Jack Antonoff slams Ed Sheeran as he claims a 'billionaire' is telling him 'what to do' over Macklemore spat
Jack Antonoff has not held back on his opinions towards Ed Sheeran after Macklemore's removal from the singer's Loop Tour.
Macklemore's firing came after he made pro-Palestinian speeches on stage during a September 4 performance. The move caused all of Sheeran's support acts to drop out, however, 'The A-Team' hitmaker insisted in a statement that he was 'not complicit' in the removal of the rapper from his shows.
Sheeran did, however, carry on with his tour without his support acts, prompting fellow musician Antonoff to criticize him for not canceling it.
"[Ed Sheeran] missed a massive, beautiful opportunity there," the 42-year-old said in an interview with The Guardian.
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"Just cancel the whole tour, then play for free outside each venue, raise a bunch of money, rather than let a billionaire tell you what to do."
The Bleachers star added that Sheeran should have 'stood the [expletive] up', adding that we 'live in a world where billionaires are constantly telling us what to do'.
Antonoff also stated how he had been saying 'free Palestine' onstage at his shows long before the recent controversy surrounding the singers.
UNILAD has approached Ed Sheeran's representatives for comment.
Last month, Robert Kraft, who owns the New England Patriots, confirmed that he had banned Macklemore from performing with Sheeran at the Gillette Stadium.
"Based on Macklemore's recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran's shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community, we determined that his participation in the September 25th and 26th concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line," he said in a statement shared with ESPN.
Kraft later said that Sheeran had asked him to match his donation of $2 million for 'aid in the region', after Macklemore challenged Kraft to match the $1 million he would be donating to Palestinian organizations.
Following his removal from the Loop Tour, Macklemore announced that he would be putting on a Free Palestine tour, which kicked off in Dublin last night (October 26).
Rap trio Kneecap and folk band Beoga, who were scheduled to support Sheeran on his Loop Tour, also joined the rapper on stage. All proceeds from the tour will be donated to organizations supporting Palestinians.
During his performance, Macklemore told the crowd: "Six weeks ago, it was two words. Two words is all that it took. Two words that are rooted in love and liberation.
"Not against anybody, not divisive. Not a call for hatred. But a call to recognize our shared humanity."
He then called for a 'Free Palestine'.
"The same thing that I want for all of us, freedom, dignity, the right to exist without fear. Being able to raise our children in the homes that we grew up in, not having to prove our humanity to the rest of the world," Macklemore added.
Topics: Celebrity, Ed Sheeran, Music
Kiesha Dosanjh