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Macklemore is no stranger to using his massive platform to throw his support behind causes that are important to him. In a recent benefit concert in support of the residents of Palestine, Macklemore uttered a strong “F*ck America” statement during his set.
As reported by Rolling Stone India, Macklemore was performing in his home state of Washington over the weekend. The “Thrift Shop” star dropped the pro-Palestinian track “Hind’s Hall” earlier this year in celebration of the students who led protests at Columbia University in New York that took over Hamilton Hall to honor the life and legacy of Hind Rajab, an elementary school-aged girl who was killed during the Israel-Hamas conflict that still rages today.
In a sequel track, “Hind’s Hall 2,” Macklemore doubled down on the anti-Israel stance with a song that was created to benefit UNRWA USA, an organization established to help Palestinian refugees.
During his set in Seattle over the weekend, the artist born Benjamin Hammond Haggerty rocked the Palestine Will Live Forever benefit concert in Kent, Wash. and a journalist by the name of Cam Higby captured the moment in question. The video has since made its rounds on social media with many equating the rapper’s stances as anti-semitic and anti-American, with harsh critique following.
According to Macklemore’s Facebook page regarding the benefit concert, proceeds from the event at Seward Park Amphitheater will be spread among several other organizations in support of Palestinian refugees.
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Macklemore released a song supporting the collegiate protests decrying the war in Gaza, with proceeds going to relief efforts.
On Monday night (May 6), Macklemore surprised the public with the release of “Hind’s Hall”, a new single inspired by the protests taking place on college campuses nationwide in solidarity with the Palestinian people and decrying the raging war in Gaza. The name of the song comes from the Hamilton Hall building at Columbia University in New York City which was occupied by student protesters and renamed “Hind’s Hall” in tribute to Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed during an attack by Israeli Defense Forces earlier this year.
The artist shared it on X, formerly Twitter, writing: “Once it’s up on streaming, all proceeds going to UNRWA.” UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. In the video, Macklemore calls out those aiding the ongoing attacks by the IDF as footage of law enforcement officers clearing out campus encampments plays: “Block the barricade until Palestine is free/ When I was seven, I learnt a lesson from [Ice Cube and Eazy-E/ What was it again? Oh yeah, f—- the police.” He even chimed in on the current Kendrick Lamar/Drake battle in chiding other artists for their silence on the matter: The music industry’s quiet, complicit in their platform of silence/What happened to the artist, what do you got to say?/ If I was on a label you could drop me today/ And be fine with it ’cause the heart fed my page/ I want a ceasefire, fuck a response from Drake.”
The 40-year-old has been active in the protests denouncing the actions of the Israeli government and military since the conflict with Hamas began on October 7, 2023. Macklemore took part in a pro-Palestine rally last December, and explained his position on social media: When I say ‘Free Palestine,’ it’s not against anyone,” he began. “It actually means we should protect everyone. It means equality for all. Respect, peace, and love. It means the right to exist, regardless of what sector you’re from.
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Sneakerheads are about to get the chance to enter the raffle of a lifetime as Macklemore is giving away one of his ultra exclusive Air Jordan 6’s that he debuted a few years ago. The catch? You have to pre-order his album, BEN. (Damnit!)
A few days ago, the Seattle rapper took to Instagram to announce the contest. One of the 46 pairs of the “Clay” Air Jordan 6’s that was made exclusively for Macklemore and his team is up for grabs. Anyone interested in the sneakers must pre-order his latest album, BEN, on Tunespeak. Unfortunately, for anyone looking to take home one of the rarest of Air Jordans, three million people have already entered the contest. Good luck with that.
That being said, does that mean that Macklemore’s BEN is already triple platinum before it even drops??
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The “Clay” Air Jordan 6’s were the talk of the sneaker town when Macklemore took to the stage in a pair years ago. Everyone immediately noticed the pink-ish suede that had never graced the iconic Nike silhouette. Though many had hoped the sneakers would see a general release sooner or later, it never happened. Now that a pair is finally up for grabs, y’all know heads are going to do whatever they can to land a pair, even if that means pre-ordering multiple copies of a Macklemore album that probably won’t get much burn after it releases (no shots).
As to what the resale price on a pair of these would be, best believe it’ll be in the five figure category should the lucky winner decide to make a profit off of these.
Check out Macklemore announce the sweepstakes for the Air Jordan 6 “Clay” below. Let us know if you’ll be one of the millions trying to get a pair in the comments section below.
Macklemore has been a longtime advocate for addiction recovery, and has always been honest about his own struggles with sobriety since he first admitted himself into rehab for drug addiction and alcoholism in August 2008.
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In a new interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the star opened up about his relapse in the summer of 2020. “It was an intense time. The life that I knew, just like all of our lives, was stripped away. I’m used to a certain schedule of touring, of being gone, of being home, of recovery and being able to go to a physical 12-step meeting,” he explained. “That stopped during COVID. Eventually, I’m on Instagram while being on Zoom and I’m just not really paying attention to the meetings. Eventually — and this is what happens when I don’t prioritize my recovery — if I don’t put that first, then I will lose everything that I’m putting in front of it. That’s what happens.”
He added that “luckily,” the relapse only lasted a few weeks, bu caused a lot of “pain” that he still feels two and a half years later. “I’m still working on getting back trust, but I think that it gave me a reprieve, a reminder again, a slap in the face. Not a delicate reminder, but a slap in the face reminder,” he said. “‘This is your life. You get one of these. What are you going to do with this precious time on this Earth? Do you want to be secretive? Do you want to be hiding? Do you want to be in the shadows, or do you want to live your life to it’s fullest potential, get back on it and be honest?’”
Macklemore also channeled that pain into Ben, his upcoming album out on March 3. “I think that pain is a catalyst for great art. I don’t want to inflict the pain on myself anymore to make art. It’s not like I need to self-sabotage in order to create, but I think that it created some darker, more honest and vulnerable moments on the album,” he shared. “Again, a relapse is not […] any sort of part of the process, but it does create that vulnerability.”
Watch the full interview below.
This month marks the 10-year history since the release of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis‘ groundbreaking debut album The Heist, but also sees their hit single “Can’t Hold Us” reaching double diamond status by the RIAA.
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The achievement marks their second diamond single from the same album, which only 19 other acts having accomplished the feat in RIAA history. The duo’s 2015 track “Thrift Shop,” featuring Wanz, also has a diamond certification. The awards is given to songs and albums with 10 million sales and streaming equivalents earned.
“It’s amazing. Not everyone has it. I believe only 20 people have it in history. Is that right? Can I flex?” Macklemore recently told Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly of the feat. “It is an amazing accomplishment. The crazy thing is we played those records for record labels, and dudes were like, ‘Yeah, it’s cool. I don’t hear it on the radio, though.’ And here we are with two diamond singles.”
“To land two RIAA Diamond singles is no easy feat – it’s a testament to the incredible artists that Ben and Ryan are and to what’s possible through the power of a true partnership, Cat Kreidich, president of ADA, said in a press statement. “ADA is proud to have been by their side from the very beginning and I know I speak for everyone when I say we’re thrilled for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis on this much-deserved milestone.”
Macklemore dropped his first single of 2022 in July, “Chant” featuring Tones and I. His new song, “Faithful,” drops on Friday (Oct. 28).
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