As the Israel-Hamas conflict rages, Seattle-based rapper Macklemore has thrust himself into a fiery debate by attending pro-Palestinian rallies and releasing a new song that accuses Israel of "apartheid," "genocide" and enforcing a "white supremacist" system. His provocative choices have rekindled long-simmering allegations of antisemitic insensitivity.
The Forward, CNN, and i24 have reported on Macklemore's run-ins with antisemitism, past and present. Macklemore's latest activism evokes disturbing memories of 2014, when the rapper performed at a concert wearing an oversized fake nose, bushy beard and bowl cut wig - a costume many condemned as an offensive caricature propagating anti-Jewish stereotypes.
"Really, Macklemore? A big Jewish nose? Subtle," The Forward wrote at the time, as social media platforms filled with accusations that the Grammy-winner celebrated racism through tropes historically used to mock and dehumanize Jews.
After the incident, Macklemore, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, apologized for what he called a "random costume" meant solely as a disguise to move freely during the show, not to stereotype Jewish people. However, the Anti-Defamation League stated that while they took "him at his word that he did not have any ill intent," the "makeup and jewelry he wore...did promote racist stereotypes."
Now, nearly a decade later, new incidents have resurrected scrutiny over potential antisemitic biases and insensitivities.
Recently, Macklemore attended a large pro-Palestinian rally in Washington D.C., voicing support for thousands of protesters calling for an end to the Israel-Hamas war while chanting a rallying cry viewed by many as a call for the destruction of the Jewish state.
"This is absolutely beautiful to observe today...I know enough to know that this is a genocide," Macklemore told the crowd.
The rapper then released a nearly three-minute song titled "Hind's Hall," an anthem praising student demonstrators who occupied a building at Columbia University in protest of Israeli policies. The lyrics accuse Israel of enforcing an "apartheid system" guilty of "genocide," while suggesting the U.S. ally relies on "white supremacy." Hind's Hall is filled with falsehoods, vicious anti-Israel sentiment and Hamas propaganda, claiming, "History been repeating for the last seventy-five, The Nakba never ended, the colonizer lied."
Its lyrics have drawn intense backlash from critics who condemn diminishing the Holocaust and historical racism by conflating it with the Israel-Palestinian crisis.
Israel, whose population is largely descended from refugees across the Middle East and Africa as well as European Holocaust survivors, cannot be portrayed accurately as upholding white supremacist ideals.
Yet for Macklemore, a self-professed progressive activist, the new track represents the latest salvo in his campaign to censure Israeli policies and bolster the Palestinian movement. In 2021, he read a pro-Palestinian poem on stage that directly addressed his "Jewish brothers and sisters" while declaring "'Free Palestine' is also rooted in your protection."
For those keeping score, the incidents mark the latest in a lengthy history of courting controversy related to Jewish tropes and imagery. Even Macklemore's breakout 2012 hit "Thrift Shop" drew criticism, with some claiming lyrics about bargain-hunting played on stereotypes of Jewish frugality that proliferated during eras of discrimination.
As the backlash mounts, Macklemore has remained steadfastly defiant in his stance, using his influential platform to relentlessly criticize Israel's actions amid the escalating conflict.
Whether born of ignorance or more deep-rooted prejudices, Macklemore's polarizing activism has crossed a hateful, antisemitic line, not for the first time.