Nova Scotia PC MLA Marco MacLeod has resigned as energy minister due to backlash over misogynistic rap lyrics he wrote before entering politics. The lyrics, which include derogatory references to women and mention illegal drugs, were published in a 2013 album track. Premier Tim Houston accepted MacLeod's resignation and will take over the energy portfolio. MacLeod initially apologized for the lyrics but ultimately resigned after weeks of meetings with women's organizations.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-03,
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same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Nova Scotia's energy minister, Marco MacLeod, has resigned from his position after facing backlash over misogynistic rap lyrics he wrote in 2013. The criticism led to "difficult conversations" with women's organizations, according to the premier's office. MacLeod had initially refused to resign amid the backlash, but ultimately decided to step down to avoid becoming a distraction for the government. He will continue to serve as an MLA for Pictou West, while Tim Houston will take over his role as energy minister. The resignation comes after gender-based violence support organizations called for MacLeod's removal from cabinet earlier this month, citing derogatory references to women and mentions of illegal drugs in the lyrics.
Written for “Nova Scotia Energy Minister Resignation” on 2026-09-03,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
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Leaning score -0.35 for article 3409 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-03
Nova Scotia PC MLA Marco MacLeod has resigned as energy minister following “difficult conversations” on the impact of misogynistic rap lyrics he wrote before entering politics, according to the premier’s office.
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he → resign → office
Premier Tim Houston said in a statement Wednesday night that he had accepted MacLeod’s resignation from cabinet.
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he → say → cabinet
MacLeod will continue to serve as MLA for Pictou West, while Houston will take over the energy portfolio.
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Houston → continue → portfolio
“Marco has expressed to me his regret for publishing those songs,” Houston said in the statement.
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Houston → express → statement
“Ultimately, he feels his actions have become a distraction from the work of our government, and he wants to spend more time focusing on learning and growing.”
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he → feel → time
Earlier this month, a group of gender-based violence support organizations called for the premier to remove MacLeod from his cabinet after the MLA chose not to resign amid the backlash over his music.
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MLA → base → music
In particular, MacLeod faced scrutiny over a track from a rap album released in 2013, which included lyrics that made derogatory references to women and mentioned illegal drugs.
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that → face → drugs
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MacLeod initially responded to the criticism with a handwritten note posted to social media saying he accepted “full responsibility” for the lyrics.
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he → get → lyrics
Days later he offered an emotional apology in front of reporters following a cabinet meeting in Halifax.
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he → offer → Halifax
In Wednesday night’s statement, the premier’s office said MacLeod opted to resign following weeks of meetings with women’s organizations and after gaining “a greater perspective on the impact of songs he had published online in 2013 with hurtful lyrics.”
— with a file from Rachel Morgan
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he → say → Morgan
