Why I’m ‘team Macklemore’ AND ‘team Ed Sheeran’

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Being a former pop music radio exec, I know a lot about both Macklemore and Ed Sheeran; enough to know their character and a good bit about the business side of what they do.

I mention that because I’ve seen a lot of vilification of both: Macklemore by pro-Israeli people who think that nation’s military actions in Gaza are/were fully justified and can see no wrong done by anyone involved, and for Sheeran, those who see those actions by Israel in Gaza as a genocide.

Leading up to billionaire Robert Kraft orchestrating a near-boycott of Ed Sheeran’s “Loop” tour, it was no secret that Macklemore is an artist and activist. It’s not even as if his position on the plight of the Palestinians was a secret; but it was ⁠his speaking on it in MetLife Stadium days ago ⁠that drew the ire of Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft, who gave the tour’s promoter an ultimatum: either Macklemore’s dropped or the venue’s no longer available. Kraft also sought out the support of other venues’ management (like those managing the publicly funded Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia and Mercedes Benz Stadium here in Atlanta) to join in his ultimatum.

In my mind, that put Ed Sheeran in a pickle. One, he’d never been public facing with his political views and for good reason: people of all stripes come to his shows and enjoy the music unaware someone they’re beside, behind or in front of may disagree with them on divisive issues – which is sort of nice, no? Two, Ed was being made to decide between his friend (Macklemore) and his fans and those employed by his tour – and with little time to pivot.

⁠Understanding the ‘business’ side of this⁠ sort of helps (I believe) fair-minded people understand why Sheeran was being played, and not so much a villain in this matter.

That’s why I believe it unfair the criticism Sheeran’s faced from the pro-Palestinian activists (I am, I believe among them) is unfair and sort of emblematic of the larger wedge that cannot be bridged between Palestinians and Israelis.

Even Pink, a pop star (and Jewish American pop star at that) ⁠recalibrated what she initially said through a social media repost⁠, not that she’s been immune from the backlash, either.

Then there’s this: why is there this “all-or-nothing” response if someone speaks up for the plight of the innocent Gazan? You do so and risk being labeled an ‘antisemite,’ and if you don’t say a word you’re permitting a ‘genocide?’

The Nexus Project’s president Jonathan Jacoby – a Jewish American himself, obviously – ⁠joined Germany’s DW News to dispel the notion that Macklemore (or anyone) can say the things he did and should be viewed as an antisemite.⁠

Lastly, where is local media when someone should be asking AMB Sports & Entertainment (the company managing the mostly taxpayer-funded Mercedes Benz Stadium) what their role was in this near-blackballing of a tour at the expense of an artist’s free speech?