American rapper Macklemore, a vocal critic of the Israeli war on Gaza, revealed on Friday that major concert halls in the United States - including Madison Square Garden in New York - had refused to book his “Free Palestine” tour, which had just concluded three concerts in Europe, according to Reuters.
Macklemore launched this initiative after he was excluded from participating as an opening artist on musician Ed Sheeran's concert tour in August. Macklemore said at the time that the owners of sports halls and arenas objected to him saying the phrase “Free Palestine” on stage.
Macklemore said on social media that since then, nine American halls have refused to allow him to book appointments available until the end of the year. These halls included Madison Square, the Garden, and Kia Forum in Los Angeles.
He stated in a post: “Shows would not have been allowed to be held in these halls.” He added: “In more than 20 years of artistic tours, I have never encountered anything like this before.”
A spokesperson for MSG Entertainment, which operates Madison Square Garden and other halls, explained that its facilities are among “the busiest halls in the world, and are available to a very limited extent,” adding that Macklemore “is not a major hall-level artist.”
Kia Forum representatives have not yet responded to requests for comment.
Macklemore held concerts on the “Free Palestine” tour in Dublin, Paris, and London, to raise funds for organizations that support the Palestinian people. The singer said he will work with other artists and organizers to present more shows in support of this cause.
“We live in a country that prides itself on freedom of expression,” he wrote. However, we have reached a point where a handful of billionaires can decide which issues are acceptable, which voices are welcome, and which human lives are worth defending.”
Palestinian authorities say that more than 74,000 people were killed in the Israeli attack on Gaza, which began after fighters led by the Hamas movement killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Republican Anthony Constantino, who previously recorded an album of rap songs praising President Donald Trump, won a seat in the US House of Representatives in the midterm elections that took place on Friday.
American media announced the victory of Constantinou, 44, after a strong competition with Democratic candidate Blake Gendebian in the 21st congressional district in New York State.
Constantinou had anticipated the results and announced his victory on election night, when he gave a speech that included obscene language, attacked what he described as the “evil media,” and expelled a television crew from the hall in which he was celebrating.
In his speech, Constantino called on President Donald Trump to consider pardoning the former rapper and music producer known as “Diddy,” saying that Diddy is “a historic New Yorker who has made great achievements for the state of New York.”
Sean John Combs, known in the music community as “Diddy,” was sentenced to more than 4 years in prison in 2025 on charges related to prostitution.
Constantinou first attracted attention in 2024, when he placed a huge, illuminated banner bearing the phrase “Vote for Trump” on the roof of a building belonging to the poster company he owns and manages.
This year, he also released an album entitled “Thank You, President Trump,” which included rap songs whose lyrics were inspired by the president’s slogans, his passion for golf, and his book “The Art of the Deal.”
The Democrats achieved a landslide victory in the midterm elections, where they obtained a majority in both chambers of Congress, in addition to winning the governorship of states that are traditionally considered strongholds of the Republican Party, such as Texas and Georgia.
