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On September 19, it was announced that Macklemore would headline the inaugural Neon City Festival in Las Vegas. Less than a week later, on September 24, the festival shared that “Macklemore will no longer be performing due to unforeseen circumstances.”
In between the Neon City announcements, on September 21, Macklemore performed at a benefit festival in his Seattle hometown called Palestine Will Live Forever. During his performance, according to footage shared online, the rapper said, “Fuck America.”
Macklemore has not commented publicly on his departure from the Neon City Festival. Two Seattle sports franchises with whom he’s affiliated, however, have addressed the musician’s remarks. “We believe that sports bring people together and unite us. We are aware of Macklemore’s increasingly divisive comments, and they do not reflect the values of our respective ownership groups, leagues, or organizations,” the Seattle Kraken and Seattle Sounders FC said in a joint statement. “We are currently evaluating our collective options on this matter.”
Additionally, a member of the Seattle Mariners’ front office said, “We are aware of the incident and agree with the other teams in town: Sports and music should connect, not divide us. We continue to monitor and research the latest developments.”
Macklemore has become an outspoken supporter of Palestine, and the Seattle festival at which he performed supported several aid organizations: Pious Projects, HEAL Palestine, United Nations Relief and Works Agency, and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. He recently released “Hind’s Hall 2,” a sequel to his pro-Palestine track “Hind’s Hall.” The new song, which Macklmore performed at the Palestine Will Live Forever event, features Palestinian American artists Anees and Amer Zahr, the Gaza-born rapper MC Abdul, and a Los Angeles Palestinian youth choir.
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