Macklemore isn’t one to engage in onstage antics, but a twist of fate lent some very odd context to a recent performance of his. Moreover, he (along with many other artists) took the stage at the Lovestream Festival in Slovakia, and at one point, he invited a Slovenian fan onstage to perform a duet with him. After the woman boasted about it on social media, someone recognized her from an open police report (as a wanted woman) and informed authorities at the “Hind’s Hall” MC’s performance. Cops let her wrap her performance up and then arrested her for avoiding a fine from an alleged streaking incident.
Elsewhere, Macklemore instead usually draws up controversy for his music, whether for the right and wrong reasons. Most recently, his release of a pro-Palestine track stirred up a storm on social media, including a response diss from Wu-Tang Clan affiliate Remedy. Overall, this is a very complex situation and one that political and social polarization can obfuscate when it comes to the actual humanitarian issues at hand. Nevertheless, the “Thrift Shop” rapper’s powerful single speaks volumes to the need to engage in these difficult conversations and definitely achieved at least part of its intended effect.
Macklemore Performing In Paris
PARIS, FRANCE – MAY 29: Macklemore performs onstage during the ibis RockCorps France 2024 at Accor Arena on May 29, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Kristy Sparow/Getty Images)
“I didn’t expect to be on a microphone,” Macklemore expressed during a pro-Palestine rally in Washington, DC. “There are thousands of people here more qualified to speak on the issue of a free Palestine than myself. But I will say this: They told me to be quiet. They told me to do my research, to go back, that it’s too complex to say something, right? To be silent in this moment. In the last three weeks, I’ve gone back and I’ve done some research … I’m teachable. I don’t know enough. But I know enough that this is a genocide.”
“I have so many close lifelong Jewish and Muslim friends and I don’t want to cause any additional harm to any of them,” Macklemore shared on Instagram. “But I trust in our friendships that even if we disagree we can be rooted in love and acceptance in whatever dialogue transpires. I trust that these potential challenging and emotional conversations will not divide us in the end but lead to more compassion. Killing the innocent is never the answer. Revenge only breeds more hatred. Thinking of ourselves as separate from one another is a lie.”
About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output.
Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond.
Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C.
His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.
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