speak → you
My message is for peace, love; for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality.”
asserted
beings → treat → dignity
According to Sheeran, who posted his own explanation on Tuesday morning outlining his desire to remain publicly neutral on political causes, Kraft, along with several other venue owners, informed the English singer that his tour could not play at their stadiums if Macklemore continued as an opener, prompting his removal.
uncertain
Macklemore → accord → removal
A day later, all four of Sheeran’s opening acts for the remainder of the Loop tour – Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Boega and Lukas Graham – withdrew from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore and Palestine.
asserted
four → open → Macklemore
In his post, Macklemore said he hoped to “center the parents carrying their children into hospitals without the basic resources to treat them, and the physicians, paramedics, journalists and aid workers who keep going back in.
asserted
who → say → them
I want to center the organizers and activists who have paid real costs for standing with Palestine.
asserted
who → want → Palestine
“Palestinians have lived for decades without basic rights and should not have to wait another day to be free,” he added.
asserted
he → live → rights
“That is where my focus will remain.
asserted
focus → remain → ?
I will continue to stand with the Palestinian people and their fight for liberation.
asserted
I → continue → liberation
When the news cycle moves on, which it will, don’t move with it.
asserted
it → move → it
Earlier Wednesday, Colin Kaepernick, whose NFL career was effectively ended by the NFL’s resistance to his protests against US police violence, joined the chorus of prominent figures criticizing Macklemore’s removal at the behest of NFL stadium owners.
asserted
career → end → owners
“The part that I hope people appreciate and take away in this moment is what [New England Patriots owner] Robert Kraft and what they’re saying by denying Macklemore the opportunity to go out and perform with Ed Sheeran is they are willing to collude,” the former quarterback said on the MeidasTouch podcast.
asserted
quarterback → hope → podcast
“The [NFL owners] are openly colluding.”
asserted
owners → collude → ?
Kaepernick added that he thought NFL owners tried to hound out Macklemore in a similar way to him.
asserted
owners → add → him
“When we filed the grievance, it was like, well, the owners wouldn’t do that,” Kaepernick said.
asserted
Kaepernick → file → that
“Everybody just wants to win within the NFL.
asserted
Everybody → want → NFL
They want to protect their interests.
asserted
They → want → interests
They want to protect their power.
asserted
They → want → power
They want to protect their money.”
asserted
They → want → money
In his own statement Monday, Kraft has said his decision to ban Macklemore from the Patriots’ stadium was due to his “recent actions” and “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community”.
asserted
we → say → community
The Aporia
