Macklemore’s tenure as an opening act on Ed Sheeran’s “Loop Tour” has ended after a series of onstage political statements, according to a Breitbart report published Wednesday. The outlet describes the Seattle rapper as having a long history of inflammatory behavior, most recently culminating in his dismissal from the remaining eight dates of Sheeran’s tour.
The flashpoint came at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where Macklemore — whose legal name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty — addressed the crowd with a chant that has become a fixture of his live shows. “I wanted to stand up here on stages across America and say two words that are near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine,” Breitbart quotes him telling the audience. The outlet reports that he wore a Palestinian keffiyeh during the performance while the stadium’s Jumbotron displayed “Free Palestine” imagery, and that he accused Israel of “genocide” in Gaza from the stage.
Those actions, per Breitbart, led to his removal from the tour’s final eight shows.
The 2014 ‘Jewface’ Incident
According to the Breitbart account, the tour controversy is not an isolated episode. The outlet points to a 2014 performance in Seattle in which Macklemore took the stage wearing a floppy black wig, a fake black beard, and an oversized fake nose. The costume drew immediate comparisons to blackface and accusations that he was portraying a stereotypical Jewish caricature, particularly because of the exaggerated hooked nose — a trope with a long history in antisemitic imagery.
Breitbart also states that he was photographed performing a Nazi salute while in that costume, though the outlet does not specify when or where the photograph was taken.
Macklemore responded at the time by saying he had not intended to depict a Jewish person. He described the outfit as a disguise designed to keep his appearance at a private event a surprise for the audience, where he performed only a few songs. He apologized, writing, “There is no worse feeling than being misunderstood, especially when people are hurt or offended … I respect all cultures and all people. I would never intentionally put down anybody for the fabric that makes them who they are. I love human beings, love originality, and … happen to love a weird outfit from time to time.”
‘Hind’s Hall’ and Columbia
The Breitbart piece also cites a 2024 song, “Hind’s Hall,” which it characterizes as attacking police and praising Students for Justice in Palestine, a campus organization the outlet describes as violent and antisemitic. The song, according to Breitbart, memorializes a takeover of Columbia University’s campus in which members of the group intimidated other students and damaged school property.
That same year, Breitbart reports, Macklemore shouted “fuck America” during a Seattle benefit concert raising funds for Palestinians. The outlet quotes him saying from the stage: “Straight up, say it — I’m not gonna stop you; I’m not gonna stop you. Yeah, Fuck America.” Breitbart states that the remark drew backlash and cost him a headlining slot at a Las Vegas music festival at the time.
The 2009 9/11 Post
Long before the costume controversy, according to the outlet, Macklemore was posting contentious claims on social media. Breitbart reports that on September 18, 2009, he wrote on Twitter: “911… bush knocked down the towers.”
The rapper later said he had simply been quoting lyrics from another artist’s song, claiming he was “just bumping that mos def/immortal technique song…good song.”
Breitbart additionally notes two earlier apologies: one in 2016 for what the outlet calls his “white privilege,” and comments in 2014 in which he said white people are racist at heart and need to work harder to take part in conversations about race.
The article closes by arguing that Macklemore continues to claim he is being misunderstood rather than acknowledging the pattern the outlet describes. Breitbart’s coverage frames the tour firing as the latest entry in a documented series of incidents rather than a standalone misstep.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/09/17/macklemores-years-long-hate-parade-jewface-nazi-salutes-posting-bush-knocked-down-the-towers-on-9-11/