Macklemore donates $1M in Ed Sheeran tour earnings to Palestinian aid after exit

Macklemore announced that he is donating the $1 million he earned opening for Ed Sheeran's U.S. tour to organizations providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians, prompting a public response from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. On Monday, the 43-year-old rapper was dropped from Sheeran's "Loop Tour" after he repeatedly called for a "Free Palestine" and performed his anti-Israel song "Hind’s Hall" during his opening act at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sept. 4 and 5. Macklemore alleged that Kraft, 85, pressured Sheeran to remove him from the tour by telling the singer he would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium and by rallying other stadium owners to issue a similar ultimatum. Kraft later confirmed he opposed Macklemore's participation at Gillette based on what he described as the "Thrift Shop" rapper's history of antisemitic rhetoric.