Gästas av anees, MC Abdul och Amer Zahr på låten tillägnad Palestina.
I förra veckan släppte Macklemore uppföljaren till vida uppmärksammade pro-Palestina-låten “Hind’s Hall”, där han denna gång gästas av “sun and moon”-sångaren anees, palestinsk-amerikanska författaren, komikern och politiska aktivisten Amer Zahr samt Palestina-bördiga rapparen MC Abdul.
Både innan och efter låtens släpp har Macklemore varit väldigt vokal kring Israels folkmord i Palestina och många gånger riktat rättfärdig kritik mot sitt eget hemland och dess sponsring av krigsföringen.
Under ett framträdande av originalversionen på en välgörenhetskonsert för Palestina nyligen, yttrade Macklemore således de förbjudna orden “Fuck America”, varpå han fick stark kritik från framförallt konservativa amerikaner men även NHL-laget Seattle Kraken och NFL-laget Seattle Sounders som han båda är delägare i.
“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”, skrev lagen i ett gemensamt uttalande.
“We are currently evaluating our collective options on this matter.”
The crowd applauds American rapper Macklemore as he got on stage in Seattle and said “f*ck America” pic.twitter.com/00xrMQ05WY
— Memology 101 (@NewsM101) September 22, 2024
Nu har Macklemore svarat på kritiken och försvarat och förklarat sitt ordval i ett långt inlägg via sociala medier.
“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”, började han.
“The last 11.5 months of watching a genocide unfold in front of us has been excruciating on a spiritual, emotional and human level. I have been in utter disbelief with how our government is showing up at this moment in history. I don’t think I’m alone.
“I see dismembered kids in Gaza being pulled out of rubble, murder by U.S manufactured bombs. I see my own children in their lifeless bodies. I don’t think I’m alone. I listen to their parents scream and hear the deepest cries of pain and helplessness imaginable. I cry with them. I don’t think I’m alone. I have been disillusioned and disheartened as our government has continued to unequivocally fund and support Israel’s on-going violence against the people of Palestine. I don’t think I’m not alone.”
Han fortsatte sedan:
“And some days I wake up, see another couple billion dollars given to Israel, or another refugee encampment destroyed, or a father holding a limb from his martyred child, or another speech from a politician justifying the right of Israel to ‘defend itself’ while denying Palestinians the right to exist, and I say to myself…. ‘Fuck America.’ I don’t think I’m alone.
“But do not misconstrue the word ‘fuck’ for the word ‘hate.’ It’s different to be angry than to disown. My ‘fuck’ — my anger — is rooted not in distain for where I was born but in anguish for how we can collectively allow this to continue. It is not directed at the people that make up our country, but towards our government who refuse to listen to us. It is directed at the politicians who have put profit over people, who put lobbyist money over their moral compass. I think, ‘How are these people representing us as a country?’ I don’t think I’m alone.”
Han avslutade sedan inlägget med att skriva:
“I’ve lost endorsements, I’ve lost shows, I’ve lost business ties. I am still here, unwavering in my support for a Free Palestine. I care about humanity and this earth too much to turn back now. My intent always comes back to the pursuit of peace, love, equality and liberation for all. And that isn’t radical, it’s human.”
Se inlägget och lyssna på “Hind’s Hall 2” nedan.
Foto: Charles Boonsu Johnson
