Madison Square Garden has rejected Macklemore ’s claim that it refused to host his planned “Free Palestine” US tour because of its political message. The organization however said on Friday that the rapper is “not an arena level act” and citing limited venue availability.
“We live in a country that prides itself on freedom of speech.
The Grammy-winning rapper said the venues became unwilling to proceed because of the “Free Palestine” branding. Macklemore said his European “Free Palestine” concerts sold out in Dublin, Paris and London, giving him confidence to expand the tour to the United States. The rapper argued that the words “Free Palestine” “challenged institutions” that, in his view, were tied to established power structures. He said supporters could “build our own stages” if traditional venues refused to host the performances.
Macklemore alleged on Friday that nine major US arenas, including Madison Square Garden (MSG), declined to host his proposed benefit tour after learning it would raise money for Palestine. Yet we’ve reached a point where a handful of billionaires can decide which causes are acceptable, which voices are welcome and which human lives are worth defending,” the artist wrote on Friday.
