According to reports, skateboarder and rapper Macklemore says he has been removed from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour after speaking publicly in support of Palestinians during a September 5 show at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
While introducing his song “Hind’s Hall,” Macklemore shouted “Free Palestine” and spoke about the suffering in Gaza.
He later said several venues told the tour promoter they would not allow him to perform, leading Sheeran’s team to drop him from the lineup.
Macklemore has continued speaking about Gaza for years, making his latest comments part of a much longer history of political activism through his music.
The situation has also drawn attention from the skate world, where Gaza Skate Team has been documenting and sharing skateboarding from Gaza despite the conditions around them.
READ MORE: Gaza Skate Team Honors the Memory of Skater Raed One Year Later as the War in Gaza Continues
Their clips have given skaters outside Palestine a look at what skating can mean in a place facing an ongoing humanitarian crisis.
For a rapper with deep roots in skate culture, Macklemore’s removal has landed in a scene where music, skateboarding and political expression have always crossed paths.
Macklemore says he has no bad feelings toward Sheeran and still considers him a homie, but said their friendship would not change his decision to speak about Gaza.
Sheeran has not publicly commented on the decision.