Seattle Sports Teams Reevaluating Relationships With Macklemore Over His “Increasingly Divisive Comments”

Over the weekend, Macklemore released the fundraising single “Hinds Hall 2,” his second protest song about Israel’s campaign of genocide in Gaza. He performed the track at a concert billed as “Palestine Will Live Forever Fest” in his Seattle hometown. During that performance, Macklemore was filmed telling the crowd, “Fuck America.” Since then, Macklemore has been dropped from the lineup of Las Vegas’ Neon City Festival, and now some of Seattle’s professional sports franchises say that they’re reevaluating their relationships with the rapper.

Macklemore is a longtime fan of Seattle sports. Even before he found national fame with his hit “Thrift Shop,” Macklemore became a local sensation partly because of “My Oh My,” his 2011 ode to the late Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus. He’s performed at multiple sporting events over the years, but now those teams seem to be distancing themselves from him. KOMO News reports that a spokesperson for the Mariners made this statement in response to Macklemore’s “fuck America” moment: “We are aware of the incident and agree with the other teams in town: Sports and music should connect, not divide us. We continue to monitor and research the latest developments.”

Meanwhile, the Seattle Storm and Seattle Sounders FC issued this joint statement: “We believe that sports bring people together and unite us. We are aware of Macklemore’s increasingly divisive comments, and they do not reflect the values of our respective ownership groups, leagues, or organizations. We are currently evaluating our collective options on this matter.”

Earlier this week, Macklemore shared a lengthy statement about his “fuck America” comment. He wrote, “My thoughts and feelings are not always expressed perfectly or politely. Sometimes I slip up and get caught in the moment. Saturday night was one of those times.” He then went on to reaffirm his support of the Palestinian people and his anger over America’s complicity in the genocide. As an independent artist with major mainstream hits, Macklemore is in a unique position to criticize Israel without being shut down by major-label overlords, but he knows he’ll still face career consequences.